Renting nearly 100,000 square feet of commercial space, Railroad Square Art Park boasts more artists-per-capita than any other spot in Florida.

Railroad Square is home to over 50 shops, studios and galleries of local artists and craftspeople beside an eclectic mix of other tenants, including a rock-climbing gym (Tallahassee Rock Gym http://tallyrockgym.com/), a belly dance studio, martial arts schools, a community theatre (All Saints Cinema http://www.tallahasseefilms.com/), a Buddhist center (Tallahassee Buddhist Community http://www.tallahasseebuddhistcommunity.org/, and a restaurant uniquely housed in a real railroad caboose. Not to mention the city's largest Microbrewery, Proof Brewery (http://www.proofbrewingco.com/).

Railroad Square hosts the very popular First Friday Gallery Hop.  The warehouse spaces open and the Park is vibrant with thousands of visitors. The gallery hop on the first Friday of each month is a great opportunity to be introduced to the exciting and rich diversity of art within the Park. Visitors can meet the artists and gallery owners, hear live music, get a bite to eat, buy some art, or make appointments for future visits.

You'll also find unique events in Railroad Square like "Water Slide in the Park" and "Touch a Truck Day" and "Bring Bak Amtrack" (an effort to reopen Sunset Limited Passenger Service - Jacksonville to New Orleans).

HISTORY

Railroad Square encompasses 10 acres in downtown Tallahassee, the previous site of the historic McDonnell lumber yard, which became the Downtown Industrial Park in the 1960's under owner William J. Boynton, Jr. In the mid-1970s his daughter, Nan Boynton, re-envisioned the park as a mecca for artists’ studios and galleries and began to manifest this plan, replacing industrial tenants with regional artists looking for inexpensive studio spaces, including Florida State University's studio artist program. The current owners, Lily Boynton Kaye and Adam Boynton Kaye, have continued to foster the development of Railroad Square as a unique cultural destination.

RESOURCES

Find a directory of artists here.