Visit Castillo de San Marco National Monument
Built by the Spanish in St. Augustine to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States and interprets more than 450 years of cultural intersections.
Visit The Lightner Museum
An iconic building in the heart of America’s oldest city. An extraordinary museum collection, beautiful, curious, and intriguing. Occupying the former Hotel Alcazar, a Gilded Age resort hotel commissioned by railroad magnate Henry Flagler, the Lightner Museum offers an immersive experience of art, architecture, history, and design.
Visit Fountain of Youth Architectural Park
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is the original site of the Nation’s oldest city and location of the famed freshwater Fountain of Youth spring. Located in the area first explored by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513 and settled by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565, historic St. Augustine is the oldest successful European settlement in the United States. Colonial America started right HERE, 55 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, and 42 years before Jamestown! With a long, rich history spanning nearly 500 years, the Fountain of Youth Park will delight and amaze you. Whether you visit for an hour or take all day, our 15 waterfront acres will provide you with hours of enjoyment. It is a working archaeological site, which focuses not only on the first Spanish settlers but also on the native Timucuans. Parts of a replica village were constructed on the original site, including a home and a meeting house.
Artifacts from excavations are on display, and reenactments depict native life and traditional crafts. There are beautiful views from the watchtower, as well as along the Riverwalk, and throughout the park, you can feed the beautiful peacocks. The Navigator's Planetarium has hourly shows that describe the navigation methods used by the first European explorers and even show guests exactly what the sky looked like the night before Ponce de Leon and his crew arrived here.
Visit Mission of Nombre de Dios
On September 8, 1565, five ships sailed into a small cove on the coastline of what was known to the Spanish as “La Florida” under the command of General Pedro Menéndez de Aviles. They arrived in hopes of establishing a colony, securing the land for Spain, and most importantly, converting the native American Indians to Christianity. Upon arrival on an alter made of wood, the first parish Mass in what is now the United States was held. It was on this sacred ground that the Spanish settlers would begin devotion to Our Lady of La Leche, Nuestra Señora de La Leche y Buen Parto, Mary nursing the infant Jesus. In the early 1600s, the Spanish settlers of St. Augustine established the first Shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the United States.
Today, more than 450 years later, an image of Our Lady of La Leche – Our Lady of the Milk and Happy Delivery – graces a small mission chapel in the heart of what is lovingly referred to as the “sacred acre.” Pilgrims come from all parts of the world to pray for her powerful intercession. They pray for fertility, for the health of their children, for safe delivery of those expecting.
Visit Colonial Quarter
On the Living History Tour, you can imagine life in St. Augustine for hundreds of years. See and Experience how our citizens lived, worked and played while defending against attack. Learn about blacksmithing and cover your ears for a live musket demonstration! Visit a home that’s over 270 years old. Climb the watchtower and look for ships on the horizon. The St. Augustine Colonial Experience allows you to understand the success of the oldest permanent European Settlement in North America. History awaits you.
Visit The Pirate & Treasure Museum
Pirate Scholar, Entrepreneur, and best-selling Author Pat Croce’s passion project – The St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum - features over 800 authentic artifacts celebrating the history of piracy, both factual and fictional, from the 1600’s through present day. This 5000 sq. ft. museum offers an exciting and educational museum experience that transports visitors back in time over 300 years to Port Royal, Jamaica, at the height of the Golden Age of Piracy. Pirates such as Sir Francis Drake and Robert Searles who frequented the nation’s oldest city and the Spanish fort, the Castillo de San Marcos, played a major role in the history of pirates and Colonial America.
Ride on The Schooner Freedom
Freedom is a the tallest gaff-rigged topsail schooner, and a highlight to any Saint Augustine vacation. Family owned and operated, love, grit and honor is poured into every crevice of this ship, and it shows in our Captains’ and Crews’ vast knowledge of sailing history and their deep passion for the ocean. If you don’t happen to catch Captain John on a sail, chances are one of his children, Sydney or Jack, are on board as first mate. Come for a sail on board, learn about the unique history of our nation’s Schooners and beautiful Saint Augustine, the nation’s oldest city. Hoist sails and enjoy a drink on the waters, you won’t regret it
Cruise on The Black Raven Treasure Hunt Pirate Adventure Show
Black Raven Adventures hosts the only live and interactive pirate cruises in St. Augustine. The Black Raven was designed and built to be a floating performance stage, and the talented crew of buccaneer lads and lasses engage with the audience as they present their live, unscripted show on all things pirate.
The show starts off when Capt. Hook steals the treasure chest right in front of Black Raven’s crew. Sword fights and cannon fire result, and culminate in a sea battle between the two ships, the Black Raven and the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Along the way, there's plenty of activities for both kids and adults, including treasure sharing, sword fighting lessons, face painting and more.
Visit Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
Venturing through 14 themed galleries, adults and children alike will become immersed in artifacts, incredible art, animal oddities, pop-culture memorabilia, interactive games, and stories of people and places that are incredibly hard to believe, but undeniably true. This is your chance to experience the only place in St. Augustine where you can come face to face with a genuine shrunken head, learn about extraordinary people, and do a double take of animal oddities!
Visit Ximenez-Fatio House Museum
The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum has fascinating stories to tell about a little-known period in Florida history. Each room is meticulously interpreted to bring the past to life in a visual and entertaining way. Best of all, through ongoing research and archaeological discoveries, our story continues to unfold.
Take a Tour!
There are endless ways to tour the Nation’s Oldest City. Take advantage of one of St. Augustine’s many tour options – pub crawls, food tours, ghost hunts, trolley rides, or walking tours. Here are links to some of Trip Advisors highest rates tours:
