History and culture
Carrabelle keeps a phone-booth-sized police story
Carrabelle's world's-smallest-police-station story turns a phone booth, a quiet fishing village, and local problem-solving into a roadside stop.
Carrabelle has one of those roadside stories that sounds made up until you see the little phone booth.
The city still points visitors to its “Smallest Police Station in the World” on U.S. 98. The original booth is displayed at the Chamber office, while the roadside version keeps the story visible. The museum history fills in the practical start: Carrabelle’s police phone had been in a call box, and people were making unauthorized long-distance calls. Moving the phone into a booth gave the small police force a better place to answer calls, do paperwork, and keep an eye on the road.
That is the charm. It was not built as a grand attraction. It was a local fix that turned into a town story.
Carrabelle is already easy to miss if you are rushing along the Forgotten Coast. This little stop asks you to slow down and notice how small-town Florida often works: one problem, one odd solution, and then years of people retelling it.
Check current Chamber hours if you want to see the original booth. For the roadside display, plan a safe pull-off and keep the stop quick.
Where to see it
Carrabelle's phone-booth police station display on U.S. 98 and the original at the Chamber office. Check current Chamber hours, parking, and downtown access before making a special stop.
Official sources
- City of Carrabelle - World's Smallest Police Station
- Carrabelle History Museum - World's Smallest Police Station
Last checked against these sources: July 2, 2026.