5 Ways to Travel Through Time in Historic St. Augustine, Florida

As the country’s oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida, is rich with history. Throughout the downtown area, you can stroll along cobblestone streets and discover centuries-old buildings, historical sites and attractions. Here are our five favorite must-see stops in historic St. Augustine to help you travel back in time during your next visit to this scenic port city.

Explore an old fortress

Walk through the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States (and the oldest structure in historic St. Augustine) at Castillo de San Marcos. This large Spanish stone fortress, built between 1672 and 1695, was constructed to protect and guard the coastline against any possible invasion. Today, it’s a National Monument where you can step back in time and wander through interior rooms that were used by soldiers and prisoners. Check out the gun deck and scenic views of the city in the large interior courtyard. Be on the lookout for re-enactors who offer historical weapons demonstrations and tell you about the life and experiences of the people who lived there.

Experience the Victorian era

Located downtown in the former Alcazar Hotel built in 1888, the Lightner Museum’s three public stories contain an extensive and eccentric collection of Victorian-era antiques. Expect to see costumes, furnishings, mechanical musical instruments and other items that will whisk you away to the days of the swanky Alcazar Hotel and its wealthy guests. You will also find beautiful paintings, Victorian art glass and Louis Comfort Tiffany’s stained-glass art throughout the museum. Other surprising items on display at this historic St. Augustine venue include a mummy, shrunken heads, human hair art, cigar labels, buttons and salt and pepper shakers.

Drink from the Fountain of Youth

The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park offers the unique opportunity to drink from a natural spring rumored to be Ponce de Leon’s legendary Fountain of Youth. Photo Credit: FloridasHistoricCoast.com

At the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, learn about the native Timucuans who greeted the first Spanish settlers in the 1500s. This 15-acre, waterfront historical St. Augustine attraction includes an active archaeological dig along with several re-created Spanish and Timucuan buildings and dwellings. Enjoy the views of the water or the watchtower from the 600-foot-long Founders’ Riverwalk. Drink water from the natural spring, which is rumored to have been Ponce de Leon’s legendary Fountain of Youth. The park also features a flock of nearly 30 Indian peafowl roaming the grounds. Be sure to check out the Blacksmith Exhibit, the Timucuan Village and the Navigators’ Planetarium, where you will learn how early explorers used the stars to navigate.

Sample wine and spirits

Discover the art of distilling and sample award-winning whiskey, rum, gin and vodka at St. Augustine Distillery. Photo Credit: FloridasHistoricCoast.com

Go on a free guided tour of the St. Augustine Distillery, which specializes in farm-to-bottle spirits and creates award-winning whiskey, rum, gin and vodka. Discover how the art of distilling spirits has changed over the years through several exhibits that include artifacts about the history of Old Florida. The distillery is housed in historic St. Augustine’s former ice plant, which was built in the early 1900s, so not only will you learn about the history of distilling, but also about the commercial block ice that used to be manufactured here. At the end of the tour, you can taste a small batch of spirits in the tasting room.

Head back to school

Get a glimpse of what life was like for colonial schoolchildren at the Oldest Wooden School House. Photo Credit: FloridasHistoricCoast.com

The Oldest Wooden School House in historic St. Augustine is aptly named since it’s widely considered to be the oldest wooden schoolhouse in the U.S. Built out of red cedar and cypress, and erected with only wooden pegs and handmade nails, the schoolhouse was constructed in the early 1700s while Florida was still under the rule of Imperial Spain. You can tour the building, learn about the daily life of colonial schoolchildren and check out school-related artifacts and copies of the students’ books.

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