Things to Do in St Augustine

Housed in a gorgeous former hotel built in 1887 in the Spanish Renaissance style, the exterior of the Lightner Museum is reason enough to visit. The real treats though are the various antiquities located on the inside of this three story museum.

The first floor houses a Victorian village, with shop fronts offering Victorian era wares. Take a look at the Victorian Science and Industry Room and its eclectic array of artifacts including model steam engines, stuffed birds, a small Egyptian mummy, and a shrunken head. The second floor contains samples of cut glass, Victorian art glass and stained glass work. The third floor, housed in the ball room's upper balcony, exhibits paintings, sculpture, and furniture from the time period. Overall, the museum's careful attention to details and rustic recreation of the time period make it a fun place to visit.

The idyllic town of St. Augustine is an ideal destination for travelers who want to see history come to life. Few places showcase the past quite like the Spanish Military Hospital. Visitors can wander the halls and outdoor areas of this popular attraction, which includes the Hospital West building, the Apothecary and the Hospital East. Travelers will learn about medical practices from the Second Spanish Period. Visitors can follow an expert guide and learn about medicinal herbs in the well-kept garden, see a surgical demonstration and learn about ancient apothecary. This one-of-a-kind destination offers up the perfect way to experience the life of a local during the 1700s.

This stunning contemporary church is widely considered one of the eight religious wonders of the world. Perhaps that’s because its stunning façade with towering spires, royal arch and smooth white stone are truly a sight to behold.

Visitors who appreciate breathtaking architecture and attention to stonework detail with find a stop at Memorial Presbyterian Church worth the trip. Trained docents can unlock the art and history of the interior during a free tour, and religious travelers can participate in a Sunday morning worship where all are welcome.

An ideal stop for history fans, the St. Augustine History Museum features everything from replica ships and vintage toys to treasures discovered off the Florida coast. Find artifacts, photographs, and ephemera showcasing an ever-evolving St. Augustine, dating to the days of Spanish and British rule—all displayed in the museum's galleries.

The historic Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum has played many roles in the state of Florida since being built more than 400 years ago. During the colonial period of the 16th century, it served as the official residence and offices of the Spanish governors of Florida. The mansion was then rebuilt in 1710 after being destroyed by British forces. British governors of East Florida ruled from the structure during the American Revolutionary War, often throwing lavish parties. In 1821, history was made here when the Spanish governor turned over the control of Florida to the United States.

Once a part of the new nation, it served as a U.S. post office, courthouse, and customs building before opening as a museum in 1991. The structure itself holds centuries of history, though its exhibits go into further detail the significance of the house and the area. Many archaeological artifacts, including Spanish gold and Native American canoes, tell the stories of the multiculturalism that influenced Florida and St. Augustine as it is today.

Learn all about the game of golf, its history, and its top players at the World Golf Hall of Fame. Located near historic St. Augustine at the World Golf Village resort, the museum celebrates the game and its greatest contributors through historical and interactive storytelling and exhibits that include memorabilia, artifacts, artwork, photos, audio, and videos.

Travelers don’t have to worry about walking the plank at this popular attraction located in St. Augustine. The Pirate and Treasure Museum is filled with galleries and exhibits that showcases the life and times of sea greats like Sir Francis Drake and Robert Searles. Visitors can learn about the role pirates played in early colonial America and gain a deeper understanding of life on the high seas.

Travelers will venture back some 300 years to Port Royal, Jamaica when they enter this unique museum that’s perfect for the whole family. Children will love the well-designed treasure hunt that leads the younger set on a real life adventure.

Test your mettle at St. Augustine's Medieval Torture Museum, the first museum of its kind in the United States. This trove of recreated torture instruments, enriched by academic research, demonstrates just how much suffering humanity infllicted during the Middle Ages. Uncover how these deadly objects were employed and why they were used.

Chocolate lovers can rejoice, because this incredible local sweets factory has one of the best tasting tours around. Visitors can get a behind the scenes look at the Whetstone Chocolate factory operations and learn about the history of this local institution.

