Orman House Museum State Park

Built in 1838 by Thomas Orman, this antebellum home overlooks the Apalachicola River, and was used for both business and social gatherings. Orman was a cotton merchant and businessman in Apalachicola from 1834 to the 1880s. He helped the tiny town become one of the Gulf Coast’s most important cotton exporting ports during the mid-19th century. Thomas Orman took advantage of the booming cotton industry and turned little known Apalachicola into one of the busiest ports for exporting cotton in the late 1830s. The wealth that he amassed is evident in the design and decoration of the home.

The house was occupied for 165 years until 1994, when it was sold by the last living relative. It was a bed and breakfast from 1994 to 1998 and was purchased in 2001 and made into a state park.

As you enter the house, you are immediately transported back to antebellum times. The house is a prime example of Southern architecture for estate homes during the 1800s. It is furnished with period furniture to look as it did when the home was first built and filled with Orman family artifacts.

A recent renovation was made to restore the kitchen to its original state. The project was completed thanks to the Friends of Franklin County State Parks(opens in new tab), the citizen support organization for the park, and private donations. The kitchen had been modernized when it became a bed and breakfast in the 1990s.

The home is now a state-owned museum state park and features details of both Federal and Greek revival styles with wooden mantelpieces, molded plaster cornices and wide heart-pine floorboards. Visitors can tour the beautifully restored house museum and explore nearly 200 years of Southern history. Next door, Chapman Botanical Garden features native plants, accessible walkways, and a peaceful picnic area honoring renowned botanist Dr. Alvan Chapman. The nearby Three Servicemen Statue South and Veterans Memorial Plaza honor veterans of the Vietnam War and all our nation’s wars.

Open: 9 am – 5 pm Thursday through Monday. Chapman Garden is open 9 am to sunset, 365 days a year.