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Fort Matanzas National Monument 8635 A1A S., St. Augustine, FL 32080 904-471-0116 www. nps. gov / foma On this site in 1565, the Spanish killed 245 French Huguenots in a struggle over control of Florida. In 1740, the Spanish built Fort Matanzas here, a small fortified watchtower that guarded the southern entrance to St. Augustine. The site offers nature trails and a free ferry to the fort.
Fort Mose Historic State Park 15 Fort Mose Trl., off U. S. 1 N., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-823-2232 www. floridastateparks. org / park / fort-mose The first free African settlement in North America. Although nothing remains of the fort, the site and visitor center memorialize the enslaved people who fled the American colonies to find freedom in Spanish Florida.
Governor’ s House Cultural Center & Museum 48 King St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-823-2212 www. staugustine. ufl. edu / visit. html Governor’ s House Cultural Center & Museum has hosted many visitors as the residence site for governors of both Spain and Britain during the colonial centuries; the Florida capital and a courthouse during the territorial decades; and a post office and customshouse for more than a hundred years after statehood. Open to the public daily.
Historic Tours of Flagler College 74 King St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-823-3378 https:// legacy. flagler. edu / pages / tours Historic Tours of Flagler College highlight the architectural heritage of the former Hotel Ponce de León, listed as a National Historic Landmark. Built by railroad magnate Henry M. Flagler in 1888, the Ponce is considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture and was one of the most exclusive resorts of its day. Guided tours daily; please check the website for cancellations.
Lightner Museum 75 King St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-824-2874 www. lightnermuseum. org Formerly the Hotel Alcazar built by Henry Flagler in 1888, today the Lightner Museum offers an immersive experience of art, architecture, history and design.
Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center 102 Martin Luther King Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-824-1191 www. lincolnvillemuseum. org Immerse yourself in more than 460 years of history at the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center. Located in the heart of the Lincolnville Historic District, which was settled by freedmen in the wake of the Civil War, the LMCC explores St. Augustine’ s Black history stretching from the empires of West Africa to the 20th century. Step into the past and uncover the contributions of the Black community that shaped our local and national history, from the free and enslaved men and women of the Spanish Colonial period to the courageous activists of the Civil Rights era.
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Oldest House Museum Complex & Gardens 14 St. Francis St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-824-2872 www. staughs. com Visit St. Augustine’ s authentic history! Admission to the Oldest House Museum Complex includes a guided tour of Florida’ s oldest house, access to the Webb Museum( the oldest purpose-built museum in the state of Florida), sprawling ornamental gardens, a rotating exhibit gallery, Surf Culture Museum, a historic map gallery and the museum store.
The Oldest Wooden School House Historic Museum & Gardens 14 St. George St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-824-0192 or 800-653-7245 www. oldestwoodenschoolhouse. com Let your first lesson in history start here. Sit with the schoolmaster and pupils to see what school life was like in the 1700s. Compare your school days to those of the old days. The schoolhouse is more than 200 years old and made of red cedar and cypress.
Peña-Peck House 143 St. George St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-829-5064 www. penapeckhouse. com The Peña-Peck House, built circa 1750, has been called home by Spanish, British and American families. This beautiful, historic home is managed by the Woman’ s Exchange, which offers interesting tours and an artisan gift shop with handcrafted items and specialty gifts. Founded in St. Augustine in 1892, the Woman’ s Exchange is a non-profit group of volunteers whose mission is“ Women Helping Women.” Welcome to their Gift Shop and Museum, open weekly from Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 4:30 p. m. with tours ending at 4 p. m. Come see where“ history happens”!
Ponce de Leon’ s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park 11 Magnolia Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-829-3168 www. fountainofyouthflorida. com See where it all began at the 1565 birthplace of St. Augustine and European America. Drink from their legendary fountain, watch a star show in the planetarium, see how the explorers traveled the New World at their Discovery Globe and be amazed by their cannon firings and other living history interpretations.
Spanish Military Hospital Museum 3 Aviles St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-342-7730 www. smhmuseum. com Take a journey back in time! The Spanish Military Hospital offers a fully guided interpretive experience of 18th-century colonial medicine. Learn about the history and medical practices of the hospital when it was in operation during the second Spanish period( 1784— 1821) with surgical and apothecary demonstrations. Learn how the Spanish were 400 years ahead of their time with astonishing survival rates of 70 %. Visit their website to book your scheduled tour time and get to know the staff before your visit.
HISTORICAL SITES & MUSEUMS
St. Augustine History Museum 167 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine FL 32084 904-829-3800 www. trolleytours. com / st-augustine / history-museum-stop This intriguing mix of historical displays and private collections brings more than 400 years of Florida history to life. Guests can visit the Spanish sunkentreasure room and touch real Spanish silver, learn all about the early Timucuan Indians, visit a Florida Cracker trading post and marvel at the genius of Henry Flagler— oil baron, railroad magnate and father of Florida tourism.
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum 100 Red Cox Dr., St. Augustine, FL 32080 904-829-0745 www. staugustinelighthouse. org Discover maritime history at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. Climb 219 steps to the top of the tower for breathtaking views of St. Augustine and the Atlantic Ocean. Explore the Keepers’ House, maritime archaeology labs, WWII exhibit, boatbuilding, beautiful maritime hammock trails and more! This non-profit museum will be the highlight of your time in St. Augustine!
Villa Zorayda Museum 83 King St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-829-9887 www. villazorayda. com In 1883, Franklin Smith built his Gilded Age residence utilizing architectural details from the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, to bring a part of Spain to Spanish St. Augustine. Now a museum, it features the original art and antique collections from around the world, as well as a 142-year history.
Ximenez-Fatio House Museum 20 Aviles St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-829-3575 www. ximenezfatiohouse. org In 1798, Andres Ximenez built this fine three-story home for himself and his bride, Juana Pellicer. By 1830 the home was a fashionable boardinghouse for wealthy Northerners. By the time of Louisa Fatio’ s death in 1875, the house was famous for its lodging, fine food and the women who owned it. After falling into disrepair, the house was purchased in 1939 by the NSCDA-FL and opened as a museum in 1946. The NSCDA-FL continues to operate the museum. Take a step back in time to the beginnings of luxury 19th-century Florida tourism of which St. Augustine was the epicenter.