Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, Botanical garden and state park in Tallahassee, United States.
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park is a 1,170-acre botanical garden and historic site at 3540 Thomasville Road in Tallahassee. Its plantings center on azaleas and camellias, with bald cypress, dogwood, hickory, Japanese maple and Torreya taxifolia among the trees. The park holds four lakes: Lake Hall, Lake Overstreet, Lake Elizabeth and Gum Pond.
A wealthy businessman purchased the land in the 1920s and developed it as a private estate. The house was built in 1909 and the entire property was later converted to a public park that visitors can explore today.
The historic house on the grounds shows how wealthy families lived in the early 1900s through its furnishings and decor. Visitors walking through these rooms get a sense of daily life and domestic habits from that era.
The park is open year-round and provides parking areas and marked trails for visitors. There are spots for swimming and fishing as well as paths for walking and exploring, with facilities adjusted for different seasons.
The garden's plant collection rests on azaleas and camellias, with trees such as bald cypress, dogwood, Japanese maple and Torreya taxifolia. A Native Plant Arboretum at the front, kept by the Magnolia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, holds Piedmont and Florida flame azaleas, eastern red columbine and Florida anise.
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