Historic Sites & Attractions in St. Augustine

The oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S., built by the Spanish between 1672 and 1695 in downtown St. Augustine. Visitors can tour the fort, watch cannon-firing demonstrations, and explore over 450 years of history.

An 18th-century Spanish watchtower on Rattlesnake Island, south of St. Augustine, built in 1742 to guard the Matanzas Inlet. The National Park Service runs a free daily ferry to the fort through a boardwalk trail across barrier island habitat.

A working 1870s lighthouse on Anastasia Island with a climbable tower and museum exhibits on the city's maritime history. It's run as a nonprofit and offers sweeping coastline views for those willing to climb the stairs.

A museum of Gilded Age art and artifacts housed in Henry Flagler's former Alcazar Hotel, built in 1888 in downtown St. Augustine. Its eclectic collection spans Tiffany glass, Victorian mechanical instruments, and natural history specimens across three floors.

A former luxury hotel built by Henry Flagler in 1888, now an active college in downtown St. Augustine known for its Spanish Renaissance architecture and Tiffany stained glass. Daily guided tours let visitors see the murals and rotunda that once welcomed the resort's wealthiest guests.

A long-running zoological park in St. Augustine that's home to alligators, crocodiles, and one of the largest wading bird rookeries in Florida. It's one of the area's most established family attractions, drawing visitors well beyond the golf crowd.

A living-history village in downtown St. Augustine depicting Spanish colonial life in the 1740s, with musket drills, blacksmithing demonstrations, and a 17th-century watchtower to climb. It also hosts nightly live music in its open-air amphitheater.

A 15-acre waterfront park marking the believed 1513 landing site of Ponce de León, Florida's oldest attraction. Visitors can explore a reconstructed Timucua village, a 35-foot watchtower, and drink from the legendary spring itself.

A museum across from Castillo de San Marcos holding one of the largest collections of authentic pirate artifacts in the world, including a real 17th-century treasure chest. It's an interactive, family-friendly stop that ties directly into St. Augustine's colonial-era history.