Programs & Events

The Museum offers a number of recurring programs throughout the year

Special Programs and Events

Stay Tuned for Upcoming Special Events.

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Monthly Programs

History at High Noon Programs

The Museum features casual monthly lunchtime talks by local experts on a variety of topics. Please note the location of each lecture as the presentation site may change from month to month.

The Black Experience in Tallahassee: The World Wars and Post-War Life | February 24, 2026, Noon

Mission San Luis
2021 Mission Rd
Tallahassee, Florida 32304

Please join us at Mission San Luis where the Curator & Education Director at the John G. Riley Center & Museum, Ileana Olmos, will share stories of local Black veterans who served in World War I and World War II. These stories highlight their courage abroad and explore their civil rights advocacy at home. These stories make up part of the Riley Museum’s new exhibit, African Americans in Tallahassee: The World Wars and Post-War Life that opened in January 2026. The talk will be held in the Visitor Center at Mission San Luis.

These programs are free and open to the public.

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Annual Programs

20th of May — Emancipation in Florida

The Knott House Museum and the John G. Riley Museum host an annual celebration of the 20th of May. Learn more about this event and other community activities here.

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people in the rebelling Southern states. More than two years later, on May 10, 1865, Union General Edward McCook arrived in Tallahassee to take possession of the city from Southern forces. General McCook established his headquarters at the Hagner House, now known as the Knott House. On May 20, he declared the Emancipation Proclamation in effect. Formerly enslaved people celebrated this announcement with a picnic at Bull Pond, today's Lake Ella. Annually since 1865, communities in Tallahassee have celebrated May 20th as Emancipation Day.

Florida History Day

Sponsored by the Museum of Florida History, Florida History Day is an annual, statewide activity that enhances the teaching and learning of history in middle and high schools. Florida joins 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and international schools in East and South Asia as an affiliate of National History Day^®(NHD). NHD promotes history in the classroom by offering students the resources and support to do original research about people, ideas, and events of the past. Learn more about Florida History Day here.