Crowley Natural & Cultural History Center, Sarasota, Florida, The Children's Discovery Path & Tatum Buildings

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

The rest of the story, our visit to the Crowley Natural & Cultural History Center.

Due to a bit of a wrong turn, Man and I ended up on the Children's Discovery Path.  Sometimes wrong turns are the right turns. The Children's Discovery Path has equipment  for children to use to experience what it would be like to be a local critter, signage, lessons, and some nice wooden carvings of local fauna.  This depicts the Florida panther (subspecies of Puma).

A bit further down the trail there is a eagle nest viewing area.  See that blue disc?  It is a zip line for kids. To teach them how it would feel to be an eagle soaring from it's nest.  The line was about 10 feet off the ground (that is a Carol guestimate.)  By the way, they sit on the disc.

A closer look at the owls.

Nearby, another wooden carving, one of an eagle.

This is the Tatum Ridge school house.  It closed in 1941. 

This is the Tatum house, built ca 1888 - 1892.  It is one of the oldest pieces of rural architecture in Sarasota County.

Inside, period furniture.

Love that big ole knob on the drop leaf table.  Had a drop leaf one time, did NOT have that big ole knob.

School room, attached to the house, not in the old school building.

Step out of the main house, and through another door (believe it was a separate building), a laundry room.  I am not so sure about that ironing board - - balanced on two chairs??  Go ahead - - you try it first.

The wrong turn was the right turn, as by the time we finished the Children's Discover Path and the Tatum buildings my ankle was starting to sting.  It was time to call it a day.

We had a wonderful visit to the Crowley Natural& Cultural History Center.  During our walk we saw no other humans.  Not a one.  During the visit to the entire park we only saw about 6 other visitors.  We understand that the weekend of February 22nd, they are expecting about 3 to 6,000 people to visit.  6 or 6,000, which do you think we prefer?




.