Montgomery Hall

One of the most historic buildings and a longtime center for student recreational life is Montgomery Hall. The building, built in 1929, was often called “Miss Katie’s Gym,” by a generation of students who participated in campus sports under the direction of Dr. Katherine Montgomery. For more than 30 years, she led the physical education program and was the driving force behind the gym’s construction. History tells us that Miss Katie was so enamored with the new building that she slept on the gym floor the night before the official opening.

The gymnasium was also a longtime stomping ground for student dances, vigorous intramural games, and a bowling alley. The indoor, heated pool was home to the famous Tarpon Club, a troupe of synchronized swimmers whose water ballet performances dazzled audiences for years. For a time, Florida State’s men’s swimming and diving teams trained in Montgomery Gym and generations of Tallahassee children learned to swim there—including former FSU president Sandy D’Alemberte.

In 2004, this campus icon underwent a $17 million transformation and was converted into a state of the art dance facility. The FSU Dance School has a national reputation for outstanding dance repertory, ranging from traditional classical choreography to contemporary original works. Each year, some 400 graceful and athletic young women and men take center stage in a theater where the pool once stood. And, toe shoes now leap across the polished, wooden floors of the old basketball court.