A Message from Florida's First Lady Columba Bush

An Apalachee potter interacts with children during an educational camp at Mission San Luis.
Children walk in front of the reconstructed Apalachee council house during a school tour.
An interior view of the Apalachee council house, the largest known historic period Indian building in the Southeast.
Mission San Luis has an ongoing archaeological research program and is the most thoroughly investigated mission in the Southeast.
Living history interpreters visit outside the reconstructed 17th century Franciscan church.
An interior view of the 17th century Franciscan church.

Unforgettable Experiences in an Extraordinary Place

Welcome

A Message from Florida's Former First Lady Columba Bush

Three centuries ago, Mission San Luis was the western capital of La Florida and home to 1500 Apalachee Indians and Spaniards. This colonial community was also the largest of more than one hundred Franciscan missions in Florida during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Columba Bush Today, Mission San Luis is the only reconstructed Spanish mission in the Southeast. It embodies many of the issues I hold dear: Hispanic American heritage, the role of the Church in our state’s development, and Florida’s original Native American communities. The site’s highly successful research and educational programs explore and communicate this rich cultural heritage to visitors of all ages and from all walks of life.

I hope you'll have the opportunity to visit this remarkable National Historic Landmark. I'm sure you'll agree that Mission San Luis is one of Florida's most extraordinary cultural treasures.

Columba Bush
Former First Lady of Florida
Honorary Chair
Mission San Luis Endowment Campaign