★Stephen Foster Cultural Museum ★

Welcome to my latest followers Merri & Steve from Jammin' Along and Lady Dyna Ryder at DnD 2015. I love it when I meet new people! Go visit them and tell them I sent you!
We went over and visited the Museum and Bell Tower while my daughter and the boys were here. It is such a wonderful memorial to Stephen Foster's Music. It is located right here at the Stephen Foster Folk Cultural Center State Park where we are camping. Click here to visit my campground review on this park.

Located only a short distance from the boundary separating Florida and Georgia, Stephen Foster State Folk Culture Center fulfills two purposes. Appropriately situated on the Suwannee River, the 247-acre center honors the memory of Foster, whose song "Old Folks at Home," memorialized the picturesque stream. It also serves as a gathering place for those who perpetuate the crafts, music and legends of early and contemporary Floridians. Foster apparently never saw the Suwannee River, but he made it famous nevertheless.

The 1935 Florida Legislature designated "Old Folks At Home" also known as "Suwannee River" the official state song. Foster wrote more than 200 songs, including "Oh! Susanna," "Camptown Races," "Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair," "My Old Kentucky Home," "Beautiful Dreamer," and many others familiar today.

The first piano is a Paul Von Jinko Cir:1882 and the second was used in 1850 when Jenny Lind sang.

There are many Dioramas which depict scenes described in some of Stephen Foster's most famous songs are housed in the Stephen Foster Museum and Carillon Tower along with rare pianos and priceless musical instruments.

CARILLON TOWER
The Carillon Tower is also home to the world's largest tubular bell instrument constructed and installed by the J.C. Deagan Company in 1957. The carillon at White Springs, is the largest and the last system to be installed by Deagan, consists of three full sets of 32 bells with a scale range of C to G, chromatic, plus a fourth high G bell. Three bells sound in perfect unison for each note to produce a strong, resonant tone response. Regular programs of many of Stephen Foster's compositions, which number more than 200, are played by specially trained carillonneurs and at other times from the automatic electric player installed with the carillon. The Bell tower chimes on each hour (between 8am & 6pm)and plays a Stephen Foster Song everyday. It is really beautiful to listen to.

Have Fun, Travel Safe & Stay Healthy!!!

Just a Ways Down the Road!

We have been at Stephen Foster Folk Cultural State Park in White Springs Forida for the last 2 weeks and had to leave for a few days before we could go back for another 2 weeks. So just 3 miles down the road on SR 136 is Lee's Country Campground (Click to go see my review of the park). We decided to stay here as it looked like a very nice & clean RV Park. While here we'll do some heavy duty cleaning and since they have sewer we'll get all of our wash done. That is one of the cons of staying in beautiful state parks and Corps of Engineering parks. The majority of them have no sewer

Tomorrow my honey is taking me to see the movie "Green Lantern" and out to a nice Italian Restaurant in Lake City. I am looking foward to that very much!

Have Fun, Travel Safe & Stay Healthy!!!

A tour of Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park

Situated on the banks of the legendary Swanee River, this center honors the memory of American composer Stephen Foster, who wrote "Old Folks at Home," the song that made the river famous. The museum features exhibits about Foster's most famous songs and his music can be heard emanating from the park's 97-bell carillon throughout the day. In Craft Square, visitors can watch demonstrations of quilting, blacksmithing, stain glass making, and other crafts, or visit the gift shop. Hiking, bicycling, canoeing, and wildlife viewing are popular activities here. Miles of trails wind through some of the most scenic areas of North Florida.

Here is a little video about the park that I found on the internet.

It will let you know more about the park.

Have Fun, Travel Safe & Stay Healthy!!!

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park

Tassie all set up in our campsite

We have made it to White Springs, Florida where we are staying at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park Campground for 2 weeks, then out for a week and back for 2 more weeks. It is one our favorite state parks in Florida and this will be the longest we have ever stayed here. The campground has about 45 sites with electric & water... Almost all of them can accomodate large rigs but due to the trees it is very hard to get TV in a lot of them without a portable dish. Both AT&T and Verizon phone service works well in the park and our Verizon Air Card is working great!

Have Fun, Travel Safe & Stay Healthy!!!