Apalachicola Vacation Information

A quiet community situated between river and bay, Apalachicola traces its history back to the 1830s, when cotton was still king in the South. Once the third largest shipping port on the Gulf Coast, Apalachicola was a way station for cotton crops, which were stored in its warehouses awaiting transport to the Northeast and Europe. Today, many of the same buildings are visitor attractions, housing a charming mix of shops, restaurants, museums, and art galleries.

Still a working port, Apalachicola has more than 900 historic homes and buildings, many of which can be easily viewed on a walking tour of its palm-shaded streets. Of special interest is the Dixie Theatre, built in 1912 and in use today as a venue for ballets, concerts, plays, and more. Nearby is Trinity Episcopal Church, a Greek Revival-style structure that was shipped in sections from White Plains, New York, and assembled onsite. Completed in 1838, the church counted among its early members such prominent local citizens as planter David Raney and botanist Alvin W. Chapman. Other points of interest include Raney’s pre-Civil War mansion, the circa 1840 Sponge Exchange warehouses, and the John Gorrie State Museum. The museum houses a replica of the ice machine Dr. Gorrie developed to cool the temperatures of his patients suffering from yellow fever. Southerners owe special thanks to Dr. Gorrie for this invention, which was the forerunner of modern air conditioning.

Away from the town but still nearby, state parks at St. George Island and Cape San Blas offer miles of uncrowded waters and white-sand beaches that are perfect for swimming, fishing, boating, sailing, and snorkeling. Both freshwater and saltwater anglers will appreciate the fishing opportunities on the Apalachicola River and Apalachicola Bay. And area outfitters offer nature tours of the marshes, cypress swamps, and bayous of the Apalachicola Estuary system, which can be easily explored by boat.