Things to Do
Discover the charm of Monticello and Jefferson County, where history, nature, and community come together. Explore our scenic trails, historic landmarks, and vibrant downtown filled with unique shops and restaurants. Enjoy outdoor adventures in the Aucilla River basin, local events like the Watermelon Festival, and cultural treasures such as the historic Monticello Opera House. Whether you're here for a weekend or a lifetime, there's always something to enjoy in Monticello and Jefferson County!
Annual Events
Millstone Plantation Farm Tours (Spring and Fall)
The tour has included 45 farms in the Florida Panhandle and Southwest Georgia. These tours are considered "open house" so farms will have activities all day long on the scheduled day they are included on the tour. Farms will have activities, educations tours, markets where you can buy their products and goods, workshops and more. Jefferson County is proud to have farms featured every tour.
The South's Most Haunted Small Town
Home to Indian Mounds and many historic buildings, Monticello has a reputation for being the most haunted small town in the South. Superstitious tourists, history lovers, and supernatural hobbyists have enjoyed the history and haunts of Monticello. As the South’s most haunted town, Monticello’s ghostly experiences aren’t limited to the month of October or Halloween. Visitors can count on hair-raising tours and events year-round.
All Victorian Haunted History tours and Moonlight Cemetery Walks are currently being scheduled on an as requested basis. Follow their Facebook page at Historic Monticello Ghost Tours to reserve your tour dates.
The Great Outdoors
Jefferson County is a nature lover's paradise, offering pristine rivers like the Aucilla and Wacissa, perfect for kayaking, boating, and fishing. Paddle through crystal-clear waters surrounded by lush landscapes or cast a line for an unforgettable fishing experience. With its serene beauty and abundant wildlife, the great outdoors here invites exploration and adventure at every turn.
Heritage Roads
Our Heritage Roads are more than just canopy roads, they are glimpses of who we were as a community and they are pathways to what we want our County to be and look like. Jefferson County’s topography is diverse, including scenic rolling hills, with its farms, ranches, and timber lands, the dramatic drop to the Flatwoods at the Cody escarpment and some untouched roads that are topped by beautiful canopies. Our Heritage Roads shed insight into the exploits of early settlers and explorers (Native American, Spanish, British, and American), the many historic sites within our County and present the rich agriculture, timber, and ranching history of our County.
The Heritage Road System consists of four named Trails: 1) Miccosukee-Magnolia Trail (Northwest): 2) Plantation Trail (Northeast); 3) Spanish Trace Trail (Central); and 4) Flatwoods-Wilderness Trail (Southern). The trails are color coded; following our chosen canopy and scenic roads, you will travel past many historic sites, points of interests and pass through our towns and communities.
Cycling
Spin your wheels enjoying lush country-side on the 1.5 mile IkeAnderson Bike Trail. The trail runs north-south through the heart of Monticello and replaced an abandoned rail corridor that once ran between Chicago and Tampa. Overnight, the railroad workers crept into town and removed the rails. (It is speculated that this was due to a feud between John Perkins who built the Monticello Opera house and a rich competing businessman from Thomasville, GA.) Want a longer ride? Monticello has routes to include a 100 mile (century), a 60 mile (1/2century) and a 30 mile (metric) bike ride. Jefferson County is currently an untapped resource for cyclists. The quiet, rolling hills and canopied roads bring city-cyclists to Jefferson County for a change in venue.
Ecological Park
Monticello Ecological Park is located at 1005 S. Water Street. Come enjoy a leisurely walk on a natural trail through mixed hardwoods and pines, leading to an elevated boardwalk across a spring-fed stream. Exercise stations are located along the trail. The loop trail is just under 3/4 mile.
Historic Walking/Driving Tour
Monticello is known for its historic buildings. If you want to get a glimpse of them, all you have to do is to take a drive off the main highway through town and meander through the side streets. In all, there are more than 600 buildings in the area that were built before 1920. A walking and driving tour has been established to lead visitors to 26 of those structures.
Photo Opp
The Photo Op Sign is located on the NE corner of the Courthouse Circle - stop by and take your picture standing on the back platform with the courthouse in the background and share your picture on social media inviting others to do the same.
Photo ops are perfect souvenirs to collect on a road trip or visiting a new place for the day.
Plantations
Fertile soil and beautiful rolling hills attracted Jeerson County’s first aristocratic planters in the 1820’s. There are approximately eighty thousand acres of plantation land in Jeerson County. The plantations are still working to this day. The emphasis has shifted from self-sustaining and cropping to hunting, trail riding and conservation. Plantation gentility, grace, and charm survive in the 21st century. Hunting on these plantations is usually done on horseback or in the comfort of one of the horse-drawn hunting racks. Trail riding, briding, and nature hikes allow the invited guest to glimpse the past and the present at the same time. Conservation measures protect these lands so they will never be developed. See the past, and experience the present, and view the future of Jeerson County.
Letchworth-Love Mounds
Archeological State Park
Visitors to this archaeological site will see Florida's tallest Native American ceremonial mound, built between 1,100 and 1,800 years ago.
The park offers picnicking, birding and hiking. The pavilion has interpretive displays and a bronze sculpture of the mound.
An interpretive trail starts at the base of the ceremonial mound and winds past several smaller mounds.
The pavilion picnic area and platform viewing area for the mound are wheelchair-accessible. Guided tours are available upon request.
Lake Miccosukee
Lake Miccosukee is a 6,266 acre “lake of grass” that borders Leon County to the east. It is named for the Miccosukee Indians, a branch of the Creek Indians, who later became part of the Seminole nation. The Miccosukee Indians inhabited the Jefferson County area when the first American settlers came to the area. The lake is famous for its duck hunting in the fall and winter, and for fishing in the spring and summer.
North Florida Wildlife Center
The North Florida Wildlife Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that strives for the highest standards of animal care, education, conservation, environmental service, and operations. The Wildlife Center is active in education initiatives, breeding programs, and ecosystem recovery around the world, as well as in its own community. The Wildlife Center has been a top attraction in North Florida since its opening in 2019.
Boots Thomas Memorial
The Ernest I. "Boots" Thomas/Iwo Jima Memorial is located in Monticello, Florida on the north side of Washington Street (SR 90), west of the Court House.
This monument, dedicated February 22, 1981, serves to honor Marine Sgt. Ernest I. “Boots” Thomas and his comrades in arms for their role on Iwo Jima during WWII.
The face of the eight by five foot structure presents a depiction in relief of the first raising of the U.S. flag over Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945. Thomas, a Monticello resident when he joined the Marine Corps in May 1942, received the Navy Cross for his combat service on Iwo Jima. Tragically, “Boots” Thomas was killed in combat on March 3, 1945, just one week before his birthday.