Tallahassee served as Florida's First Capitol because it was located midway between St. Augustine and Pensacola. Lawmakers needed a central location as the journey from east Florida to west Florida was treacherous during the early 1800s. On a mission to find a mutually agreeable location, two sets of explorers met midway at former abandoned Native American settlement known as Anhaica. This became early Tallahassee which means Old Town (Talia+Hasi) in Creek/Seminole. The first Florida Capitol was a log cabin built in 1824. One hundred years later, a temporary replica was built. Another temporary full sized replica was built in 1974 for the sesquicentennial celebration. My dad was on that committee which inspired him to advocate for building a permanent replica for the bicentennial celebration in 2024. It was so interesting to hear about the process of building this most recent First Florida Capitol replica. So many people donated their time and energy. From sifting through historical records, to creating authentic floor plans when few existed, to donations of logs, to getting permits, it was a challenging to bring this project, a dream for my dad, to life. Having grown up in Tallahassee, I have always loved Florida history. It is nice to see a piece of history being brought back to life and to have my family play a role in that legacy. Florida is so different from when my grandparents moved to south Florida a century ago in the 1920s. I am happy to see history preserved while the city and state continue to grow. #2900 read more

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One of the best areas in Tallahassee right here! Cascades Park is a beautiful and sprawling park & leisure area close to downtown that's perfect for a walk, run, family outing or other activities in the fresh air. There are walking paths that loop around and through and must go for several miles. They have a small amphitheater in the middle where I'm sure there are performances and concerts here and there. A big splash pad is on one side, and I know the kiddos love that especially on a warmer day. They have a big playground on the other side, and there are some bathrooms as well just in case. Intertwined are some pond/ creek areas that add to the beauty of this park. It's a super lovely walk around, and my favorite part are the pillars towards one end that tell the history of Tallahassee- racial tensions, civil war and repair and more. It brings more light onto the capitol city and its roots. read more

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Such a BEAUTIFUL park to walk around or have a picnic! Always clean and very well manicured

Cool park to check out with a historic replica cabin for 1824 1st Capital . A bit of Tallahassee history .There is no known record of exactly were the Florida capital was so it was put in this park so Tallahassee locals and visitors could enjoy a bit of history. It took almost a year to build. Today they had a South Tally Festival with a local band and exhibits. Worth a look. read more

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Very nice walk on the scenery lots of folks wonderful waterfalls great coffee shops the original capital building is on the property that you can visit. It's just a great walk. read more

Bigger than I thought it'd be. Popped on by last weekend for the free concert they were hosting. Weather was cooperative, the show itself was whatever, but the general ambiance of the park was vast and spacious. Many people sat in seats, others like us brought chairs and sat in them. I found the stage nicely set up. It's even in a dome shape, which I found quite appealing. They hosted this event easily with food trucks and plenty of free parking. The park itself looks quite walkable and full of activity. I'd be interested to return and explore it further. read more

Cascades Park - Free concert at Cascades Park. - Parks Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

This is an amazing park that is located just outside of downtown Tallahassee. There is different parking options available. there is a nearby lot that you have to pay for 24/4. There is another lot that is partially metered. You may be able to find some free spots here. And there are a few lots and garges that offer parking after 6PM on weekdays and all day on weekends. I know, its complicated. It is best to refer to their parking map before you visit. The park spans 24 acres and dates back to 1971. However, the park had to be closed due to soil contamination and toxic waste left buried by the gasification plant that once occupied the site. After a lengthy clean up the park, as it is situated now, was reopened in 2014. The park is clean and ver picturesque. They have a pond with seating along it and a plaza area with picnic tables that overlook it. There is also a nice paved trail that runs along it. All in all, the park has 3 main trails, the whole park loop, Bocha Chuba pond loop and the Smokey Hollow pond loop. Altogether, the trails make up 2.3 miles of paved pathways. The trails connect to the Capital Cascades Trail, and the St. Marks Trail which makes for a seamless extended run. The trail that runs along the main road you will see that Parks History Monument that consists of 13 interpretive panels that highlight some of the city's major historical events including the first inhabitants, becoming the Capital, Civil War, WWII, and Civil Rights. It is very nice and I recommend checking it out. It is like an outdoor museum. The park is also hime to an awesome state of the art outdoor amphitheater called the Adderley Amphitheater and the Korean War Memorial. The Amphitheater has 3,500 seats and general admission law seating. The memorial consists of a large upright granite circle with a military cross in the center of it, that represents the "Circle of Life" and the role that Florida veterans played in it. If you look behind the circle, you will notice that a piece of it is broken out and embedded in the ground nearby. That is intended to symbolize the disruption of the Circle of Life. The piece is etched with the names of 583 Floridians killed in action during the War. As I mentioned, this is a nice park, but not really for kids. It has a play area called Discovery that has a Cypress Climb, Steephead Slide, Log Jump, Butterfly Garden, a water/well contraption and Beach Sand area. There is also a metal picnic table and some glider swings over there. The park is rumored to have a nice splash pad, but I did not see it. I am sure that visiting in early March played a role in that though. This is a great park with a ton of green space, some picturesque views, an amphitheater, a small play area, picnic area and much more. It appears to be well maintained and is very clean. This park is an excellant space to host an event. Even though it does not have any shelters and just a small play area, I still gave the park 5 stars. It is that good. I highly recommend checking this park out for a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of downtown. read more

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Great place to get in a walk, relax, read a book, have a picnic! My husband and I enjoyed a coffee and breakfast at The Power Plant Cafe. I was just save the club music for later in the day! But I'm old!!! Beautiful Park! read more

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This park is the epidemy of perfect. I love this park and it is super welcoming for taking runs or for hanging out with friends. Do go here.

Came here for my first time in Tallahassee,I had a wonderful walk and there's a bridge,TLH sign,a river and a waterfall and there's a restroom and a water fountain area for kids to play it was a wonderful walk and I would definitely recommend this place! read more

Cascades Park - River - Parks Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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This downtown park near the capitol isn't especially robust in terms of natural features, but they've made the most out of what they're working with. A small stream runs through a space that includes an impressive-looking war memorial, an amphitheater, and a water park. There were some decent open bathroom facilities, and trail linkages to the surrounding area. Definitely worth stopping in. read more

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Breathtaking park in multiple levels that's very well maintained and has different sections for various purposes. Great playground with sand. Performing arts. read more

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Cascades is one of the best spots in town for families to walk around and enjoy the scenery. They host a lot of local events and have a huge stage for music & performances. There's an area for kids to play around, and a beautiful fountain that lights up at night. The kids love playing in the fountain in their bathing suits! It's a great little family-friendly park with a lot to offer. read more

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I love coming to this park. It has a many beautiful places to explore and a play area for the children. It is a must see!! read more

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Beautiful park, great venue! There is not a bad seat in the house for a show. Food and drinks available from vendors or restaurants on sight. There is a waterfall and grassy knolls for picnicking. Way to go Tallahassee, an all around wonderful place! read more

I simply adore this park...even with the new high rises that's been added. Looking forward to no more construction. Safe place to run/walk before sun rose or after sunset. Security on staff and there are people always out there. read more

What a great community park for events or just to walk! I was most impressed with the level of detail in the trails they have created to encourage a healthier lifestyle. They are building condos, businesses, and retail stores to further bring people to this park. The waterfall in lights were outstanding and I truly felt safe walking around. I was most impressed with this park because of the meticulous landscaping and attention to detail. read more

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The jewel of downtown Tallahassee! Cascades Park has become the center of all downtown activities in Tallahassee in the last few years with the addition of the amphitheatre, the Cascades Project developments, and the move of local restaurants, bars, cafes, and breweries to the nearby area. You can park in Cascades, enjoy the park, and still visit so many other places on foot. They're now connected to the St. Marks Trail through a chain of paths, so you can make this your trailhead for a nice bike ride. We have also attended so many festivals and concerts here and look forward to many more! Simply put, this is the best city park. Complete with walking path, playground, coffee shop, amphitheatre, and, did I mention, a WATERFALL, Cascades Park is perfect whether running, walking the dog, or going for an evening walk with your significant other. Get out! Enjoy the fresh air! At Cascades Park! read more

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Tallahassee has done this park up right. Plenty of options for whatever exercise your heart desires. Great kiddo playground area, local information about plants and very interesting history lessons along the trail. The facilities are clean which is a major plus! A beautiful tribute to our local Korean War heroes and an amphitheater that really needs to be used more often!!! I think whoever is in charge of bringing entertainment to Tallahassee needs to step up their game because we should have something going on there every week!! If we actually put as much effort into getting the word out about this venue I'd give it 5 stars all day long! (This review is NOT inclusive of the Edison.) read more

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Cascades Park is awesome! It is fun for the entire family including a splash pad for the little ones or the kids at heart on a hot day in Tallahassee. There is also an amphitheater for open air concerts with standard seating and also grass seating. You can find people using the perimeter for a morning or evening jog. I think this is a great spot for the community.. read more

Cascades Park - Cascade Park Amphitheater - Parks Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

