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If you visit St. Augustine you will immediately notice the charm of this historic city that dates all the way back to 1565. In fact, it is known as the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the continental United States.
The historical significance can be seen throughout the city with its cobblestone streets, historic masonry fort, and Spanish colonial architecture. Many of the historic features have been well-preserved allowing visitors to go back in time and experience the rich cultural heritage of the colonial era.
This city is one of our favorites to visit while in Florida and a festive Christmas town destination. With its pristine beaches, captivating history, and vibrant arts scene, St. Augustine is a must-visit destination that will surely become one of your favorite Florida destinations as well.
Castillo de San Marcos
The Castillo de San Marcos is one of the oldest masonry fortifications in the continental United States and is a testament to nearly 450 years of history. It was constructed by the Spanish to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route.
The thick walls that have withstood battles and hurricanes were built from coquina, a type of lime-stone made from millions of seashells, but have been through renovations over the years.
As you explore the fort, you will be able to see the different dwellings of the soldiers, uniform depictions, prison space, food storage rooms, and many other preserved relics. As you climb to the top, you will be met with a beautiful view of the water and get to see the cannons that were used to defend the fortification.
There are reenactments and cannon firings at certain times that bring the history back to life. The entrance fee for adults ages 16 and above is 15 dollars per person and this park does not accept cash so plan to have a credit card with you.
Lightner Museum
The Lightner Museum is perhaps the most recognizable and iconic building in St. Augustine. Located in the heart of the historic district, it is an example of the Spanish Renaissance Revival architecture. It was first known as the Hotel Alcazar, a resort hotel, where the wealthy came to vacation every winter.
The hotel had luxurious amenities at the time with indoor entertainment and recreational facilities, luxury goods stores, swimming pool, a grand ballroom, and a bowling alley. It was considered a hotel of health and wellness so it had baths and dedicated spaces for relaxation.
In 1931 the hotel closed its doors for good and was purchased by the magazine publisher Otto C. Lightner. It was used as the permanent home for his collection of artwork and furnishings and the new Lightner Museum was opened in 1948.
Along with the museum’s permanent collection of art and relics from the Victorian era, there are also temporary exhibits displayed some even by local artists. It is open daily from 9am to 5pm and admission is $19 for adults.
St. George Street
The pedestrian-only St. George Street still has its historic charm with its paved cobblestones and stone buildings but today it is lined with restaurants, attractions and shops. Some of the top places to eat and shop in St. Augustine are on this street so be sure to stop by the eateries and get some souvenirs to take back with you.
As you’re walking around, make sure to notice the plaques around the city that pay tribute to the landmarks and historical events. One of these landmarks is the oldest wooden schoolhouse that dates all the way back to the early 18th century and Cathedral Basilica which is the oldest Catholic church in the nation.
Colonial Quarter
The Colonial Quarter of St. Augustine is a place where you travel back in time. Taking the Living History Tour, you will be able to see how life was in St. Augustine for hundreds of years. You will learn about Blacksmithing, a skill that was very valuable in those years and see how the colonial Blacksmith worked on forging metal into tools, cooking utensils, nails and more.
Next, you will be able to witness a live musket demonstration while you watch and learn how to lock and load a 17th century replica musket. Seeing the demonstration and being able to climb the 35 foot watchtower are some of the coolest things to do on this tour. At the top of the tower, you will get a birds-eye view of the Castillo de San Marcos and St. Augustine’s bayfront. It is the view that the soldier’s in St. Augustine saw many years ago as they stood at their post to defend the city.
Being in a place of so much history, while seeing hands-on demonstrations is one of the best ways to be able to experience the history coming to life. Stroll the Flags Over St. Augustine boardwalk and check out the dining options of the colonial quarter for the full experience.
Dolphin, Manatee & Sea Turtle Tour
Just off of the shores of St. Augustine, you have the chance to go on a tour to see manatees, dolphins and sea turtles. You can choose to go in a kayak or paddleboard to head out into the water with a guide. On this tour you will pass around the St. Augustine Lighthouse and visit the Anastasia State Park.
It’s a peaceful way to enjoy the water in St. Augustine and have a chance to see all kinds of marine life. The tour typically runs for over two hours exploring the coastal wonders and listening to the guides sharing the history and facts about the local ecosystem.
