Lifelong Learning

Learn for the love of it! Discover something new, plan your next trip, or an amazing meal. A variety of interesting classes are offered throughout the year for adults who enjoy the fun and excitement of learning new things. We offer classes in diverse areas such as history, science, nature, music, current events and places of interest in the Big Bend region.

Our affordable programs are open to anyone 18 years and older. Schedule virtual family time together with your adult children and grandchildren, even if they live out of town. With virtual classes, people can participate from any location with internet access. 

We offer some classes on Zoom. If you would like to learn how to use Zoom, please call 850-891-4000 and Senior Center staff will set you up with a volunteer who can help you over the phone or computer. Or click here for our Zoom guide.

For more information, email Maureen.Haberfeld@talgov.com

Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville
Thur., June 8, 7:30 am – 5:00 pm

Travel to Gainesville to visit the Florida Museum. Located on the campus of the University of Florida, the Florida Museum is one of the nation’s top five natural history museums. The museum’s outstanding collection includes modern and fossil specimens of plants, animals, archaeological, and ethnographic materials. Visit the Butterfly Rainforest, a living exhibit that hundreds of free-flying butterflies and birds from around the world.  Explore the special exhibit, Spiders Alive! Dive into the world of spiders, scorpions, and their relatives and learn the ecological importance of these animals. Fee $45 includes transportation from TSC, admission to exhibits, and snacks. There will be a lunch stop before the museum, but fee does not cover the cost of lunch.

Register here

Spring House Tour
Thur., June 15, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

While attending the 1950 World Federalist Conference at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL, George and Clifton Lewis of Tallahassee asked Frank Lloyd Wright to design a home for them, saying they “have a lot of children and not much money.” He agreed and the couple located a beautiful five-acre parcel in Leon County on the outskirts of Tallahassee, with a natural spring that flowed from the property to Lake Jackson. Mr. Wright completed the plans in 1952, of an unconventional pod-shaped house described as a passive solar “hemicycle” The house was built in just nine months in 1954. Take a guided tour this unique structure which is the only Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Florida. Most of the fee for this one-of-a-kind tour goes to the restoration of this local treasure. Fee $37 Limited Space Available. Meet at Spring House off North Monroe Street.

Register here

FSU Coastal Marine Lab
Fri., June 16, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

The FSU Coastal and Marine Lab conducts research in coastal, nearshore, and deep-sea environments with a focus on marine conservation, management, and restoration. The northeastern Gulf of Mexico marine ecosystem is among the most biologically diverse and productive ecosystems in the United States. Tour the facility which contains laboratories, greenhouses, and a wide variety of holding tanks, aquarium systems, and experimental tanks and meet some of the researchers. On the way back, we will stop for lunch at Posey’s Up the Creek Steam Room. Fee $12 includes transportation from the TSC. Lunch cost not included.

Register here

Golden Legacy Gadsden Arts Center
Wed., June 21, 11:15 am – 3:00 pm

Visit the Gadsden Arts Center and Museum in Quincy, Florida to view the exhibit Golden legacy: Original Art from 80 Years of Golden Books which chronicles the fascinating story of the creation, marketing, and worldwide impact of Little Golden Books, the most popular children’s books of all time. The exhibit features original illustration art by Richard Scarry, Garth Williams, Eloise Wilkin, and more. Tom Friedman will be there to discuss the development of the book company and the lives and work of the illustrators. Fee $25 includes transportation from the TSC, museum admission and lunch.

Register here

Adventures in Spain
Thur., June 22, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

From Barcelona to Madrid and Toledo, Segovia to Cantabria and Asturias, Maureen and Joe Haberfeld will share some of the beautiful and unique places they visited in northern and central Spain in May and June of 2022. We will look at the stunning architecture of Antoni Gaudi, glorious cathedrals, palaces, great art from El Greco to Picasso, and fabulous cuisine. We’ll explore some paleolithic cave art, a pre-Roman archeological site, the geology of the Picos de Europa, as well as some of the most scenic villages in the country which are found in the lesser-known regions of Cantabria and Asturias. Fee $5. Hybrid class at TSC and on Zoom.

Register here