Visitors will have the chance to sample a variety of items crafted on the premise and learn how cocoa nibs are transformed from bitter cocoa to decadent truffles and treats. There’s even a well stocked shop to pick up times to take home once the tour ends.

St Augustine has grown up and around the González-Alvarez House, and so the home stands as an architectural time capsule of the city’s evolution. The two-story coquina stone house, built in the years after the English burned the city in 1702, is now a registered National Landmark with elements that typify the city’s varied occupants. Early Spanish colonial elements such as the house’s orientation to take advantage of winds and tabby floors—blend with later changes. A second story was added during the British colonial period, and a framed second floor porch and glass windows were included during the second Spanish period prior to statehood.

Though archaeological evidence suggests the site has been occupied since the 1600s, the current home dates to the early 1700s. Its “oldest house in America” title has been contested and has since reverted to the “oldest surviving Spanish colonial house in Florida.” Regardless, visitors to the Gonzalez-Alvarez House will find plenty of unique historical elements here including some of its resident’s possessions: chipped Romanesque statues, simple wooden furniture, clothing, an ornately carved four-poster bed and a British tea setting. Outside, a replica coquina colonial kitchen features a brick hearth and period cooking implements. The larger Oldest House Museum Complex includes an ornamental garden and two separate museum buildings: the Mauncy Museum detailing the history of the country’s oldest city, and the Page L. Edwards Gallery’s rotating exhibits.

Your quest for the Fountain of Youth is over once you’ve visited this park in St. Augustine, Florida. This site where Spanish explorer Ponce de León came in search of the elusive fountain in the 16th century, founding the oldest European settlement in the US. Sip the legendary waters while you learn about the area’s indigenous history.

St. Augustine is a city rich in American history and the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse is the ideal place for travelers and families to take a step back in time. According to locals, this small structure made of wooden slats with an American flag waving high nearby is the oldest of its kind in the U.S. The building is made of aging bald cypress and red cedar and is chained to the ground to protect it from hurricanes.

Visitors can take a self-guided tour of this unique attraction every day, and listen in as a robotic professor and student share historical information, stories and little known facts. In addition to the school house, travelers will see well-kept gardens, a traditional outhouse and an historic kitchen.

Fort Matanzas was built in the mid-1700s to protect the Spanish colony of St Augustine. St Augustine was vulnerable by river access to the south and Fort Matanzas helped the French protect it from the threat of British attacks. At the time, Florida was a much sought after area of the world due to being a profitable shipping lane from the Caribbean. The fort successfully protected St Augustine on multiple occasions and eventually became property of the United States. In 1924, it was declared a national monument.

The construction of Fort Matanzas is interesting to behold as it’s made from coquina, a type of limestone that is made of tiny pieces of shells and sand – a likely choice considering the geography of where Fort Matanzas was constructed, but one that can also be quite fragile. Despite that, it has upheld and today visitors can take a ferry to the fort, which is located on Rattlesnake Island and tour the grounds. The ferry has a guide who will tell you about the history of the fort on your way over. Once at the fort, be sure to climb the ladder to the observation level for excellent views of St Augustine and the ocean.

When you're in a city known for being one of the oldest in the country, you'll naturally be curious to know what it was like to live there when it all began. Now you can find out for yourself when you visit the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, St. Augustine's only living history museum. Stroll along the streets of this recreated 1740s town and meet the local townspeople (all costumed actors).

Watch a blacksmith welding, see a carpenter at work on his latest craft, or converse with a solider and his wife. The museum is the ideal place to discover what life might have actually been like for people living in St. Augustine in the 1740s. All of the houses and landscaping have been fashioned to transport you back to the era. When you're done with your walk through the town, be sure to stop by the Taberna del Gallo, a 1740s Spanish tavern located down the street. With no electricity, candles provide the only light source, making it a truly authentic drinking and dining experience.