Black Raven Pirate Ship
The Black Raven Pirate Ship is Florida’s sailing pirate cruise. It was designed to be a floating theater with unique and interactive pirate ship shows. The main program consists of three types of voyages including the daily Treasure Hunt Show and Sea Battle for all ages, scenic sunset cruises featuring different themes, and the adult Rum Runners Pirate Show.
They also have the Night of Lights, a two-hour tour of Matanzas Bay where you can watch from the water as the sun sets and St. Augustine’s holiday lights illuminate the town. The other special holiday is the fourth of July fireworks celebration with fun songs, skits, and appetizers.
If you have a special celebration, it’s also possible to book a private charter for your event and there is a birthday themed adventure especially designed for kids that combines cannons and cupcakes.
Scenic Boat Ride
For a fun time out on the water in St. Augustine, enjoy a boat trip that takes you on a sightseeing tour. Some of the highlights include seeing the Bridge of Lions, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche and other places. Not only will you get to see these St. Augustine treasures from the water, you will be able to learn more about them with a narration from the captain.
There are a few tours running per day so you can choose the best tour operating time for you to fit into your schedule. It’s a relaxing way to sightsee some of the highlights of the city and while you’re out on the water, you might even catch a glimpse of dolphins.
Visit The Beach
Visiting the beach in Florida is always one of the top activities and it’s no different in St. Augustine. While here the main attraction is definitely the historic city, you will find many visitors enjoying the beaches of St. Augustine.
There is 42 miles of beaches stretching around the city where you will find soft sand, beautiful water, and the perfect place to unwind. Some of the more popular beaches you can visit are Ponte Vedra Beach, Vilano Beach, Anastasia State Park, St. Augustine Beach, Butler Beach and Crescent Beach. Each beach is a little different but every one of them is lovely and on you can even bring your pets on a leash on Vilano Beach.
Alligator Farm
If you want to see alligators in St. Augustine, then head over to the Alligator Farm. It’s one of the best alligator attractions in Florida featuring gators, crocodiles, and even albino alligators that are all white. Here, you can go on an encounter for an opportunity to get up close with alligators and crocodiles. During this encounter tour, you will get to stand on the feeding platform up close and see a 15-foot, 1,250 pound croc leaping out of the water to get his dinner as he’s being fed.
While alligators and crocs are the main show here, the park also is home to some exotic birds, sloths, monkeys, lemurs, and various reptiles like the python. After seeing the animals there is an option to do the Crocodile Crossing, an obstacle course with a zip line, which goes through the park with gators and crocs right below you.
Pirate & Treasure Museum
With over 800 artifacts of pirate history, this is on of the most fascinating museums in St. Augustine. This museum is about 5,000 square feet full of stories that go back over 300 years. A big part of that story is highlighting Port Royal, Jamaica when it was at the height of the Golden Age of Piracy.
The museum first started out in Key West and then got moved to St. Augustine which, with its history, is one of the most appropriate cities for this type of museum in Florida. You can spend hours exploring the many artifacts in here so if you are a pirate enthusiast, be sure to stop by.
Old Jail Museum
The Old Jail Museum is one of the places in St. Augustine that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It was built by one of the most influential people in St. Augustine’s history, Henry Flagler, who also built the Ponce de Leon Hotel. It lets you take a glimpse into what it was like years ago for the infamous prisoners of the 19th century. The experience is complete with costumed actors, an impressive collection of weapons and artifacts, and re-enactments from the past.
If you take a tour of the museum it is approximately 30 minutes long where the knowledgeable guides will tell you the prison tales and where you will learn about how the system worked. It is a very interactive experience where you will get to pose behind bars and explore the jail rooms.
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is considered as the place where it all started. It is the original site of the nation’s oldest city making it the oldest successful European settlement in the United States. It was first explored by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513 and then was settled by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565. You can’t miss this site while in St. Augustine as it is one of the most historic places you could possibly visit in the United States.
There are many things to explore at this site including the Spring House, Navigations Planetarium, Discovery Globe, cannon firing, Chalupa Boathouse, and the peacocks and blacksmith exhibits. Also, you can visit the Timucuan village and burials as well as the excavation site.
Old Town Trolley Tours
There’s no better way to see all of the top attractions in St. Augustine than on a hop-on hop-off trolley tour. It will take you to all the top places to see in the city and as you ride on the trolley, you will get to hear a live narration about the city. you can get on and off as many times as you’d like throughout the day to be able to spend more time at the attractions you want to see.
