This Florida Town Has a Police Station Small Enough to Fit Inside a Phone Booth
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Carrabelle’s World’s Smallest Police Station is a retired phone booth turned into a landmark for curious road-trippers. This tiny former police post is in Carrabelle, Florida, and it looks nothing like a full-size station. A call box is a small enclosure for a telephone, where Carrabelle’s police phone was first placed.
Its odd size makes it an easy stop on a trip through the Panhandle. People can see how a familiar roadside object became part of local history. The story also gives the landmark a practical side: officers needed a way to handle calls and paperwork. If quirky stops suit your route, explore more roadside oddities across the U.S. Its appeal comes from an ordinary booth that once solved very practical problems for local officers.
Key Takeaways
- A retired phone booth became Carrabelle’s famously tiny police post.
- The booth served two officers with a phone and space for paperwork.
- The nickname describes a landmark, not a ranked police department.
- The original booth is displayed at the Carrabelle Chamber Office.
- Check weekday hours and beach flags before your visit.
Carrabelle Smallest Police Station: Why It Started as a Phone Booth
Before Carrabelle had a booth-sized police post, officers answered their phone from a call box on a building corner. That small setup came before the world’s smallest police station became a roadside landmark.
Its nickname describes the booth-sized landmark, not an established ranking of the smallest police departments in the United States. The history starts with a police phone and a working call box.
The police phone before the booth
Albin Westberg became police chief in 1947 and served as Carrabelle’s only day policeman. In 1953, the city installed a police call box on the northeast corner of U.S. 98 and Tallahassee Street.
The St. Joe Telephone Company connected the police phone there. The setup gave officers a place to answer calls, but it left the phone open to unauthorized long-distance calls.
Westberg and the town’s two-man police force needed access to the line. The phone could also ring while officers were away from the corner.
How the retired booth solved two problems
On March 10, 1963, Johnnie Mirabella and Chief Westberg moved a retired phone booth to the corner with Deputy Sheriff Wilburn “Curly” Messer. The change answered a practical need, not a plan to build a tourist stop.
The booth gave officers shelter from rain while keeping the police phone line for police work.
Officers used the phone booth for calls and paperwork. The enclosure kept rain-soaked officers drier, and it helped limit unauthorized use of the police phone.
The St. Joe Telephone Company later removed the dial to block outgoing calls. The police phone could still serve officers, without inviting visitors to place long-distance calls.
| Stage | Setup | Purpose or result |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 call box | Police phone on a building corner | Officers could answer calls |
| 1963 retired booth | Phone booth at the same corner | Shelter and room for paperwork |
| After dial removal | Police phone without a dial | Blocked outgoing calls |
Removing the dial stopped tourists from using the police line to make outgoing calls.
How a Tiny Booth Became a National Curiosity
A television visit in 1991 helped turn a small Carrabelle curiosity into a widely recognized roadside attraction. Real People host Sarah Purcell found the booth and featured it that year.
The booth drew attention because a working police post fit inside a phone booth. Its television fame brought the landmark to viewers far beyond Florida.
Television appearances and a movie role
Later in 1991, Carrabelle Police Chief Jessie Gordon Smith spoke about the attraction on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Other television shows also featured it, including Ripley’s Believe It or Not, The Today Show, and That’s Amazing.
The booth also appeared in Tate’s Hell, a film produced at Florida State University. Its role on screen added another chapter to the station’s public life.
Visitors who enjoy unusual stops can find more weird Florida roadside stops along the way. Carrabelle’s phone booth stands out for its real use by local officers, not just its unusual look.
The booth’s rough years
Its years in public view brought damage and mishaps. The retired booth faced problems that had little to do with its work as a police post.
- Vandals removed the phones.
- Vandals shot through the glass.
- A pickup truck knocked the booth over.
- A tourist tried to take it to Tennessee.
Hurricane Kate also damaged the retired booth. Repairs and care could not prevent every new mishap.
Its television fame never made the retired booth immune to vandalism or accidents.
Where to See the Original and Plan a Carrabelle Visit
You can see the original booth at the Carrabelle Chamber Office on weekday afternoons. The historic booth is displayed at 105 St. James Ave. (U.S. 98), Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The original phone-booth station is indoors at the Chamber Office; the roadside copy is a replica. For general information or non-emergency calls, contact the Carrabelle Police Department at (850) 697-3691. Call 9-1-1 if you are unsure whether a situation is an emergency.
Carrabelle Beach’s closure status can change, so check current beach flags at Carrabelle Beach Wayside Park, 1860 West Highway 98, Carrabelle, FL 32322.
The town incorporated in May 1893. Carrabelle’s 2025 population of 2,572 reflects its small-town setting, which may appeal to some potential residents.
The $349,000 median listing home price through September 2026 offers one affordability reference, not a verdict for every household. Carrabelle homes had a median of 102 days on the market in October 2026, another point to weigh when considering a move.
Check current beach flags before making the beach part of your day’s plans.
Conclusion
Carrabelle’s booth is memorable because its unusual size grew out of an everyday problem for local officers. The world’s smallest police nickname points to a real working post, not a contest among departments.
That practical history makes the booth a small stop with a story worth sharing on your trip. You can pair it with other odd roadside sights or make it a brief break along U.S. 98.
Plan around the Chamber Office’s weekday display hours, since the original is not the roadside copy. Confirm the Chamber Office’s weekday hours before setting out to see the original.
