The Kissing Bench is very well embedded into Florida State University lore. I didn’t know about it until I bought a tote bag that featured popular FSU landmarks from the bookstore in the Oglesby Student Union. As a prospective student, I knew the big ones: Westcott Fountain, Landis Green, and others. The lesser-known “Kissing Bench” was new to me.
I’d assumed the Kissing Bench was one of the fancy white-stone-carved benches seen around some of the historical buildings on FSU’s campus, many of which featured engravings and medallions. In reality, the landmark has a simple-looking rectangular granite seat with a wooden backrest painted green.
While the bench does stand out as being one of the few (possibly the only) benches on campus with wood features, it stood out to me as looking more unelaborate than the rest of the benches on Landis Green. I’d been walking past it on my way to Landis Hall my entire fall semester without knowing.
Where It All Began
Much like the bench itself, the story of its origin is a simple one. According to the official FSU Legacy Walk tour, the bench got its namesake after a university employee kissed his girlfriend while the two were sitting on it. They later became husband and wife. Now, the tale says that if you kiss your significant other on the bench, the two of you will be together forever. While the tale doesn’t seem to credit any particular couple, the story remains a campus tale for generations to come.
The bench has a plaque that reads, “If this bench could talk, oh the stories it would tell, of kisses young and old, if you sit, beware the spell.” While the plaque doesn’t seem to be there anymore, the quote is kept alive as part of FSU’s history.
Though I’m not sure who the author responsible for it is, FSU Admissions has made frequent use of the quote on their social media posts that feature the bench. While this story seems more fable than fact, in my opinion, it’s the little things like this that make FSU such a special place with a rich history.
How To Visit
If you’re interested in visiting the famed Kissing Bench, you can find it on the side of Landis Green close to Landis Hall and facing the William Johnston Building. It’s a stop on FSU’s famous Legacy Walk, between Landis Hall and the Suwannee Dining Hall.
The Legacy Walk in its entirety begins at Westcott, continues out to Strozier Library, and ends at the Diffenbaugh Building. There are a total of 30 historic landmarks to stop at within the first Phase, which is also known as the “Historic Walk.” The online version is especially helpful, accompanied by paragraphs detailing the history of the stops, as well as photos of what some of the buildings looked like back when they were first constructed.
You never know if you’ll hit things off with your valentine this season, so you just might want to make a stop by FSU’s Kissing Bench!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!