At the Constitution Convention Museum State Park, interpretive exhibits and artifacts put a face on Florida’s frontier days, with a special focus on the historic city of St. Joseph (now Port St. Joe).
Established by homesteaders who were kicked out of Apalachicola thanks to a sneaky land deal called the Forbes Purchase (1830), St. Joe was Florida’s first real tourist destination, a deep-water port that was the Las Vegas of its day. Some said it was the hand of God that wiped out Sin City in 1841, with a triple whammy of yellow fever, hurricane, and wildfire. A stone marker, cemetery, and this museum are all that’s left of the old city. In 1838 St. Joe hosted Florida’s Constitutional Convention. A replica meeting room has bios of all of the delegates, and gives a nice glimpse into a time when Mosquito County took up most of the southern peninsula.
This is not a hike, but a walk around a museum, one of several state park museums I felt compelled to add to Florida Hikes! when this historic state park was at risk of being shut due to budget cuts. However, it is also a trailhead for a paved trail through Port St. Joe, the Port City Trail.
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Overview
Location: Port St. Joe
Lat-Long: 29.793400, -85.299400
Fees / Permits: state park entrance fee
Good for: history
The museum is open from 9-12 noon and 1-5 p.m. Thu-Mon, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Constitution Convention Museum State Park website
Directions
Along US 98 just east of downtown Port St. Joe at 200 Allen Memorial Way
Trail Map
Constitution Convention Museum[maptype=G_MAP_TYPE; gpxview=all]