Lovely place to go for a walk, have a picnic, have dinner at one of the restaurants on site, etc. It's very modern and adds a bit of cosmopolitan touch to Tallahassee, a city which is otherwise...not too cosmopolitan. In contrast with other parks (Lafayette comes to mind) this is more man-made and curated, but it's ideal for walking, taking your kids out to play, etc. read more

Such a beautiful park with amazing scenery! Great location for lunch dates, or just to walk around and chitchat with some friends. The Edison, has a picnic basket special that I haven't tried, but I will be trying in the near future! There's so much area to lay out blankets and just enjoy the beauties of nature! I always grab a drink from the coffee shop and just walk around. It's also a good location for exercising, especially cardio. They have a huge map that gives you the different routes you can take to walk/run/bike/jog various distances. The full outer perimeter of the park is 1 mile. They have a nice water area (with water fountains coming from the ground) for the children that is very simple, but children thoroughly enjoy it. read more

Cascades Park - Parks Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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The definitive crown jewel of Tallahassee. The park is strikingly beautiful and was thoughtfully planned out by the contractors. It's a wholesome joy to go for an evening stroll, take the kids or have an afternoon of solitude. Amenities include: a touching Korean war memorial, kids play area, fountains, walking/jogging trails, restrooms and an amphitheater. Last weekend, I watched a live performance by the Avett Brothers at the Capital City Amphitheater. Thousands came out for a charming night of live music. Cascades Park is now one of the premiere concert venues in town. This summer, a restaurant called The Edison will be opening its doors on park grounds. Genius. Even if Cascades Park weren't walking distance from my house, I would still find a way to visit weekly. Haven't been yet? I recommend visiting while witnessing one of those famous Tallahassee sunsets. You'll be drawn in immediately. read more

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Cascades really does have it all. From playgrounds to restaurants and a huge amphitheater for entertainment it provides something for all ages to enjoy. There are even rental bikes, that were newly installed by PACE Bikeshare, and they are SO much fun! It's only $1 every 30 minutes and you'll need your smartphone to download the app. Also, take advantage of their referral program so you can get free credits (Shameless plug) My all time favorite though is when the Tallahassee Acro Yoga community get together for their free weekend classes. That's right I said FREE. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly suggest it! It's truly amazing and life changing. They usually meet up on Saturdays or Sundays around 3pm. But find them on FB for more info if you're interested ‍ read more

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Beautiful spot. Can't wait until concerts and events are up and running again so I can see the amphitheater in its full glory. Until then not a shabby place for a sunrise walk with the dog or afternoon stroll! read more

Great place to walk, waterfall, awesome slides, splash park and war memorial, very well taken care of, and beautiful! Perfect place to bring a picnic on the grass or use the many tables throughout :) read more

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Really well maintained. Signs to orient you, bike/scooters to rent, doggy bags for your pets, ample parking. Seems like it takes multiple trips to explore all parts of the park, but I enjoyed the parts I did see! read more

Fantastic park! We took the boys to the amazing splash pad they have. I believe it runs from 8am-8pm and it's completely free! The park itself has sidewalks throughout to spend the day walking, jogging, or even biking. Bring your dogs out if you'd like. Parking is rough during state working hours 6-6pm, but then their parking lots open and are free to use. Cascades has amazing scenery and even nighttime light shows to go along with the amphitheater. Right across the street from the state Capital buildings, it's not the closest to my house but worth the drive! read more

Cascades Park - Parks Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

This park is a staple to Tallahassee, so versatile in the use of space. Very well planned. I don't know anyone who hasn't been to this park because there is always some event going on. It makes an excellent late night stroll well lit and plenty of parking around. You can take beautiful pictures here too. They even incorporate history through out the park, very unique. I really wish they could put more restaurants around it. BEST IN CLASS: Best Park in Tallahassee read more

Tallahassee's storm water control project disguised as a beautiful park that has become #1. Home to so many wonderful annual events including Word of South kicking off a great weekend. read more

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Cascades is THE park man. It's great. It's in a good location, very scenic, big but not too big, spacious, and great during the fall and spring for sure. It's got the Edison restaurant right there too. They have a small amphitheater type setup as well with events going on pretty regularly. I enjoyed it a lot! If you've got some free time to be outside in nice weather, definitely take a walk here, or a run! read more

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Tonight's Sundown Concert is wonderful! Perfect weather (not too hot and no rain). The band is Emily Wolfe with Revival--great music. read more

Cascades Park - Sundown Concert - Parks Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

good place for taking photos and taking a nice stroll, they need to add ducks to the park or something, not as many as lake Ella, but some animal that are not geese. read more

I would consider Cascades Park is one of the top parks here in Tallahassee. There is something for everyone: space for dogs to run, children's playground & dancing fountain, beautiful sightings, greenland for picnic, running/biking trail. It also has the beautiful amphitheater which is home to different performances. Definitely should be on everyone's to-do list. Great place for pictures as well! Centered close to the Capitol and Downtown Tallahassee read more

