City of Tallahassee Invites Community to Premiere of "A Cabin in the Woods - Building Florida's First Capitol"

January 24, 2025

The City of Tallahassee is rolling out the red carpet on Jan. 27 at the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee for the big screen premiere of "A Cabin in the Woods - Building Florida's First Capitol." The new documentary celebrates the Capital City, its founders and its residents, past and present.

The star of the show is the community-built log cabin - a replica of Florida's first capitol. It was a Bicentennial project, built in Cascades Park by volunteers and in partnership with Big Bend Habitat for Humanity and Friends of the First Florida Capitol. It is located near the site of the original home of the Florida Legislature in 1824.

"This historical project and the City-produced documentary capturing it are near to my heart," said Mayor John Dailey, who spearheaded the initiative to build the cabin. "This ambitious endeavor brought together hundreds of volunteers of all ages, from many neighborhoods across the community - all united in their love for Tallahassee. I hope everyone will come out to learn more about what went into making this idea come to life, and the history behind it."

This project continues a proud community tradition. A cabin was first built for the 1924 centennial by the Boy Scouts, and another was built in 1974 for the sesquicentennial by Sheriff Raymond Hamlin Jr., the Historic Tallahassee Preservation Board and the Tallahassee Lions Club. The current replica of Florida's first capitol is open to the public for tours on the weekends. Visit FirstFloridaCapitol.org to find out more information about docent led tour hours.

The building of the cabin was captured on film by members of the City's Communications department, and the hour-long documentary was produced by three-time Emmy Award recipient Tom Bronakoski, who has been with the City since 2003.

Join us in celebrating our past, present and future as we honor 200 years of Tallahassee's remarkable journey. Admission is free.

• When: Monday, Jan. 27, 2025
• Where: Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee, IMAX Theater, 200 S. Duval Street
• Time: 5 p.m. Opening Reception, 6 p.m. Premiere of Documentary, 7 p.m. Q/A/Discussion

Explore our City's diverse history through the video series "Tallahassee - 200 Years in the Making," and see the journey of the First Florida Capitol replica build from start to finish at Talgov.com/Photos
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