What To See & Do

Where to Start With Museums in St. Augustine

St. Augustine wears its 460 years of history well, and nowhere is that more obvious than in its museums. From pirate treasure to Gilded Age opulence, the museums in St. Augustine cover an astonishing amount of ground for a city its size. When guests ask us where to start, we recommend picking two or three, spreading them across your visit, and leaving room for the surprises in between. Some of the best St. Augustine museums sit inside buildings that are attractions in their own right, so even the walk through the front door counts as sightseeing.

The museums in St. Augustine also make a natural starting point for everything else on your list of things to do in St. Augustine. The Lightner puts you steps from the Plaza de la Constitución and some of the best restaurants in St. Augustine, while the Castillo de San Marcos, the most recognizable of all St. Augustine landmarks, borders the bayfront. If you would rather get oriented first, take a trolley tour in St. Augustine or join the best St. Augustine walking tour for stories you will not get from a plaque. Even the quirkier stops sit within a short walk of galleries, shops, and the kind of unique things to do in St. Augustine that make a history getaway here so rewarding.

After a day exploring museums in St. Augustine, you will want to come back to a comfortable place to stay. As a St. Augustine Bed and Breakfast downtown, St. Francis Inn sits in the heart of the historic district, which means most of the museums on this list are a pleasant stroll from our front porch, and the ones that are not are an easy drive.

Museums in St. Augustine

You could spend a full week working through the museums in St. Augustine and still leave things unseen, so consider this list a starting point. These are the six St. Augustine museums our guests mention most at breakfast the next morning, and each one earns its spot for a different reason. Most are within a short walk of downtown, while the sixth is a quick drive across the Bridge of Lions, and together they cover more than four centuries of history.

1. Lightner Museum. If you only make it to one of the museums in St. Augustine, make it this one. The building alone justifies the ticket. It is the former Hotel Alcazar, a Gilded Age resort commissioned by Henry Flagler in 1888, and publisher Otto Lightner filled it with his “collection of collections” after opening the museum in 1948. Inside you will find Tiffany stained glass, American and European paintings, and Victorian-era mechanical musical instruments, plus oddities like antique bicycles with those enormous front wheels. Plan to stay one to two hours.
2. Castillo de San Marcos. The most photographed of all St. Augustine landmarks earns its reputation. The Spanish began building this coquina fortress in 1672, and it is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. British forces attacked it repeatedly and never managed to take the city by force, which tells you something about those walls. Cannon firing demonstrations are frequently scheduled on Fridays through Sundays. There is a small admission fee for everyone but children, who can enter for free, and the fort no longer accepts cash, only credit or debit cards.
3. Villa Zorayda Museum. This is one of the St. Augustine museums that most first-time visitors miss. Boston architect Franklin Smith built this winter home in 1883, replicating architectural details from the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, using a then-novel method of poured concrete and crushed coquina. The self-guided audio tour runs 45 to 60 minutes, and the strangest artifact in the house is the Sacred Cat Rug, believed to be more than 2,400 years old. It sits on King Street a few doors from the Lightner, so do both in one morning.
4. Oldest House Museum. This one requires the least planning of all the museums in St. Augustine, because it sits on St. Francis Street just steps from our front door. The González-Alvarez House dates to around 1723, making it the oldest surviving Spanish colonial residence in Florida, and its coquina walls carry visible traces of the city’s Spanish, British, and American chapters. Admission includes a guided tour of the house, plus the Webb Museum, ornamental gardens, and the unexpected St. Augustine Surf Culture Museum.
5. Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center. Set inside the 1925 Excelsior building, the first public Black high school in St. Johns County, this museum tells a side of the city’s story the colonial attractions barely touch. Exhibits include the original Woolworth’s lunch counter where the St. Augustine Four were arrested in 1963 and the fingerprint card from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1964 arrest here. The museum sits in Lincolnville, a neighborhood founded in 1866 by formerly enslaved people, a 10- to 15-minute walk from our front door.
6. St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. A short drive over the Bridge of Lions puts you on Anastasia Island, where the 1874 lighthouse, one of the most iconic St. Augustine landmarks, stands as the town’s oldest surviving brick structure. Climb the 219 steps for the best view in the city, water on one side, the old town skyline on the other. Admission covers the Keepers’ House and the Maritime Archaeology Center. Children must be at least 44 inches tall to climb the tower.

Stay at a St. Augustine Bed and Breakfast Downtown

A day of wandering museums in St. Augustine is better with the right home base for your history getaway. St. Francis Inn sits at the quiet end of the historic district, which means most museums in St. Augustine are an easy walk from our front door. Guests receive complimentary admission to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, discounted admission to the Oldest House Museum just steps down our street, and free passes to the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center.

Fuel up first at our breakfast buffet, served daily with two hot homemade entrees that change every morning, then head out to explore. Come back for our daily social hour with local wines, take a swim in the pool, then claim your boxed homemade dessert. Our rooms and suites carry the same sense of history you explored that day, many with fireplaces or jetted tubs, and each stocked with plush robes, fresh flowers, and a decanter of sherry.

Book Your History Getaway Today

As a St. Augustine Bed and Breakfast downtown, St. Francis Inn has spent more than two centuries perfecting the art of the welcome. Book your stay and start exploring the museums in St. Augustine today.

Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best museums in St. Augustine?
The Lightner Museum, Castillo de San Marcos, Villa Zorayda Museum, Oldest House Museum, Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, and the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum are among the top museums in St. Augustine.

When was Castillo de San Marcos built?
The Spanish began building Castillo de San Marcos in 1672, making it the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States.

How tall is the St. Augustine Lighthouse?
Visitors climb 219 steps to reach the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks and its oldest surviving brick structure, built in 1874.

Where should you stay for a St. Augustine history getaway?
Downtown St. Augustine’s historic district makes the most convenient base, with St. Francis Inn placing guests within walking distance of most of the city’s top museums and landmarks.

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