ST AUGUSTINE, FL THINGS TO DO

Brief History
In 1798, Don Andres Ximenez built this fine three-story home and warehouse of coquina for he and his bride, Juana Pellicer Ximenez. Juanas father, Francisco Pellicer led the Menorcan exodus of 1777 out of New Smyrna, from their illegal bondage by Dr. Andrew Turnbull. Pellicer brought approximately 600 people to St. Augustine at the invitation of British governor Colonel Patrick Tonyn. Francisco Pellicer was also a master carpenter and may well have been involved in the construction of this home. In his original site plan, Ximenez included a grocery story and storage room, tavern, and billiard hall on the first floor, family bedrooms and living area on the second floor, and servants/enslaved persons living areas on the third floor. There were also two large warehouses that butted up to each other – what we now know as the first floor guest rooms – along with a detached kitchen and washroom.

Juana Ximenez died in 1802, at the age of 26. Andres followed in 1806. He was 53. The Ximenez family passed the property among them until 1825, when Mrs. Margaret Cook and her husband were given the opportunity to purchase an interest in 1/3rd of the house. She bought another 1/3rd interest in 1827, after her husband passed away. By 1830, Mrs. Cook owned the whole compound. She converted the home into a boarding house by turning the tavern into a lobby, the billiard hall into a fine dining room, and the two warehouses into four guest rooms. The grocery store and storeroom remained intact since it was such a profitable business. Mrs. Cook hired Eliza Whitehurst, a single lady, to manage her new boarding house. In June 1838, Mrs. Whitehurst died, most likely due to a Yellow Fever epidemic ravaging St. Augustine.

In July, Sarah Petty Anderson, also a single woman, purchased the boarding house from Mrs. Cook. In 1852, Louisa Fatio, the last of this impressive line of single women to either own or manage the property, became the manager of Miss Andersons boarding house.

In 1855, Miss Anderson sold the property to Louisa and moved to Tallahassee. Miss Fatio owned the property and kept it afloat during times of slavery, secession from the Union, re-occupation by Union troops in 1862, and Reconstruction. She died in 1875, having maintained the integrity, reputation, and prominence of this boarding house through a time when the term boarding house often had a very negative connotation.

The house spent the next several decades as an artists retreat until it fell into disrepair by the 1930s – yet the downstairs/grocery store and storeroom always housed some form of retail business.

In 1939, The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Florida purchased the property, and in the process of refurbishing the home, presented it for the first time to the public on May 6, 1940, as an example of historic home restoration. Please visit this amazing property at your first convenience. In the meantime, we have built this extensive website for you to virtually step onto our property, play our games, hear our stories, and read of our history.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

Villa Zorayda is a house at 83 King Street in St. Augustine, Florida. Built in 1883 by the eccentric Boston millionaire Franklin W. Smith as his winter home, it was inspired by the 12th-century Moorish Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain.

Closed on Easter Sunday, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Guided audio tour is included.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

Listed in the National Registry of Historic Places, The Old Jail is a must-visit when in St. Augustine! Built to look like a hotel in the Romanesque Revival style and painted in an unassuming color, visitors will find that the Old Jail has been renovated to give tourists a glimpse into the daily lives of St. Augustines most notorious prisoners living under the penal system of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Costumed actors tell tales of the jail and its occupants, and even book you as an inmate! Additionally, the Old Jail has a large collection of weapons and artifacts for you to inspect up close and is one of just a few prisons of its kind still standing that makes for a great day of sightseeing on a historical adventure. It would be a crime if you did not stop by for a visit!

In 1878, oil magnate and industrialist, Henry Flagler, left the familiar confines of his tony and privileged life in New York City and traveled south to Jacksonville, Florida with his ailing wife. On strict doctors orders, they were advised to escape the intemperate winter of Manhattan so his wife, Mary Flagler, could potentially recover from tuberculosis. She would not survive the trip. Shortly thereafter, Henry Flagler would re-marry and make his way to the Ancient City, St. Augustine, Florida. Finding the area charming and brimming with possibilities but sorely lacking in accommodations, the businessman hit the ground running and began to make sizable real estate investments, one of which was the Hotel Ponce de Leon.

In 1891, Henry Flagler contracted the company that would eventually build Alcatraz to construct a jail just north of downtown on San Marco Ave. So as not to create an eyesore that would strike fear in the hearts of the general public and to avoid discouraging his fat cat friends from investing in the city, he decided to disguise it.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

A combination of historical displays and private collections bring over 400 years of Florida history to life. The museum features displays of the various countries that ruled over St. Augustine: England, Spain, and France.

• Your St. Augustine History Museum Includes: Visit our Spanish sunken treasure room
• Explore how St. Augustine and Florida grew under the Spanish
• Hear fascinating stories about the Indians, the Spanish Galleons and the Pirates of the Revolutionary War
• More than 400 years of history is on display
• Masks are strongly recommended inside except for vaccinated guests

Henry Flagler was a powerhouse and catalyst for change in the real estate and transportation industries. His contributions to Florida are documented and displayed throughout the St. Augustine History Museum. As you tour through, you will also see authentic artifacts, unpublished photographs and learn about the evolution of St. Augustine and Florida under Spanish and British rule. More than 400 years of history is on display including toys and dolls from the early 19th and 20th centuries, a replica of a Spanish galleon and real gold, silver and jewelry found in lost treasures off the Florida coast. Housed on the Old Jail, the museum offers another level of insight into Floridas past.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

At the aquarium you will be led by a guided tour with a Marine Biologists that will explain some of the exciting creatures that are native to our waterways. See sharks, stingrays many different species of fish, touch starfish, sea urchins, horseshoe crabs and more!

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

Learn about the amazing history of Spanish Colonial Medicine. Find out why the Spanish were 400 years ahead of their time.

Guided Tours:
Our fully guided presentation will take you back to the colonial Spanish days of medicine with both surgical and apothecary demonstration. Your journey to the past begins as our skilled surgeon performs surgical demonstrations. Watch as our Apothecary creates medicines and discover how colonial herbs were the origins of some of the most popular medicines today.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

The first wax museum in America, Potters has been delighting guests since 1949. Inspired by his visit to a wax museum in London when he was a boy, George Potter dreamed of creating his own world of wax in the United States. Today, this Wax Museum is home to more than 160 different wax figures – each an authentic life-sized recreation of the men and women they represent. Artists and craftsmen spent a great deal of time researching the process in the British museum before creating these incredibly life-like figures. Founder George Potter described his meticulous process:

Each part of the figure is custom-tailored, using real hair that is grown by women in Italy and placed onto the figure a single strand at a time. The eyes are made in Germany and the hands are sculpted in Belgium with wax imported from France. Even the costumes were designed by one of the greatest in the industry-costumers to the Court of Saint James.

The museums collection includes people who have played an important part in history: Celebrities, sports figures, people in the news and many modern-day figures. Stand next to Tiger Woods, Captain Jack Sparrow, Elvis and Harry Potter. Take your picture with Angelina Jolie, Michael Jordan and Brittany Spears. See Princess Diana, Ponce de Leon and many of Potters original figures.

The Wax Museum offers an entertaining time for adults and children of all ages. Groups and school field trips are welcomed. Bring your camera, as the figures make for a great photo opportunity!

Admission Includes:

• See more than 160 different wax figures
• The collection includes people who have played an important part in history
• An entertaining time for adults and children of all ages

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

Visit us for a fascinating, informative, entertaining tour of Ponce de Leons Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, the original site of the Nations oldest city. 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.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

The St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum offers an exciting and educational museum experience that transports you and your family back in time over 300 years to Port Royal, Jamaica, at the height of the Golden Age of Piracy. The museum spans about 5,000 sq. ft. with a 1,300 sq. ft. courtyard. After a successful 5-year run in Key West, Pat Croce moved the Pirate and Treasure Museum to another pirate stronghold: St. Augustine, Florida. Pirates such as Sir Francis Drake and Robert Searles who frequented the nations oldest city and the Spanish fort, the Castillo de San Marcos, played a major role in the history of pirates and Colonial America.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

