Things to do in St. Augustine, Florida (FL): The Best Specialty Museums

February 3, 2022 Janette Largent

Saint Augustine is a luxurious, romantic vacation spot—you’ll find classic hotels and intimate restaurants. Those can be a dime a dozen, though. What sets Saint Augustine apart is its history—it’s the oldest European settlement in the U.S. And nowhere else in the world can you taste the waters of the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park (where Ponce de Leon may have landed). Who knows, if you vacation here, maybe you won’t need that Botox!
Restaurants in St. Augustine

1. The Ximenez-Fatio House

20 Aviles St, St. Augustine, FL 32084 +1 904-342-8887 [email protected] http://www.ximenezfatiohouse.org/
Excellent
82%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 556 reviews

The Ximenez-Fatio House

Dating to the Spanish town plan of 1573, the property is a centerpiece of St. Augustine’s oldest settlement and is a feature along the city’s first platted thoroughfare, Aviles Street.“The Ximenez~Fatio House museum is one of the first to interpret 19th century women’s history”William Seale, Ph.D.; author, historian, and consultant for interpretation since the 1970’s.

Reviewed By anthonypF7274UE

Shelby was a great tour guide as she led my husband and I into all the rooms of the house, explaining with great detail the events and occurrences that have happened there. She provided back story on the material used to build the house, to the beautiful dishes laid out in the dining room, to the delicate artifacts found in the upstairs bedroom. If you love history you will appreciate this tour as you see first hand how life was for the folk who lived and stayed in the historic Victorian home. A must see!

2. Classic Car Museum Of St. Augustine

4730 Dixie Highway, St. Augustine, FL 32086 +1 904-806-4610 [email protected] http://www.ccmstaug.com
Excellent
98%
Good
2%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 56 reviews

Classic Car Museum Of St. Augustine

Classic Car Museum of St Augustine was created to help bring memories back to life as only Classic Cars can do. Founded on the principles of sharing, charitable giving, community involvement, education, and a whole lot of fun. The Classic Car Museum is a 30,000 sq ft special events space, museum and classic car storage facility located in the Nation’s Oldest City, St. Augustine, FL.

Reviewed By bsedler99

This Car Museum is just that with a Great collection of Specialty Classic Cars, Roadsters, Muscle Cars, Motorcycles, Horesless Carraige, Memorabilia and much more. My favorites were a Split Window 63 Corvette, an Unrestored 1 of 500 Dodge Daytona, and if you have not seen the latest Corvette up close there's a 2020 Red C8 with deleted High Wing option on display. I met Sidney the Owner while I was there, Super nice guy, very approachable and a kind of business owner you would want to stand behind and support. Go see for yourself that this is truly a Car Lovers Destination and a wonderful place to take the family or hold Business Events.

3. Lightner Museum

75 King St, St. Augustine, FL 32084-4386 +1 904-824-2874 [email protected] http://lightnermuseum.org
Excellent
60%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,836 reviews

Lightner Museum

Located in the heart of downtown St. Augustine, Lightner Museum occupies the historic Alcazar Hotel, a Gilded Age resort hotel built in 1888 by railroad magnate Henry Flagler. Founded in 1948, the Museum is home to one of the premier collections of 19th-and early 20th-century fine and decorative art in the country. Furnishings, paintings, leaded glass windows, cut and blown glass, and natural history specimens from the Otto Lightner Collection are exhibited against the backdrop of the magnificent Alcazar Hotel. Visitors to the Museum are invited to participate in an immersive experience of art, architecture, and design from America’s Gilded Age. We are open every day except for Christmas Eve (close at 1PM), Christmas day, and New Year's Day. Our hours are from 9AM-5PM with last entry precisely at 4PM.

Reviewed By lray56 - Cocoa, United States

I often visit St Augustine but had not toured the Lightner in years. It is in the old Ponce de Leon Hotel, a beautiful late 19th century era building. (even if you don't tour the museum it is worth a stop just to walk around the property) My friend and I like old ceramics, crystal, etc and this museum has lots of that on display, as well as a wonderful collection of antique musical instruments, and so much more. There are a couple of excellent antique shops on the property, and a good restaurant too. We thought this would be a "wuick stop" but we ended up staying more than two hours. I DO think this museum is better suited for adults more than for children, so do keep that in mind.

4. The 1910 Mary Peck House

Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Excellent
50%
Good
50%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2 reviews

The 1910 Mary Peck House

5. World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum

1 World Golf Pl, St. Augustine, FL 32092-2724 +1 904-940-4000 [email protected] http://www.worldgolfhalloffame.org/museum/location-hours-pricing/
Excellent
63%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 877 reviews

World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum

The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum provides an extensive look at the game of golf through stories, artifacts, videos, art and photography of its members within 75,000 square foot exhibition space. Guests have the opportunity to enhance their visit with an audio tour guide that tells "behind the scenes" stories from Hall of Fame members themselves. Admission includes two-day access to the museum and a shot on the Challenge Hole. It is open daily, observes holiday hours on New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve and is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Reviewed By Bmrgal - Palm Coast, United States

Even if you are not "into" golf" this place if worht a visit. The Bob Hope exhibit is greast! Eating at Caddy Shack is a must!!!

