"Tallahassee" is an Apalachee Indian word meaning "old town" or abandoned fields. In 1539 Hernando de Soto and his men spent the first Christmas in the New World near what is now Tallahassee. As more Spanish colonists began to enter the Florida panhandle the Apalachee Indian population began to decline due to fighting and disease. The Apalachee Indians abandoned the village, and thus it was called Tallahassee.

When Florida became a territory of the United States in 1822 Saint Augustine and Pensacola were competing to become the state capital. They were unable to make a decision, so a point was chosen between the two cities. The beauty of the Tallahassee area attracted the search party. In 1824 the city of Tallahassee was created, with a log cabin as the first capital. Today Tallahassee is a major city with a population of over 137,000.

Education

Tallahassee is home to one college and two major state universities. Tallahassee Community College (TCC), Florida State University (FSU), and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) are all located in Tallahassee.

Tallahassee Community College (TCC)

In 1966 Tallahassee Community College was created to serve the post high school education needs of Leon County and the surrounding areas. TCC accepts high school graduates and returning adults who wish to start or continue a college education. Students can ear an Associate in Arts degree. Over 70 percent of the students that earn an AA go on to continue their education at one the state universities. There are currently 10,545 students enrolled at Tallahassee Community College as of the fall of 1999. For more information about Tallahassee Community College go to www.tallahassee.cc.fl.us.

Florida State University (FSU)

In 1947 the Florida State College for Women became co-educational Florida State University. FSU is a member of the State University System of Florida. There are 33,327 students enrolled at Florida State University as of he fall of 1999. The student body is 75 percent undergraduate and 19 percent graduate. FSU has sixteen major academic divisions. There are the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Human Sciences, Law, and Social Science. There are also the Schools of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Film (Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts), Information Studies, Music, Nursing, Social Work, Theatre, and Visual Arts and Dance. Florida State University offers 93 authorized baccalaureate degree programs covering 196 fields, 99 authorized Master's degree programs covering 169 fields, 1 authorized advanced Master's degree program covering 1 field, 27 specialist degree programs covering 35 fields, 1 authorized professional degree program covering 7 fields, and 71 authorized doctoral degree programs covering 132 fields.

The Florida State Seminole football team was college football's 1993 national champions. The Seminoles have been in the top 4 in the AP college football poll for the last 13 seasons. All FSU men's and women's athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. For more information about FSU sports go to http://www.seminoles.com. Also, for any information about Florida State University go to www.fsu.edu.

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU)

On October 3, 1887 the State Normal College for Colored Students began with fifteen students and two instructors. In 1891 the college was moved to its present location and the name was changed to the State Normal and Industrial College for Colored Students. In 1909 the school became accredited and became the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes, and in 1910 the first degree was awarded. Now called Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) there are 10,998 students enrolled as of the fall of 1999. FAMU is also a member of Florida's State University System. Today FAMU also has 11 schools and colleges. In 1989 FAMU awarded its first Ph.D. in the college of Pharmacy. The FAMU men's and women's athletic teams compete in the MEAC conference. For information about Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University or its athletic teams go to www.famu2.famu.edu/famu.html.

Tallahassee Tiger Sharks

Tallahassee is also home to the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks ice hockey team. The Tiger Sharks compete in the East Coast Hockey League. For information about tickets, or more information about the team go to www.tigersharkshockey.com.

Attractions

Tallahassee is home to a number of attractions. The following is a list of a few of the wonderful things that Tallahassee has to offer.

Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science
www.tallahasseemuseum.org
(850) 576-1636

Odyssey Science Center and Museum of Art
www.odysseysciencecenter.org
(850) 513-0700

Museum of Florida History
(850) 488-1484

Mission San Luis
www.flheritage.com
(850) 487-3711

Tallahassee Antique Car Museum
www.tacm.com
(850) 942-0137

The Capitol
(850) 488-6167

Maclay State Gardens
(850) 487-4556

Hernando de Soto Archaeological Site
(850) 922-6007

Governor's Mansion
(850) 488-4661

Other Attractions

There are many wonderful things to do in Tallahassee. Here is just a taste of the things that Tallahassee offers.

Downtown Get Downs every August through November on Friday nights of Florida State University home football game weekends. For more information call (850) 878-1104.

The North Florida Fair takes place every November in Tallahassee. This is the largest fair in the area. For more information call (850) 878-3247

Florida State University Seminole Football. Every fall through November the FSU Seminoles will compete in exciting college football action. For ticket information call (850) 644-1830.

Florida A and M University Rattler Football. Every fall you can catch the FAMU Rattlers football team in action. For ticket information call (850) 599-3230.

The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra will hold performances at Ruby Diamond Auditorium on the campus of Florida State University every October through April. For tickets please call (850) 644-6500.

The FSU School of Theatre is one of the country's top 10 theatre programs. The school will put on at least 4 shows a year from October through April. For tickets call (850) 644-6500 or go to www.fsu.edu/~theatre/.

The Tallahassee Little Theatre will have performances year round. The productions range from popular Broadway shows to modern avant garde plays. For information please call (850) 224-8474.

The Florida State University School of Music offers a wide variety of musical entertainment. From Operas and Symphonies to Chamber Orchestras and Jazz Ensembles the FSU School of Music offers something for everyone. For more information call (850) 644-4774 or go to www.music.fsu.edu.

Every November there is the Seven Days of Opening Nights which is a festival of fine and performing arts featuring nationally known artists and performers. For more information call (850) 644-6500

Springtime Tallahassee is the Capital City's premier festival. Every March this festival features a grand parade and giant arts and crafts festival. For more information call (850) 224-5012

To learn anything else about Tallahassee go to the city of Tallahassee web site at www.tallahassee.com.