Things To Do in St. Augustine
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St. Augustine Attractions
A bit of background for your visit to this historic city. In 1562, a group of French Huguenots settled near the mouth of the St. Johns River, in present-day Jacksonville. Three years later, a Spanish force under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived, wiped out the Huguenot men (de Avilés spared their women and children), and established a settlement he named St. Augustín. The colony survived a succession of attacks by pirates, Indians, and the British over the next 2 centuries. The Treaty of Paris, ending the French and Indian War, ceded the town to Britain in 1763, but the British gave it back to Spain 20 years later. The United States took control when it acquired Florida from Spain in 1821.
St. George Street, from King Street north to the Old City Gate (at Orange St.), is the heart of the historic district. Lined with restaurants and boutiques selling everything from T-shirts to antiques, these 4 blocks get the lion’s share of the town’s tourists. You’ll have much less company if you poke around the narrow streets of the primarily residential neighborhood south of King Street. Most of the town’s attractions do not have guided tours, but many do have docents on hand to answer questions.
Be sure to drive through the parking lot of the Howard Johnson Express Inn, at 137 San Marco Ave., to see a gorgeous and stately live oak tree that is at least 600 years old; then continue east to Magnolia Avenue, a spectacularly beautiful street with a lovely canopy of old magnolia trees.Historic sites top the list in this 16th-century town.
17 Results
- Museum
Castillo de San Marcos
Should you ever wish to build an authentic fort, take notes at Castillo de San Marcos, America's oldest and best-preserved masonry fortification. The structure represents the quintessence of the "bastion system" of fortification. It took 23 years (1672–95) to build, and its design… - Museum
Colonial Quarter
If H. G. Wells were alive, he’d get a load of this re-created colonial Spanish village—complete with costumed folks doing things they used to do back in the 1700s—and think he was witnessing living proof of a time-travel machine. This is Florida’s Colonial Williamsburg. Watch as the…Historic District
- Archeological Site
Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
Never mind that Juan Ponce de León never found the Fountain of Youth; this overrated archaeological park bills itself as North America’s first historic site, one which will definitely disappoint visitors who mistake this for a Botox and filler med spa. Smithsonian Institution… - Museum
Lightner Museum
Now this is a museum. Henry Flagler’s opulent Gilded Age-era Spanish Renaissance-style Alcazar Hotel, built in 1889, closed during the Depression and stayed vacant until Chicago publishing magnate Otto C. Lightner bought the building in 1948 to house his vast collection of…Historic District - Zoo/Aquarium
Marineland Dolphin Adventure
What once was a schlocky 7-acre tourist trap is now a world-class Dolphin Conservation Center. This, the descendant of the former Marineland of Florida (home of Flippy, the first-ever trained dolphin) and Marine Studios (1938), is 15 minutes south of St. Augustine and is on the… - Religious Site
Mission of Nombre de Dios
This serene setting overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway is believed to be the site of the first permanent mission in the United States, founded in 1565. The mission is a popular destination of religious pilgrimages. Whatever your beliefs, it's a beautiful tree-shaded spot, ideal… - Museum
Old Jail Museum
This 1891 jail was built by railroad magnate Henry Flagler and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. So yes, there's history here—the Old Jail served as the county jail until 1953—but there's also cheese, lots of it. Tour guides fronting as comedians are a…$$Historic District - Museum
Old St. Augustine History Museum
If you just haven’t seen enough of old stuff, you can always spend another 30 minutes wandering through this museum documenting 400 years of Florida’s past, focusing on the life of Henry Flagler, the Civil War, and the Seminole Wars. Highlights are a collection of toys and dolls,… - Museum
Oldest Store
Where else could one find everything from tonics and elixirs to guns and ammo, bikes, corsets, and worm syrup back in the day—long before Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Target ever existed? The Oldest Store pays homage to retail past, an old country store if you will, with costumed staffers… - Historic Site
Peña Peck House
Built in the mid-1700s by order of the King of Spain as the residence of his royal Treasurer, Juan Esteban de Peña, this First Spanish Period home eventually became the property of Connecticut doctor Seth Peck, whose family lived here for 94 years. In 1892, the home became part of… - Museum
Spanish Military Hospital
Hypochondriacs, doctors, and fans of medicine in general will love this place—but if you’re squeamish in hospitals, this one isn’t an exception. The clapboard building is a reconstruction of part of a hospital that stood here during the second Spanish colonial period, from 1784 to… - Zoo/Aquarium
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
More than 2700 alligators—including some rare white ones—live at this more-than-a-century-old attraction. It houses the world’s only complete collection of all 24 species of crocodilians, a category that includes alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and gavials. In addition to an entire… - Landmark
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
This 165-foot-tall structure, Florida’s first official lighthouse, was built in 1875 to replace the old Spanish lighthouse that had stood at the inlet since 1565. The lightkeeper’s cottage was destroyed by fire in 1970 but was meticulously restored to its Victorian splendor. The… - Museum
St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum
Pat Croce, former owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, is obsessed with pirates. And because he's rich enough from his own loot to play into his obsession, he opened this fantastic homage to all things swashbuckling. St. Augustine, it turns out, was a hotbed for pirates like Sir Francis…$$Historic District - Historic Site
The Oldest House Museum Complex
Archaeological surveys indicate that a dwelling stood on this site as early as the beginning of the 17th century. What you see today, called the Gonzáles-Alvarez House (named for two of its prominent owners), evolved from a two-room coquina dwelling built between 1702 and 1727. The… - Historic Site
The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse in the U.S.A
Photo ops abound at this old-fashioned schoolhouse. One of three structures in town dating from the Spanish colonial period, this cedar-and-cypress structure is held together by wooden pegs and handmade nails, its hand-wrought beams still intact. The last class was held in 1864.… - Museum
Villa Zorayda
The renovated and restored Gilded Age, castlelike winter home of architect Franklin Smith, inspired by Spain’s Alhambra Palace, was built in 1883 and features a big collection of antiques. These include custom-made bone china, Oriental rugs, and exquisite Egyptian artifacts like the…$Historic District
St. Augustine Shopping
Spanish-influenced home decor and furniture fill the antique shops and galleries in the historic district. Glossy oak tables, Mediterranean-style tiles, and silver bric-a-brac fill display windows along Aviles Street and St. George Street.
