Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum

This place is dear to my heart.
Four stars ONLY because it’s epically far out on Alligator Alley. Like almost prohibitively far.
Bring cold water, bug spray, and buy your Billie’s Swamp Safari tickets in advance to make a day of the whole area. First stop, the Ah-​Tah-​Thi-​Ki, which is Seminole for «place of learning.» Enjoy the board walk, and the amazing displays and exhibits made about Seminoles by Seminoles. Grab some swag from their replica «Indian Camp,» which usually has a few Native vendors on the opposite side of the board walk. I recently took my friend Francis, and she was snapping picture after picture of the beautiful forest and birds.
Stop at the nearby Sweet Tooth on your way out and snag that delicious pumpkin fry bread or an Indian taco. You’ve never had anything like it – and it’s serious eats.

I saw alot of potential in this museum. It needs to be lead by someone who is adamant about preserving the Seminole history and culture. The museum left alot to be desired in terms of historical facts and the movie was pitiful. I enjoyed the walk however it can be improved by bringing in the animals described on the informational signs. I’d like to see more of the true culture as alot of the pictures appeared to be from the 80s and early 90s. This is history and the Seminole need to put more effort Into explaining their whole true history.

Extremely overpriced. They said that it took 2 hours to walk through!!! We read almost everything and it took maybe 35minutes. Not worth it.

Beautiful place. I took my daughter here today after she had recently learned about the Seminoles, and she was happy to be able to get this extra perspective. The exhibits were very well done and informative, and we left feeling like we had learned a lot. The 17-​minute orientation film at the beginning should not be missed.
Bring cold water if you’re doing the boardwalk. There’s a bathroom about halfway around, but it can be humid and sticky out there in the warmer months. The views were great. Unfortunately, there was no one working in the village when we were there in the afternoon, but we were prepared for this, and will be back again.

Excellent cultural museum and they have a boardwalk, too. Lots to see and explore about Seminole culture. I would have to say my favorite is the village where folks make and sell crafts and you can see how the traditional village was set up. I also love the boardwalk. And ask what is the artifact of the month. You can see archeologists in action. Definitely worth the trip!

This museum is modern, interesting and gives a fascinating insight into the history and culture of Seminole indians. It’s highly recommended and if you are going to Billie Swamp then this is a better stop and on the way.

My native american studies professor made us go on a field trip to learn about native american culture.
The class erupted in disappointed grumbling because it was such a far drive.
We were all so pleasantly surprised. I attended the Annual American Indian Arts Celebration which takes place in November.
I believe the entrance fee was $ 6 per person. It is worth visiting the museum during the festival because you get so much more culture.
I heard native american folk stories, ate a traditional corn soup (among the MANY foods for sale), purchased a native american handmade necklaces (again, MANY choices) and met a lot of interesting people.
I think my favorite part was interacting with the real Seminole Indians and seeing them participate in the traditions, it felt like reliving tradition.

I visited the Ah-​Tah-​Thi-​Ki Museum through an FSU alumni event, and I am so glad I took them up on this opportunity.
Daren N. (and other previous reviewers) does an excellent and comprehensize job of describing what the museum involves. My husband and I also watched the video before entering the exhibits and thought that enhanced our experience. The outside boardwalk is absolutely gorgeous! Definitely take a walk out there. We didn’t get a chance to check out the village, where Seminoles apparently spend some time and you can observe them in some traditional tasks.
Another part of our event involved a tour of the museum archives, which was awesome. If you are interested in research, make an appointment with the librarians, because they have so many awesome materials available. There are primary documents like newspapers from the 1800s and photos of Seminoles thoughout the years. Apparently some of their materials are available online through the museum website as well.
Finally, Billie Swamp Safari is just down the road… I will review them separately!

Professionally curated with artifcats, wall narratives, and film depicting the last 100 years of Seminole history. It’s very well done, and is easily absorbed by children as well as adults.
Each November, the Museum sponsors the Indian Arts festival on the grounds in front of the museum. The 3 day event has the feel of a community fair with the Seminole community in patchwork clothes, feasting on fry bread and smoked meats, and lining the bleachers for the wild animal shows, Native American dance, modern music by indigenous artists, and some alligator wrestling that moved the tribe into early commercial success with tourists.
This is not Disney. It is a living culture which is open for sharing with visitors. You’ve not visited Florida until you’ve visited First Peoples.

I have always been in awe of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, having faced the Spaniards and American invasions with a bravery which only indigenous people with their back to the wall can muster. Come on! They are the only tribe who have never signed a peace treaty with the U.S., even after the brutal 2^nd Seminole War which left many of their people killed or relocated. It was the most costliest Indian war in U.S. history.
The Ah-​tah-​thi-​ki museum has been opened for 12 years now and it IS like the Smithsonian of the Everglades. A beautiful collection of movies, artifacts and nature walks, you have to spend at least three hours here to grasp what this tribe is all about.
The tour starts with a film on a five-​screen projector and then one of the
Seminole employees does a walking tour of the exhibitions, explaining the life of the Seminoles, their culture, traits, ceremonies and much more. The figures of the people are life-​like and that’s because they were molded and designed from real tribal people.
The nature walk back into the swamp is a must as it shows the different plants and how the tribe might use it medicinally.
There’s a recreation of a Seminole camp and a center where they preserve artifacts. If you appreciate history and culture, you must visit here.

My wife and I have been going through a «get back in touch with the Everglades» phase lately and most recently decided to venture out to the Seminole Big Cypress Reserve this past weekend. Our destination was the Ah-​Tah-​Thi-​Ki Museum on the reservation. It was a nice drive from Fort Lauderdale, only took around 45 minutes. It’s very scenic as well. You get off on Snake Road from Alligator Alley and drive about 17 miles North. It felt like we truly got away from the city which was exactly what we were looking for. There are a few websites that list the museum incorrectly and the address is wrong. Just make sure when you look it up that you’re looking at the one on Big Cypress Reservation between Naples and Fort Lauderdale. On to the museum…
When we arrived we found the parking lot was across the street from the museum. Since it looked like a long walk in the heat I dropped the family off in front of the museum and parked in the lot. I joined up with them and we proceeded inside. When we entered we were greeting by a couple staff members who asked us to sign the guestbook. We were told to go to the gift shop to get tickets. Let’s just say I was pretty excited to say that it is free for Florida residents with ID. I believe the discount is available up until September, but I’d call ahead to varify. Otherwise it’s $ 9 for adults. Kids under 4 are free. The gift shop is small but has many interesting items and some very nice jewelry. The museum itself was impressive. I felt like I was at a Smithsonian exhibit. Very well kept inside and the displays were beautiful. In the back of the museum there is a 1.5mile boardwalk that takes you through woods with different stops to visit. There are native Seminoles located throughout the trail doing arts and crafts and cooking traditional foods. There is also a wrap-​around movie theater that plays a 17 minute movie about the Seminole Tribe. I would recommend watching the movie first before walking throug the exhibits. The movie gives you a better understanding of the items on display. All in all it was totally worth the visit and I learned a lot about the unconquered tribe. If you are looking for a day getaway and have been itching to visit the Everglades this place is totally worth the stop. My daughter (who is almost 3) even enjoyed the visit… especially the drive looking for Alligators in the canals along the way. There is no food allowed inside the museum however there are covered picnic areas in the parking lot across the street. Even better, 3 miles down the road from the museum is a swamp safari that takes you into the Everglades.