Before it was a Sun Belt State

The changes have been so comprehensive that it easy to forget how recent they have been , and just what it used to be like in these parts.

Development resulting from a population influx and greater mobility has fundamentally altered the landscape and  the nature of the community.

Not saying it is better or worse. Just saying that it is different.

For a glimpse of what Florida was like not too long ago, one need go no further than the Florida Agricultural Museum.

The Museum offers a glimpse into real Florida life from the 1800s. The museum is a 460-acre living history exhibit that includes a 5-building citrus complex, a 5,000-square-foot dairy barn, an 1880s farmstead with all of its out-buildings, a turn-of-the-century country store, the archaeological remains of a British colonial period sawmill, and an exhibit that tells the story of Africans and African Americans in Florida's cattle industry.

The Museum also maintains herds of heritage livestock, including Florida Cracker Horses and Cattle. Hands-on activities and authentic collections bring Old Florida to life in an unforgettable way. Visitors can walk through actual Cracker homes transported from Florida frontiers and plantations, pick vegetables, ride horses, and see Cracker cows descended from the original Spanish free-range herds. There's plenty to see and learn about throughout the museum grounds, and the old mercantile store offers items that make perfect souvenirs of Old Florida.

There are also guided horseback rides offered on the museum's wooded trails, including those in Princess Place Preserve, which is accessible via a land bridge over I-95

The Florida Agrilcultura Museum offers walking tours on the hour from 10 a.m.– 4 p.m.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Wednesdays through Saturdays, and is located at 7900 Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, about a mile south of I-95 on US 1

Enter Credit Information