Riley House Museum, Tallahassee

About Riley House Museum

The John G. Riley Center & Museum in Tallahassee welcomes visitors of all ages to explore African American history from the antebellum period through the civil rights era. Guided tours take visitors through the historic Riley home, built in 1890, where an animatronic figure of John Gilmore Riley appears alongside rotating exhibitions. Adjacent to the home, the Smokey Hollow Commemorative Site preserves the story of the African American community that once thrived there during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Three Spirit Homes—frames of shotgun-style houses—stand on the site alongside maps, historical photographs, and information panels documenting the neighborhood's past. A community garden, remembrance fountain, and fruit and vegetable trees complete the commemorative landscape. Step-On Guided Tours highlight other African American landmarks throughout Tallahassee's cultural landscape. The museum charges admission at multiple levels and publishes its prices online.