With a trolley ticket you also get free admission to the St. Augustine History Museum and a free beach shuttle that goes to the Alligator Farm and the beach. There are 22 stops on the trolley tour with over 100 points of interest some of which you can get more discounts to through your trolley ticket. You can look at the map on their site to see if the attractions you want to go to are on their list of stops.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not
You likely recognize the attraction Ripley’s Believe It or Not as it is often located in popular tourist destinations. What makes the St. Augustine location stand out is that it is placed in one of Florida’s castles that was built in 1887. This was the very building that fascinated Robert Ripley and inspired him to create the world’s first permanent Ripley collection.
Inside, read fascinating stories and explore the various unusual collections that make this attraction worth a visit. What kinds of things will you see? A lunar space capsule made entirely of Erector sets, a replica of the International Space Station made from over 240,000 matchsticks, and even a 17-foot statue of David, one of only two exact replicas in the world that was even carved from a piece of marble from the same quarry Michelangelo acquired the rock for his masterpiece.
Potter’s Wax Museum
This wax museum might be one of the coolest ones in the country as its considered the first and oldest wax museum in the country. It has over 160 wax figures representing people from Florida, American, European and even World history. It’s one of the coolest ways for Florida’s history and influential characters of the past to come to life. You’ll get to see wax figures of Henry Flagler and Ponce de Leon, Pedro Menendez and Chief Osceola, as well as others you were a significant part of Florida’s history.
Going broader into American and World history, you will find wax figures of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Donald Trump and people like Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, and Joan of Arc. Stop by the wax studio, the place where each figure is made by hand on-site to see how the artists work.
Villa Zorayda Museum
Another castle-like structure in St. Augustine is Villa Zorayda, a historic gilded age home museum. It was built by Franklin W. Smith, who was a wealthy hardware merchant, as his winter home in Florida. Smith traveled the world studying different civilizations and architecture after which he designed and built Villa Zorayda deciding to go with a Moorish Revival style.
He used a unique way of building by mixing Portland cement with locally sourced crushed coquina and pouring the concrete to construct the home. It was the first concrete structure in Florida and it has stood the test of time which set a precedent for future construction in St. Augustine and in the state of Florida.
After a transitional period where the home served as a restaurant and club, it was made into a museum where visitors can see its unique features. The tour is a self guided audio tour that you can walk around with at your own pace. There are two stories inside with a balcony-like feel that overlook a central open area that will transport you right back to Europe with intricate details and stunning glass windows.
Oldest Wooden School House
Standing as a symbol of the historic settlement of St. Augustine, the Oldest Wooden School House is part of the community of Minorcans who settled the area years ago. They came to Florida in 1768 as servants on a plantation and after years of work they were about to move 70 miles north to St. Augustine. They remained in the area throughout all the changes when the Spanish took the city and when Florida joined the United States.
The school house was part of the Genopoly family’s homestead where students attended classes. Today, students can visit the old school house on a field trip to learn more about the history of this special place.
Bridge of Lions
The Bridge of Lions was constructed as a way for cars to pass across the water but it became so much more. Taking a walk on this bridge you will see beautiful views of the Castillo de San Marcos and the overall skyline of St. Augustine. During Christmastime, it’s a great way to take a step back and see all of the sparkling lights during the Night of Lights.
The construction took place in 1927 and while it was designed for transport of cars, it was still designed with beauty and art in mind. There are two white marble lion statues that the bridge gets its name from standing on the west side of the bridge. Later, two more lions were added on the east side completing the set.
Columbia Restaurant
While there are many good restaurants to try in St. Augustine, Columbia Restaurant is one of those that you have to stop by while exploring the city. It is located in a charming building with lavishly decorated rooms, hundreds of hand-painted tiles, art work and a Spanish-style fountain.
The restaurant serves Spanish/Cuban cuisine and every dish on the menu is delicious. Their 1905 Salad is somewhat of a traditional item on their menu. It was created by a waiter Tony Noriega and was adapted by Columbia creating a new version of it that earned them a place on the USA Today’s list of best places to make a meal of a salad. There are a few locations across Florida so if you visit any one of those destinations, be sure to give them a visit.
Airboat Adventure
Explore freshwater habitats on the St. Johns River on an exciting airboat tour. Keep a watch for alligators, manatees, birds, and snakes as you speed through the waterways. Your guide will tell you stories of the past and even learn the story of the infamous pirate ship that sank in the St. Johns River that can be heard through headsets. It’s the best way to see local wildlife and enjoy some time out in nature.