The Oldest Wooden School House Historic Museum & Gardens welcomes visitors to the unique Minorcan homestead of Juan Genopoly, established in the late 1700s. Preservation, conservation, interpretation, and education are the cornerstones of this rich historic treasure. The Attraction The Old School offers the opportunity for people of all ages to see an ORIGINAL American Treasure. The Genopoly House has been preserved to reflect the homestead life of the Minorcan Settlers as well as school life in the 1800s. We are proud to provide recreational and educational entertainment for visiting families and students. The self-guided experience begins as the Professor comes to life and welcomes you! All visitors receive a diploma after exploring the Old School, kitchen and gardens! Tour reservations are encouraged for groups of 10 or more. 192

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

Local actors and storytellers make this tour with the items and inventions from the turn-of-the-century come to life! By providing history and humor all rolled into one delightful experience, guests will be captivated to learn more about turn-of-the-century life within the ancient city. 171

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

The Oldest House Museum Complex is owned and operated by the St. Augustine Historical Society. Admission to the Oldest House Museum Complex includes a guided tour of Floridas Oldest House, a detailed history museum, ornamental gardens, a rotating exhibit gallery, surf museum, Marineland history exhibit and the museum store.

The Oldest House is open from daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tours run every half hour.

St. Augustine Surf Culture Museum
Located in the bottom floor of the Tovar House, the St. Augustine Surf Culture Museum tells the story of the surf community of St. Augustine, tracing the legacy of wave riding in the early twentieth century to the contemporary moment. This interactive museum interprets over seventy local oral histories, hundreds of historical images, hours of surf film, artifacts, memorabilia, articles, and historic surf boards.

Marineland’s Marine Studios Exhibit
The top floor of the Tovar House is home to Marineland’s Marine Studios exhibit which takes a look at the rich history of modern day Marineland and highlights some of the firsts of the world of marine science, film making, tourism, architecture, and animal training.</br
People and Places of St. Augustine
The second floor of the Tovar House is home to this temporary art exhibit which includes locally produced folk-art to internationally known artists. The collection reflects the personages and environment of St. Augustine. Throughout the year, other temporary exhibits may be featured.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

The rich history of the Black experience in St. Augustine, Florida is also the history of the Black experience in America. In 1866, free men and women birthed Lincolnville: a community that found itself at the crossroads of history. Through exhibits and stories told from a local, intimate perspective, the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center chronicles 450 years of the winding road that is the black journey. Come and experience the journey for yourself.

Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center is an African American history museum located at 102 Martin Luther King Avenue in St. Augustine, Florida. It is located in the former Excelsior School, St. Augustine’s first black public high school.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

Stogies Cigar Shop offers over 150 premium cigars from around the world. They also offer a large selection of Pipes and Pipe tobacco, domestic, craft beers, and smoking accessories. Enjoy the beautiful courtyard just outside the shop in the middle of historic downtown St. Augustine.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

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 is 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.

• Learn about Blacksmithing: This hourly demonstration explores how the colonial Blacksmith worked hard at the forge. He reworked old metal into tools, cooking utensils, strap hinges and nails.
• Live Musket Demonstration: Join our tour as you lock and load your 17th century replica musket. The talented tour guides demonstrates musket drills, repairs, shows how to maintain the garrison’s guns, weapons and how to test and inspect firearms. Watch as they do a full musket demonstration.
• Climb the Watchtower: Climb 35-feet to the top of the interpretation of a Spanish watchtower from the past for a birds-eye view of the Castillo de San Marcos and St. Augustine bayfront. Pinpoint the historic city’s landmarks and imagine what Spanish soldiers looking out would have seen and felt.
• Walk Through History: Stroll the Flags Over St. Augustine boardwalk through the centuries beneath the very flags that have flown over this ancient city for over 450 years.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.

The Classic Car Museum is a 30,000 sq ft special events space, museum and classic car storage facility located just outside of historic St. Augustine, FL. The versatility that each space offers is endless. Our venue is perfect for any type of event. From a classic car back drop to an outdoor manicured lawn and pond, to an upscale banquet room, these spaces offer something new, something memorable and something within your reach.

Featured Attractions:

• Number of Featured allowed is determined by pass duration purchased more info
• Reservations are typically required for Featured Attractions.
• You can make reservations  in advance of arriving which are easily made from within the Mobile Pass you’ll receive after purchase.
• View tour availability before purchasing TourPass

Standard Attractions:

• No reservation is required, just show up and present your Mobile Pass for entry.
• Visit as many as you wish 1x.

Transportation to attractions is not provided. In the Historic District you can use the Trolley.