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This is specific to the rental spaces and the person in charge of this portion of the park, Laurie. The park has really nice spaces available for renting for showers, events, etc. However, good luck getting a space booked. The rental coordinator refuses to communicate and is very unprofessional. For over three weeks, I called and emailed her multiple times. Every time she promised she'd send me the info over to confirm the reservation and never did. I told her I needed to send out invitations and really needed some confirmation prior to doing so. And nothing from her. One of the other hosts called her and she promised she'd call as soon as she got to her office. And never did. This is obviously not her priority. We gave up and booked at Goodwood- which we had booked and confirmed in less than 24 hours. read more

A gem of a park - instantly our favorite "go-to" public place for being outdoors in TLH. Normally, I try to include something that a locale/establishment could do better - but I just can't think of one such suggestion here. The outer perimeter is precisely one mile. this is great for those coming for the exercise. there are two other recommended circuits as well, with shorter total distances. From the Smokey Hollow Commemorative area at the northernmost point, to the Boca Chuba pond (and fountain) at the southernmost point - and from the South Monroe gate at the westernmost point to the Korean war memorial at the eastern/middle edge, Cascades park has an abundance of options to offer. The bandshell is spectacular, and offers an acoustic experience that is rich as well as subtle to the seated audience as well as those behind on the hillock. There are 13 "history monuments" along Meridian street between E. Gaines and E. St. Augustine that lay out the timeline of Tallahassee's development, from prehistoric times to the near present. Truly, there is too much within this park to be included in a Yelp review, so in the interest of brevity, I'll continue in soundbites: The meridian line, the "point-zero" coordinate for the state's township & range system, "Discovery", Centennial field, etc... The Korean War memorial is exceptional - and predates Cascades park itself. It has been here for years but the Cascades park will surely draw increased attention to this thoughtful commemoration to a sometimes forgotten war. This is one of the most impressive war memorials I have ever seen, and certainly is the most impressive war memorial in TLH. In short, we are very happy with our recent addition to TLH's parks, and look forward to spending plenty of time here. read more

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Beautiful, Picnic perfect park with awesome features (missing many I'm sure) like: Playground fun (nature-sensory), Info/Wayfinding signage,Water fountains, Bathrooms, Water play area for kids, Open air amphitheater (with free shows and big ticket names like Wilco), and History (Korean War Memorial). You're a stone's throw away from Edison and/or Catalina, so you can grab a coffee or hot chocolate to stroll and see the lights during the holidays or grab a juice to cool off during the hot summer months. Whether walking with a friend (fur friends or human) catching up or biking for exercise, this park is a safe and beautiful haven for Tallahassee's communities. I highly recommend going to one of the free shows or one of the festivals being hosted there. Check out the Events tab on Yelp for local events. read more

Cascades Park - GlobalFEST - Parks Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

Even before I moved back to Tallahassee I fell in love with this park. From the water features to the natural type of landscaping with native plants indigenous to the area sprouting out of the ponds, this park is unique and pleasing to the eye and spirit. There is something here for everyone. My seven year old loves the array of Pokestops throughout the trails (which helps him to walk farther for longer) while my teen loves the aesthetic value of the park and dog friendly environment for our family's fur baby. If you have little ones, they have a quaint but cute play area. Additionally, they have a splash pad that is open in hotter months to appease the kids. At various times in the year, performances are held at the amphitheater as well. read more

I love Cascades Park! It's a gem and a great example of tax dollars being used to enhance the community by providing new public spaces. And this morning I saw that you can now get from Cascades Park to the St Marks trail (the final connector is now paved!). So head over the bridge, go to the circle after the playground and past Railroad square, and keep walking to enjoy the newest piece of the trail. At Gamble you'll see the concrete path turn into the paved, St Marks trail. Enjoy! read more

I loved it here! After parking we grabbed a couple electric scooters and went all the way through the park to get an over view of it. After reaching the other end we hopped off and took a stroll. We saw all the pretty water areas with plenty of space to come have a picnic, go for a jog, spend time with the family or even do some work or studying. Towards the middle we saw the restaurants and decided to try The Edison and it was great. After eating we continued our walk eventually finding all the covered swinging benches. We sat down on one for over an hour just swinging, talking, laughing and watching all the people that came by. I didn't see a single frown in that park this day. They also had a huge outside theater and were steering a show! I wish we were staying long enough to come back and watch one there! I will make sure I do when I come through again. Amazing park, if I lived near by I'd spend a lot of time here for sure. read more

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