St. Augustine is one of the beautiful city located in the South East of United States and North Eastern part of Florida along the Atlantic coast. It is said to be founded in 15th century by Spanish explorers and is the oldest city in the nation. The city has around 43 miles of beautiful shoreline and is accessible from Jacksonville, Orlando and Daytona airports. It offers a lot of attractions that are mostly of historic significance. In addition, it has state parks, beautiful beaches, restaurants, shops and accommodations which make the city a perfect getaway for vacation.
Below are some attractions or things to do that we thought of sharing from our visit.
1. Old Town Trolley Tours
Old Town Trolley Tours is one of the largest trolley tour companies and is the best way to go around the St. Augustine city. They offer unlimited hop-on and hop-off flexibility all day within operating hours and halt at around 22 designated stops along the way. This allows passengers to get down at an attraction and again board the next trolley at their convenience. The trolley driver guides the passengers on various attractions around the city. The trolleys also offer open air sightseeing such that the visitors can also take pictures during their ride.
There are 1-day and 2-day trolley tours and other packages available, and one can buy the tickets online. The package also includes free admission to few other attractions. More information on the tours is also available on their website at trolleytours.com. There is also free parking available at the Old Town Trolley welcome center so that visitors can go around hassle free and without worrying about parking around attractions.
2. Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is the oldest masonry fort in the Unites States and is located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, Florida. It was built by Spanish and is over 300 years old. This place is open 7 days per week from 9AM to 5PM. One can use guided tours or do self-tour of the fort and its various exhibits.
One enters through a big entrance door. Then the visitors can go around several rooms inside the fort that once housed soldiers and prisoners. The fort also features a big courtyard within. Visitors can then go to the top of the fort where they can experience beautiful view of the city and surrounding, volunteers dressed as soldier who pose for pictures, display of cannons, etc. You can also experience timed cannon firing and weaponry demonstration by park rangers or volunteers.
3. St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is one of the must-see attractions in the St. Augustine, Florida. It features an active lighthouse tower of around 165 feet tall and conical in shape. It also features museum that offers information on local maritime history and the nation’s oldest port. The lighthouse is located at the north end of Anastasia Island and is said to be the second lighthouse tower in St. Augustine city. The museum is open all throughout the year to public.
Inside the lighthouse, visitors can climb a staircase with over 200 steps and reach to the top of it where they can experience the amazing view of the surrounding and the ocean.
There is a keeper’s house just in front of the lighthouse which was built for the families of employees who kept it but was later transformed into a museum to host several exhibits. There is a gift shop at the museum and a shipyard playground for kids in the campus.
4. Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is a 15-acre private waterfront park located around the banks of Matanzas River in St. Augustine, Florida. The park is in the site that was first explored by Ponce De Leon in the year 1513. It is one of the beautiful parks where visitors can enjoy a combination of nature, wildlife and history, and relax under shades. In addition, visitors can go around the park and experience various exhibits namely Discovery Globe, Archaeology exhibit, Fountain of Youth and Spring house, Timucua Village exhibit, Planetarium, etc. Wildlife such as peacock and other birds, and several live Oak trees can be seen in the park. There is a gift shop located in the park. The park also offers space for events such as wedding and family gatherings. There is admission fee to the park and the parking is available for free.
5. Old Jail Museum
The Old Jail or Old St. John’s County Jail is a historical jail in St. Augustine, Florida. It served as a St. John’s County jail until 1953 but now serves as an attraction or museum for visitors. It’s a two-story building. There are guided tours, or you can also do self-tours. Visitors can go around the restored jail sections and take pictures. In addition, visitors can tour male and female cells, view collection of guns, and experience the gallows used for hanging prisoners. It can be covered in around 30 minutes.
6. St. Augustine History Museum
St. Augustine History Museum is a museum displaying history about evolution of the city and the people. It has several galleries offering rich historical information around the Spanish, French, English and American rules. The tour is self-guided and can be covered in 30-60 minutes. Admission to this museum is usually included within the 1-day or 2-day Trolley tours.
