Must-see attractions in St Augustine

  • Alcazar Hotel

    Lightner Museum

    St Augustine

    Henry Flagler's former Hotel Alcazar is home to this wonderful museum with a little bit of everything, from ornate Gilded Age furnishings to collections…

  • The interior of the Villa Zorayda Museum. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

    Villa Zorayda Museum

    St Augustine

    Looking like a faux Spanish castle from a medieval theme park, this gray edifice was built out of a mix of concrete and local coquina shells in 1883. The…

  • Castillo De San Marcos National Monument

    Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

    St Augustine

    This photogenic fort is an atmospheric monument to longevity: it's the country's oldest masonry fort, completed by the Spanish in 1695. In its time, the…

  • Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, Florida.; Shutterstock ID 1411761494; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Alligator Farm Zoological Park

    St Augustine

    Herpetophobes should run in the other direction of this facility – the only one on the planet with every species of crocodilian in residence. Nature…

  • Ornate tower and details of Ponce de Leon hotel now Flagler college built Henry Flagler in St Augustine Florida; 
Hotel Ponce de León
Shutterstock ID 119260024; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Hotel Ponce de León

    St Augustine

    This striking former luxury hotel, built in the 1880s, is now the world's most gorgeous dormitory, belonging to Flagler College, who purchased and saved…

  • Colonial Quarter

    St Augustine

    See how they did things back in the 18th century at this re-creation of Spanish Colonial St Augustine, complete with craftspeople demonstrating…

  • Ximenez-Fatio House

    St Augustine

    Dating to 1798, this fascinating museum complex includes the main house building, the area's only detached kitchen building and a reconstructed washhouse…

  • St Augustine Beach

    St Augustine

    This white-sand beach almost gets lost in the historical mix, but hey, it's Florida, so a visit wouldn't be complete without a little bit of sun and surf…

  • Spanish Military Hospital Museum

    St Augustine

    Not for the faint of heart, guided tours of this museum discuss Colonial-era medical techniques in all their gory glory: amputations, leeching, the whole…

  • Anastasia State Recreation Area

    St Augustine

    Locals come to escape the tourist hordes at this terrific park, which is a beautiful quilt of estuarine marsh, maritime forest, boardwalk paths and sandy…

  • Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine

    St Augustine

    With its magnificent bell tower lording it over the Plaza de la Constitution, this Spanish-mission-style cathedral is likely the country's first Catholic…

  • Plaza de la Constitution

    St Augustine

    In the heart of downtown, this grassy square, the oldest public park in the US and a former marketplace for food (and slaves), has an attractive gazebo,…

  • Pirate & Treasure Museum

    St Augustine

    Little kids and big kids alike will enjoy this mash-up of theme park and museum: a celebration of all things pirate. As well as genuine historical…

  • St Augustine Lighthouse

    St Augustine

    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…

  • World Golf Hall of Fame

    St Augustine

    Golf fans flock to this 18-exhibit museum, the front nine covering the history of the sport and the back nine examining modern professional golf…

  • Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church

    St Augustine

    Henry Flagler, the businessman who helped forge modern Florida, his daughter and her stillborn child lie in the mausoleum at this church, Flagler's own…

  • Oldest House

    St Augustine

    Also known as the González-Alvarez House, this is the oldest surviving Spanish-era home in Florida, dating to the early 1700s and sitting on a site…

  • Governor's House

    St Augustine

    A government building has stood on this site since 1598 and served as a residence, courthouse, administrative headquarters and post office. Today, it is…

  • Old Jail

    St Augustine

    Built in 1891, this is the former prison and residence of the town's first sheriff, Charles Joseph 'the terror' Perry (towering menacingly at 6ft 6in tall…

  • Oldest Wooden School House

    St Augustine

    Built from red cedar and cypress, the 200-year-old building contains animatronic teachers and students, and provides a glimpse into 18th-century life and…

  • Mission of Nombre de Dios

    St Augustine

    Just north of downtown on the A1A, the mission dates back to the earliest days of Spanish settlement. Today, the peaceful memorial gardens feature a…

  • San Sebastian Winery

    St Augustine

    Free hour-long tours at this winery are capped with wine tastings and a video about Florida wine-making since the 1600s; if you're around in August, join…

  • Fountain of Youth

    St Augustine

    Insert tongue firmly in cheek and step right up for an acrid cup of eternal youth at this kitschy 'archaeological park.' As the story goes, Spanish…

  • Ripley's Believe It or Not!

    St Augustine

    Inside the old Castle Warden (1887), this is the first of the now-ubiquitous Ripley's 'Odditoriums.' Shrunken heads, a drum made from skulls and goofy…