6. St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum

12 S Castillo Dr, St. Augustine, FL 32084-3650 +1 877-467-5863 [email protected] http://www.thepiratemuseum.com/
Excellent
66%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 3,210 reviews

St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum

Relive the Golden Age of Piracy at Pat Croce's St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum! The world's largest collection of authentic pirate artifacts; fun, interactive exhibits, including the award-winning Book of Pirates and the spine-tingling Disney Imagineer-designed Below Deck sound experience of Blackbeard’s last battle; the world’s only pirate treasure chest; one of only three existing 17th century Jolly Rogers; and rarely-seen shipwreck treasures from the Florida Division of Historical Resources.

Reviewed By trulov86

We thought the Pirate Museum would be a kitschy lark - but it proved to be a real treasure for kids and adults alike! Expertly staged with life sized Disney animatronics as well as first rate interactive exhibits, this multi media extravaganza is a feast for the eyes. The entire ship is recreated, from gun deck ( where you can fire a cannon) to the captains quarters and filled with actual treasure chests and pirate artifacts —- all at your finger tips. See what life was like in Port Royal and other Pirate ports of call. If you’re a fan of Black Sails or Outlander - or just love a great adventure- then this is a surprisingly great, “must see” in St Augustine! Note - it’s well worth the price of admission- but don’t forget to take advantage of the discount coupons in all of the brochures - as well as a discount for you seniors.

7. Villa Zorayda Museum

83 King St, St. Augustine, FL 32084-4382 +1 904-829-9887 [email protected] http://www.villazorayda.com
Excellent
53%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
5%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 448 reviews

Villa Zorayda Museum

Take a step back in time as you enter this Grand Gilded Age home, built by Franklin W. Smith in 1883. Franklin Smith, an eclectic world traveler, was originally from Boston, and he built the Villa Zorayda as his winter home in St. Augustine, FL. Smith was the innovator of poured concrete and crushed coquina construction that is seen throughout St. Augustine today. On the "National Register of Historic Places", the Villa Zorayda is a 1/10th scale reproduction of a portion of the Moorish Castle, the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. View the elegant traceries on the walls made of alabaster and plaster which were made in Spain using the same molds that the Moors used for the walls of the Alhambra Palace! In addition to the magnificent architecture of the building is the original art and antique collection: hand pierced brass lamps, hand carved and exquisite inlaid furniture, an Egyptian rug over 2400 years old, and much more! You will also see beautiful hand painted Spanish & Egyptian tiles, Moorish horseshoe arches, and the beautiful architectural details from the Alhambra Palace. Learn the 133 year history of the Villa Zorayda as you take a state-of-the-art audio guided tour, which run continuously throughout the day. The audio guided tour is available in English, Spanish and French. Free parking while visiting the Museum.

Reviewed By CollegeProf_9 - West Des Moines, United States

The Villa Zorayda Museum (a small, scaled replica of the Alhambra Palace in Spain) is filled with fascinating artifacts from a bygone era. The audio tour (part of the admission price) is quite well-done, and you'll glean many unique tidbits of information to spark the imagination. While not a good choice for families with youngsters (so many tempting "do not touch" signs), anyone who is interested in another aspect of St. Augustine's history would enjoy this tour. Recommend!

8. Father Miguel O'Reilly House Museum

32 Aviles St, St. Augustine, FL 32084-4445 +1 904-826-0750 http://www.oreillyhouse.org
Excellent
71%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 49 reviews

Father Miguel O'Reilly House Museum

Reviewed By hiker82 - Montreal, Canada

Walking by it without going in for years! Today I had time, and my 29 yo daughter and me décided to go in! What a nice place. We have been guided by a nice gentleman. For sûre this was not a busy day so we got plenty of time to visit, no pressure by people. This is actually a very nice muséum and free! I gave a donation to help them continue but there was no pressure asking for it at all.

9. St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

41 Saint George St, St. Augustine, FL 32084-3607 +1 904-829-8205 http://www.stphotios.com
Excellent
70%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 434 reviews

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

Reviewed By 195kittyg - Douglas, United States

These was such a beautiful part of the old city. I loved learning the history. The paintings on the walls were so beautiful. The shrine itself was breathtaking. We went in and lite a candle and enjoyed the calming environment. It was just so relaxing, just wonderful. The history was very interesting and we took lots of photos.

10. Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center

102 M L King Ave, Saint Augustine Beach, St. Augustine, FL 32084-4802 +1 904-824-1191 [email protected] http://www.lincolnvillemuseum.org/
Excellent
40%
Good
50%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 10 reviews

Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center

The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center preserves, promotes and perpetuates over 450 years of the African American story in North East Florida through the arts, educational programs, lectures, live performances and exhibits. Visitors can browse the rich cultural heritage of the Lincolnville community and learn about the early settlers of the neighborhood, historic churches, the neighborhood's Civil Rights history and much more. Explore the collections from archaeological findings to instruments played by jazz greats like Ray Charles. You'll soon discover that the road to black history runs through Lincolnville!

Reviewed By scottt2851

This museum is a gem! I really had no idea of the impact and the hard fought battles this area had on the civil rights movement. The staff have much knowledge about the history of the area and willing to share their expertise. Be sure to walk the neighborhood and view the churches and places where so much history took place. No tour of history is complete in this area without it.

ThingsTodoPost © 2018 - 2024 All rights reserved.