Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
We’re not sure what to make of this place. The park is beautiful but the Stephen Foster connection is tenuous. Stephen Foster, a northerner, composed many sentimental songs, romanticizing the antebellum south even though he knew little about it, having made only on trip down the Mississippi on a riverboat. Most of the songs were written for the Christie Minstrels, a blackface group that performed in the north. One of the most famous “ Old Folks at Home” or “Suwannee River” was the basis for making a park at this location along the Suwannee River. The park visitor center has some really well done but stereotypical dioramas depicting scenes from Foster’s songs. The museum also contains a collection of old, unique pianos but little information about Foster. Other things to see in the park are a 97 bell Carillion Tower which plays songs on the hour and Craft Square, a small grouping of craft and gift shops.
Everything is accessible.
Parking for RVs is available at each of the points of interest but it’s such a small area that parking at the museum and walking or rolling (along the roads some of the way ) is a good option. We didn’t camp here but I’ve seen many positive reviews about the campground. Park
30.3359, -82.76978
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