A Land Remembered

December 2, 2026 – August 31, 2027

Experience the Florida That Inspired a Beloved Story
Step into the Florida of A Land Remembered.

Inspired by Patrick D. Smith’s beloved Florida novel, this special exhibition at the Elliott Museum invites visitors to explore the people, places, challenges and changing landscapes that shaped the story and the Florida that inspired it.

Set against the backdrop of a Florida vastly different from the one we know today, A Land Remembered follows the MacIvey family through three generations as they struggle, adapt and build their lives in a wild and untamed Florida. The novel captures a time when cattle trails stretched across the wilderness, families depended on the land for survival, and Florida’s natural landscape shaped nearly every aspect of daily life.

Through the exhibition, visitors can step beyond the pages of the novel and discover the history, environment and traditions that bring its world to life. Explore the people and places connected to old Florida, learn about the challenges faced by early settlers, and discover how the state’s landscape transformed over generations.

MORE THAN A NOVEL

A Land Remembered has become one of Florida’s most recognized and cherished works of historical fiction. While the MacIvey family is fictional, the world they inhabit reflects the realities, struggles and dramatic changes that shaped Florida’s history.

This exhibition provides an opportunity to look at that world through a different lens connecting the themes of the novel with the history and culture of the Florida that inspired Patrick D. Smith.

From the untamed wilderness of early Florida to the transformation of the state in the twentieth century, A Land Remembered offers a chance to reflect on what Florida was, how it changed, and what may be worth remembering.

EXPERIENCE THE STORY. DISCOVER THE HISTORY.
Whether you have read A Land Remembered many times, discovered it recently, or have never opened its pages, this exhibition offers something new to explore.

Come see the Florida behind the story and experience the legacy of a novel that has helped generations of Floridians remember a different Florida.

ALL EXHIBITS ARE INCLUDED WITH REGULAR ADMISSIONS