7. Lightner Museum
Lightner Museum is a beautiful museum located in the St. Augustine, Florida and is housed inside the formerly known as Alcazar hotel. The museum is said to be named after publisher Otto Lightner who founded it. It offers visitors with extensive experience of art, architecture and history. It has a unique collection of antiques, decorative art, paintings, geological specimens, etc spanning over three floors. The museum hosts several exhibitions and educational programs. Weddings and other events are also held at this place.
8. Ponce de Leon Hall or Flagler College
Ponce de Leon Hall or Hotel was a luxury hotel built by Henry Flagler in 1888 and located in St. Augustine city of Florida. It is now part of the Flagler College. It is said that Flagler designed layout of each room to be different so that his visitors can have different experience on every visit. Also, it is said to be built to consist 540 rooms and is one of the first buildings built with concrete and stones. It has a round room with dome and a huge dining hall. The interior is decorated with stained glasses, mosaic tiles, pillars, paintings, etc. Visitors can take tour of the college and experience architectural heritage of this historic landmark.
9. St. Augustine Beach
St. Augustine Beach is a white sand beach located in the Anastasia Island and along the coast of Atlantic Ocean. The beach area offers a park, playground and fishing pier. It has hard-packed sand that attracts bicycle riders. One can also drive their vehicle in designated area on the beach with some minimal fees. There are several public beach access paths giving one access to the beach. There are several accommodations and seaside restaurants near to the beach. In addition to swimming, other water activities are also available.
10. Bridge of Lions
Bridge of Lions is a double leaf steel draw-bridge built across the Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, Florida. It connects the St. Augustine to Anastasia Island and is also part of the scenic State Road A1A in Florida. The bridge gets its name from the two marble Medici Lions statues. The center span of the bridge is opened on request for the intracoastal waterway. It is said to be renovated and reopened in 2011. One can view the bridge from Castillo de San Marcos fort. There is also a publicly accessible dock around the west entrance of the bridge.
There are other attractions such as Anastasia State Park, Ripley’s Believe it or not! museum, Alligator Farm Zoological Park, Colonial Quarter, etc. In addition to St. Augustine Beach, there are other beaches namely Vilano Beach, Crescent Beach and Butler Beach that one can visit.
Other nearby attractions from St. Augustine city that we visited during our trip includes below.
Washington Oaks State Park
Washington Oaks State Park is one of the beautiful Florida State Parks located in Flagler County, Florida. It is along the A1A scenic route and near St. Augustine City. The park has an area of around 425 acres and features formal gardens surrounding a huge old live oak tree. It also features several short beautiful nature trails with variety of trees, plants, flowers and ponds. One can see live Oak trees, magnolias, roses, azaleas, etc. There is a rose garden showcasing variety of roses. The park is open daily 8AM till dusk throughout the year and there is a minimal admission fee required. There is also a small gift shop located near to the parking lot.
Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach is located in the Flagler and Volusia counties of Florida. The beach spans around several miles. It is one of the small town located on A1A route between Daytona and St. Augustine cities. The beach has a fishing pier and oceanfront restaurants. If one is lucky they may also get to experience sea turtles nesting on the shores between May to Oct period. There are crossovers or steps to the beach built at the end of every street to access the beach.
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach is part of the Volusia County in Florida. It is located on the east coast of Florida between the 2 major cities, Orlando and Jacksonville. The Beach spans over around 23 miles with white sand and has a boardwalk open all time. It’s open for public with no time restrictions and vehicles are allowed on some part of the beach during day time due to its hard-packed sand. It is one of the popular spring break destinations. The beach is also known for motorsports and several events are held annually by Daytona International Speedway. There are also golf courses on the beach. Tourism is one of the major industry contributing to the economy in this area.
You can also check out our other post on beautiful Florida Beaches here.
Pin Here !
