The Tallahassee Museum is having a very busy and productive fall.  Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, restaurants, volunteers, and participants, Zoobilee and Halloween Howl both exceeded our expectations and have provided our education, preservation, and conservation activities with valuable revenues for the coming year.  Please make a personal effort to patronize our sponsors and restaurants that support the Museum and make our events possible. 

Our next and biggest fundraising event is Market Days on December 5 and 6 at the North Florida Fairgrounds. Market Days is critically important to the Museum's budget, accounting for about 10% of our annual income, and pays for a wide range of operating expenses including animal food, educational programs, insurance and utility bills, building repairs and maintenance and free admission for Leon County schoolchildren. [  More  ]

Nov 27 - May 23

Exhibit features live aliens including coyotes and Burmese python

Aliens have landed in our midst and they're threatening our natural world! Learn about invasive plants and animals that are wreaking havoc in the Florida Everglades -- and those in our own backyard -- at the Tallahassee Museum's new exhibit Alien Attack: Target Everglades. The exhibit will be in the Phipps Gallery from Friday, Nov. 27 through May 23, 2010. Live aliens on display include coyotes, Burmese python, Mayan cichlids, exotic frogs and more.

This exhibition offers a Top 10 countdown of the most harmful plants and animals endangering the Everglades' fragile ecosystems. In addition to live examples of these dangerous species, we present vivid photographs of invasive species that might be found in your own backyard, along with recommendations on what can be done to help stop such invasions.   [  More  ]

In these difficult economic times, gifting to your favorite charities may be difficult or even anxiety provoking.  Many of us have seen our portfolios shrink and our investment income decline.  Leaving a legacy through testamentary gifts, however, is a great way to show your continued support for your favorite charities while ensuring your assets are available for your needs during your lifetime.

Testamentary gifts are, quite simply, gifts that are not payable to the beneficiary until the donor's death.  Testamentary gifts come in many forms and most are revocable, meaning the donor can change the amount and designee at any time.   Some of the most common testamentary charitable gifts are:

1. Wills and Trusts:  The most common testamentary gift is a specific gift of cash or assets through a last will and testament or living trust.   Charities welcome gifts of cash, but check with your favored charity before gifting certain assets, like cars and real estate.  These assets can carry with them liability risks, so some charities have policies that prevent them from accepting these types of gifts.
   
   
2. Pay-on-Death Accounts:  Recent case law makes it clear that an individual can designate  a charity as the beneficiary of a bank or investment account.  And, because these accounts pay to the charity upon the donor's ....      [  More  ]