While there is indeed a large chain discount store, a grocery store, and several franchised restaurants, Crawfordville has what so many other places have already lost. The “small town” merchant is alive and well in Crawfordville and its surrounding communities, which only adds to the county’s authenticity. In Crawfordville, you will find unique antique and gift shops, restaurants and friendly businesses run by folks, who take pride in what they do. Plan to spend some time poking around Crawfordville to see what you can find.
In downtown Crawfordville stands the Historic Courthouse completed initially in 1894. It is constructed of solid heart pine with a cupola that is graced by a unique cypress weathervane, which is hand-carved in the shape of a mullet – a commercial fish important to the history of Wakulla. The Old Wakulla Courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and one of only three existing wooden courthouses in the state. Across the street from the Historic Courthouse, The Old County Jail houses a fully-functional museum of historic displays, a museum shop, and a genealogy room.
Visitors to Crawfordville can enjoy several parks, which can be accessed easily. In the Azalea, a walking park, lives a colorful lion near the gazebo; the lion is painted monthly by families and volunteer citizens to entertain onlookers. The adjoining Hudson Park is the site of many county parades and celebrations. Nearby is Hickory Park, complete with playground, tennis courts, hiking/biking trail, and picnic facilities.
Crawfordville is also home to a satellite campus of Tallahassee Community College and the Wakulla Environmental Institute. The Institute is an emerging state-of-the-art, environmentally-sensitive, and efficient learning laboratory for students seeking real life, hands-on educational opportunities in conservation, the environment, recreation, and hospitality industries.
