From 1656 until its destruction in 1704, San Luis was the military, religious, and administrative center of the mission system among the Apalachee Indians. Occupying a commanding hill 2 miles west of the present state capitol complex in Tallahassee, San Luis was the home of the deputy governor for Apalachee. San Luis's population was estimated to be 1,400 in 1675. The San Luis complex contained an Apalachee village, a church, a convent for the friars, a cemetery, a council house, a ballfield, and a blockhouse where the deputy governor resided. The council house was among the largest known Indian buildings in the Southeast (118 ft. in diameter) and was capable of accommodating 2,000-3,000 persons. San Luis's elaborate fort was not built until the late 1600s in response to the growing English threat.
In 1983 the site of San Luis was purchased by the State of Florida and opened to the public in 1985. The Secretary of State, Division of Historic Resources, is responsible for developing the 50-acre property as a historic and archaeological site. Excavations have been conducted at the church complex and Spanish village as well as at the council house. In 1991 excavation of the Apalachee village began. San Luis is opened to the public every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each year in October Rediscover San Luis is held during which seventeenth-century colonial lifeways and crafts are recreated.
