Adjoining the historic Orman House in downtown Apalachicola, Chapman Botanical Garden honors the memory of Dr. Alvan Wentworth Chapman.
A noted botanist who lived and worked as a medical doctor in Apalachicola, Chapman is buried in the nearby Chestnut Street Cemetery.
Garden walkway and gazeboResources
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Overview
Length: 0.4 mile loop
Trailhead: 29.730766, -84.990416
Address: 177 Fifth St, Apalachicola
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the Orman House
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-653-1209
Open 8 AM to sunset. Pathways are accessible. Picnic tables and grills provided.
Directions
From US 98 in downtown Apalachicola, head to the riverfront. Follow Water St. upriver and make the jog onto Avenue I where it turns away. Make the next right onto Market St. Parking is at the base of the bluff in front of the Veterans Memorial.
About the Park
Dedicated by the City of Apalachicola in 1988 to honor a notable native son, the site of the garden never saw Chapman’s personal touch.
His expertise was fieldwork. Prior to the Civil War, he roamed natural habitats across this region, discovering and documenting species new to the field of botany.
Entrance to the gardenIn 1860, Chapman published Flora of the Southern United States, one of the first such studies of southern plant life.
Fifteen species of Florida plants bear the Latin chapmanii as part of their name, signifying his role as the first to document them.
Chapman’s oaks are common in Florida scrub habitatAmong his finds were distinct species of orchids, milkwort, sage, goldenrod, liatris (blazing star), and aster.
One of his finds primarily confirmed to the Apalachicola River basin is a delicate species of rhododendron.
Chapman’s rhododendron, a relatively rare speciesAlthough neglected for many years, this garden, which features native Florida species, is now in the care of Florida State Parks.
It is sparsely planted. Paved pathways lined with old-fashioned streetlamps loop the grounds, with boardwalks through natural marshes.
Shaded boardwalkExplore More!
Learn more about Orman House Historic State Park
Orman House Historic State Park A showcase of fine architecture on a high bluff above the Apalachicola River, the Orman House was built by early Apalachicola settler and shipping magnate Thomas Orman in 1838. Slideshow
See our photos of Chapman Botanical Garden
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Scipio Creek Boardwalk A sweeping view of the Apalachicola River estuary waits like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow on this beautiful nature trail and boardwalk
John Gorrie Museum State Park One of only two Floridians honored in the halls of Congress for their achievements, Dr. John Gorrie is the inventor of the icemaker and the father of air conditioning.
Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve blankets nearly a quarter million miles of marine basin on Florida's Forgotten Coast.
St. George Island State Park Blessed with brilliant white quartz sand, St. George Island State Park is a sparkling, quiet getaway protecting nearly 2,000 acres of coastal habitats on a barrier island between Apalachicola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. 
- Hal Scott Red Trail - November 13, 2026
- Baseline Trails - November 7, 2026
- Hal Scott Yellow Trail - November 3, 2026