Constitution Convention Museum State Park

Constitution Convention Museum State Park | Port St. Joe, Florida

The Constitution Convention Museum State Park located at 200 Allen Memorial Way, Port St Joe, FL 32456, highlights an important chapter in Florida history, marking the site where Florida’s first constitution was drafted in the former town of St. Joseph.

Florida's Constitution Convention Museum State Park is located within the park’s 14-acre grounds and honors the work of the 56 territorial delegates who gathered in 1838 to draft Florida’s first constitution. This document later became Florida’s Organic Law when the territory officially entered the Union in 1845 as the 27th state. Through exhibits and interpretive displays, the museum tells the story of Florida’s early government and the role St. Joseph played in shaping the state’s future.

• Site where Florida’s first state constitution was drafted in 1838
• Located in the former boomtown of St. Joseph, once a major Gulf Coast trading port
• Chosen over Tallahassee to host Florida’s first Constitution Convention
• Commemorates the work of 56 territorial delegates
• Museum located within a 14-acre state park
• Displays artifacts recovered from the original settlement of St. Joseph
• Self-guided exhibits focused on Florida’s early history
• Replicated convention hall recreating the constitutional debates
• Life-size, audio-animated figures of key delegates, including Robert Raymond Reid, William P. Duval, David Y. Levy, and Thomas L. Baltzell
• Interactive exhibits explaining the drafting of Florida’s first constitution
• Highlights Florida’s path to statehood in 1845 as the 27th state

Port St. Joe

Port St Joe, the Constitution City, known around the area as the "small town with a big heart." Locals take pride in the great vacation experience that their town offers, present an ever-evolving community with a serious work ethic and never fail to leave an impression with its friendliness and hospitality. The citizens of Port St Joe have a hard working history of bringing their community back-from once a north Florida paper mill town into a popular coastal vacation and weekend getaway destination that travelers don't just remember fondly but plan to return to and share with others! 

Past Town of St. Joseph

Once a thriving boomtown founded in 1835, St. Joseph quickly grew into a major Gulf Coast trading port, rivaling Apalachicola during its short nine-year existence. At the height of its influence, the town was chosen over Tallahassee to host Florida’s first State Constitution Convention.

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