Sights in St Augustine
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O'Reilly House Museum
Caught in the grip of a severe offshore hurricane in the late 1800s, the desperate captain of a supply ship heading from the Minorca Islands to St Augustine ordered most of the cargo to be thrown overboard to save the ship from sinking in the tumultuous seas.
It was then that the crew found a little statue of the Madonna, 3ft high with human hair curls and silk and Spanish lace petticoats. They prayed to it for their safe passage and, as the story goes, the winds dropped and they were able to make it to port.
The statue was passed down through the generations of Minorcan families, who prayed to it when hurricanes threatened the town. Its last caretaker, Sister St Charles o…
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Historic Remains
Opposite the Bridge of Lions, in the heart of downtown, the expansive, grassy Plaza de la Constitution, a former marketplace, has a gazebo, a couple of cannons and a Civil War memorial, as well as the remains of the town well. It was the central market for food, but also for slaves.
Other historic remains include the Old City Gate, at the northern end of St George St, built in 1739 to defend the northern St Augustine line from British attacks; and the Rosario Defense Wall (opposite the Huguenot Cemetery), a re-creation of a section of the original Spanish-built earth barrier - spiky yucca plants and prickly-pear cacti along the top successfully fended off the Brits.
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Fountain of Youth
Almost 500 years old (but not looking a day over 450) the Fountain of Youth was the original tourist attraction, drawing Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León for a visit in 1513. It still serves the nasty sulfur water in tiny paper cups - and that's absolutely as much as you'll want - but this is more than a five-minute pit stop. Educational exhibits, gorgeous grounds and the approximate spot where the explorer came ashore make it more than just a tourist trap - OK, well a little more, anyway.
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Alligator Farm Zoological Park
Maximo – a 1250lb, 15ft, 3in Australian saltwater crocodile – is the biggest of the reptiles at the Alligator Farm Zoological Park, the world’s only facility with every species of crocodilian in residence. Look for albino alligators, freaky gharials and seven different species of endangered monkey, including the world’s smallest, the pygmy marmoset (the size of a mouse). There are talks and shows throughout the day; catch hungry alligators snapping their jaws at feeding times (noon and 3pm).
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World Golf Hall of Fame
Even nonfans of the game will enjoy the World Golf Hall of Fame. There are 18 exhibits (like 18 holes), the front nine covering the history of the sport and the back nine examining modern professional golf. Separating them is the Hall of Fame itself, with multimedia exhibits on inductees. Admission includes nine holes on a real grass putting green designed to PGA specifications, and an IMAX film.
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Old St Augustine Village
The nine homes in Old St Augustine Village are Florida’s largest collection of historic homes. Dating from 1790 to 1920, highlights include the delightfully crooked Carpenter’s House; the crayon-colored windows of the Spear House; and the Murat House, which was the one-time home of Prince Achille Murat, Napoleon’s nephew. Yes, that Napoleon.
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St Augustine Lighthouse
The light produced by this 1870s striped lighthouse beams all the way downtown. A great place to bring kids over six and more than 44in tall (since all climbers must be able to ascend and descend the tower under their own power), the lighthouse operates ‘Dark of the Moon’ paranormal tours on weekends at 8:30pm (adults/child $25/20).
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Our Lady of La Leche Shrine
The first Mass was held at the Mission of Nombre de Dios, also the site of Our Lady of La Leche Shrine and the 208ft-tall stainless-steel cross visible from many parts of downtown. First built in 1797, the coquina church became a cathedral in 1870, but a fire destroyed much of it in 1887. Pirates torched the cathedral's congregation several times.
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St Augustine Beach
The 7-mile stretch of St Augustine Beach is a great place to get a tan, and the strip of Hwy A1A fronting it has budget hotels, family restaurants and boisterous bars. Driving on the beach is permitted.
Take Anastasia Blvd to Hwy A1A right out to the beach; there's a visitors information booth right at the foot of the St John's Pier.
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Old Drugstore
Built in 1739, the Old Drugstore offers a unique collection of antique vials and tonics in sepia-colored bottles, as well as some other curiosities, like vintage suppository molds. Adjacent to the artifacts is an extensive assortment of herbal remedies for sale (from stevia leaf to lotus flowers) for homeopathic use.
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Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church
Henry Flagler, his daughter and her stillborn child lie in the mausoleum at Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church, Flagler’s own, magnificent Venetian-Renaissance edifice. The floor is Sienna marble, the wood is Santo Domingo mahogany and the pipe organ (played 8:30am and 11am Sunday) is colossal.
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Old Jail
Built in 1891, the Old Jail is the former town prison and residence of the town’s first sheriff, Charles Joseph ‘the terror’ Perry (towering menacingly at 6ft, 6in tall and weighing 300lb). Today, costumed ‘deputies’ escort visitors through cellblocks and detail the site’s arresting history.
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Colonial Spanish Quarter Living History Village
See how they did things back in the 18th century at the Colonial Spanish Quarter Living History Village, a re-creation of Spanish-colonial St Augustine complete with craftspeople demonstrating blacksmithing, leather working and other trades.
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Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Another monument to longevity is the country's oldest masonry fort, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument built by the Spanish between 1672 and 1695. Park rangers lead programs hourly and volunteers shoot off cannons most weekends.
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St Augustine Lighthouse
The light produced by this 1870s candy-striped lighthouse beams all the way downtown. It's a great place to bring kids older than seven and more than 4ft tall (none younger or shorter are allowed). The adjacent museum displays nautical exhibits.
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Hotel Ponce de León
The gorgeous former Hotel Ponce de León, which was built in the 1880s and is now the world's most gorgeous dormitory, belonging to Flagler College. Take a guided tour - or at least step inside to gawk at the lobby for free.
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Lightner Museum
The former Hotel Alcazar (1888) is now home to the wonderful Lightner Museum, with a little bit of everything from ornate Gilded Age furnishings to collections of marbles and cigar-box labels.
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Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine
Lording over the Plaza de la Constitution, the magnificent bell tower of the Spanish Mission–style Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine is likely the country’s first Catholic house of worship.
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Gonzalez-Alvarez House
History buffs will enjoy the oldest house in the US, the Gonzalez-Alvarez House, which claims continuous occupancy from the early 17th century, peopled by animatronic teachers and students.
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Potter’s Wax Museum
For biting political satire, visit Potter’s Wax Museum. At Potter’s you can check out Dubya, sculpted by either a bitter Democrat or Mad magazine fan.
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World Golf Village
The World Golf Village is home to the World Golf Foundation (WGF) and PGA Productions, the media entity responsible for televising golf events.
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Oldest Wooden School House
History buffs will enjoy the oldest house in the US, the Oldest Wooden School House, peopled by animatronic teachers and students.
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Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Inside the old (1887) Castle Warden, is the first and cornerstone of Ripley’s monuments to the bizarre.
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