The winding streets of the historic district are home to dozens of antiques stores and galleries stocked full of original paintings, sculptures, bric-a-brac, fine furnishings, china, and other treasures. Brick-lined Aviles Street, a block from the river, has an especially good mix of shops for browsing, as does St. George Street south of the visitor center, and the Uptown area on San Marco Avenue a few blocks north of the center. The Alcazar Courtyard Shops, at the Lightner Museum, have a good selection of antiques. Visit St. Augustine has a comprehensive list of antiques shops at visitstaugustine.com/things-to-do/antiques.
Experience chocolate heaven at Whetstone Chocolates, 2 Coke Rd. (Fla. 312), between U.S. 1 and the Mickler O’Connell Bridge (tel. 904/825-1700; www.whetstonechocolates.com). Free self-guided tours of the store and factory usually take place Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, but call ahead to confirm the schedule. Whetstone has a retail outlet at 42 St. George St., in the historic district.
St. Augustine Nightlife
Especially on weekends, the Old Town is full of strollers and partiers making the rounds of dozens of bars, clubs, and restaurants. For up-to-date details on what's happening in town, check the local daily, the St. Augustine Record, or the irreverent Folio Weekly.
Another nighttime activity is taking one of the many ghost tours.
And if you enjoy combining sightseeing with sipping, head to San Sebastian Winery, 157 King St. (tel. 904/826-1594), in one of Henry Flagler’s old East Coast Railway buildings a few blocks from downtown St. Augustine. The winery offers free guided tours and free (!) tastings of wines produced by their vineyards in Central Florida. Apparently, Florida’s muscadine grapes are high in fiber and antioxidants, so drink up! The third floor of the winery, the Cellar Upstairs Bar and Restaurant, is a wine and jazz bar that serves appetizers, charcuterie, sandwiches, salads ,wines, and beer.
For evening booze, locals’ fave, Ann O’Malley’s, 23 Orange St., near the Old City Gate (tel. 904/825-4040), is St. Augustine’s oldest Irish pub and is open until 2am on weekends. Besides the selection of ales, stouts, and drafts, this one has live music, bingo, and trivia nights. Barley Republic Pub & Culture, 48 Spanish St. (tel. 904/547-2023) is open daily until 2am and features live music, small plates, and handcrafted cocktails.
Also popular with locals, Mill Top Tavern, 19.5 St. George St., at the Fort (tel. 904/829-2329;), is a warm and rustic tavern in a 19th-century mill building (the water wheel is still outside). Weather permitting, it’s an open-air space. There’s music here every day from noon to midnight. For the oldest lounge in the oldest city, Tradewinds Tropical Lounge, 124 Charlotte St. (tel. 904/826-1590), is a fab, tiki-themed bar with live music, rich history, and strong drinks. Continuing with the topic of watering holes, the Ice Plant, 110 Riberia St. (tel. 904/829-6553), is housed in a circa 1927 ice plant. The plant’s original bridge crane sits on rails above the bar at this industrial-chic, cocktail den open until midnight on weekdays, 2am on weekends.
Over at the Casablanca Inn, 24 Avenida Menendez, is the Tini Martini (tel. 904/829-0928), cozy inside and with a cool patio outside that sometimes hosts live music and movie screenings. It’s open until at least midnight on weekdays, and 1am on weekends. Another highly spirited speakeasy is the aptly named Prohibition Kitchen, with nightly live music, killer cocktails, and late-night menu. Lastly, Stogie’s Jazz Club & Listening, 36 Charlotte St., (tel. 904/826-4008), is housed in an historic cottage and features craft beers, cocktails, and yes, excellent live music until at least 2am.
