Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
AH-TAH-THI-KI MUSEUM
If you want to learn about Florida's Native Americans, come to the
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Semin-
tion, 34725 West Boundary Rd, Clewiston; adult/child/senior $10/7.5/7.5 ;
h
9am-5pm), 17 miles
north of I-75. All of the excellent educational exhibits on Seminole life, history and the
tribe today were founded on gaming proceeds, which provide most of the tribe's
multimillion-dollar operating budget.
The museum is located within a cypress dome cut through with an interpretive board-
walk, so from the start it strikes a balance between environmentalism and education. The
permanent exhibit has several dioramas with life-sized figures depicting various scenes
out of traditional Seminole life, while temporary exhibits have a bit more academic polish
(past ones have included lengthy forays into the economic structure of the Everglades).
There's an old-school 'living village' and recreated ceremonial grounds as well. The Ah-
Tah-Thi-Ki is making an effort to not be a cheesy Native American theme park, and the
Seminole tribe is to be commended for its effort in this regard.
Homestead to Flamingo Point
Head south of Miami to drive into the heart of the park and the best horizons of the Ever-
glades. Plus, there are plenty of side paths and canoe creeks to detour onto. You'll see
some of the most quietly exhilarating scenery the park has to offer on this route, and have
better access to an interior network of trails for those wanting to push off the beaten track
into the buggy, muggy solar plexus of the wetlands.
