Playing “I Spy” at the Lightner Museum in St Augustine, Florida

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One of the surprise hits of our recent trip to St Augustine, Florida was our visit to the Lightner Museum. While there are several museums in St. Augustine, the Lightner Museum has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful museums in the area. We had heard it was beautiful, but we were unsure if it would be family friendly. Secret’s out: it is! (Just keep the toddler crew contained in a stroller when exploring the glass rooms).

The Lightner Museum is housed in the former Alcazar Hotel, which was commissioned by Henry Flagler, a prominent oil and railroad tycoon who is credited with designing and building much of St Augustine. The hotel was completed in 1888 by the same firm who designed the New York Public Library and was open until the early 1930s. The hotel included a three story ballroom, sulfur baths, and the largest indoor pool in the world (at the time). Many of the remains of these parts of the hotel can still be seen in the museum today.

In the mid 1940s, newspaper editor and publisher Otto Lightner, who collected artwork and furniture from around the world, purchased the Alcazar to house his 20,000+ piece collection.  The museum, which opened in 1948, is well known for its Tiffany lamps and panels, porcelain and glass, geological specimens from around the world, and various musical instruments from the 1800s. 

Travel Tips:

  • The museum is open from 9am-5pm seven days a week, but the last ticket sold is at 4pm each day. Information on admission hours and rates here.
  • Information on parking in downtown St Augustine here.
  • The entire museum is handicap accessible via elevators and strollers are allowed.
  • Restrooms are located on each floor of the museum, and there is a beautiful, large gift shop near the entrance.
  • Information on special events and programs here.
  • Cafe Alcazar is open from 11am-3pm for lunch and snacks. Guests can eat on what was once the bottom of the largest private pool in the world.
  • Plan on 60-90 minutes to fully tour the museum.

Playing “I Spy” at the Lightner Museum:

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See if your child can find the following items in the museum:

  1. ROTA, an African lion presented to Winston Churchhill in 1943 as a war mascot.
  2. Dinosaur eggs and the five foot skin of a diamondback rattlesnake.
  3. A favorite chair in the 3rd floor collection (we liked the mid 1800 rocking chair).
  4. The early 1800s cradle (imagine rocking a baby to sleep in there today?!)
  5. A favorite desk that has hidden drawers (some of the desk features in the museum’s collection were used by princes)
  1. The shell, rock, and mineral collection on the first floor.
  2. A Nickelodeon, Violano-Virtuoso, and graphophone in the Victorian Music Room. 
  3. A Lambert typewriter from 1897
  4. The War and Pieces  sculpture featuring thousands of pieces of broken vintage porcelain.
  5. A favorite, original Tiffany stained glass panel in the Illuminate exhibit.

Bonus: Make sure to look down from the second floor to the space that was the Alcazar pool, the largest indoor pool in the world in the late 1880s. Visitors can actually walk onto the space, connected to the Cafe Alcazar.

Looking for other nearby fun in St. Augustine? Check out our posts featuring Alligator Farm, the Fountain of Youth, Castillo de San Marco National Monument, St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, and our full City Guide to St. Augustine. And follow along on our adventures on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Disclosure: Our family was given a media pass by Florida’s Historic Coast to explore the museum; all opinions expressed are my own.

New England based, part high school English teacher, part non profit founder, part road tripper who LOVES hopping in the family SUV to explore America. Our bucket list includes National Parks, MLB stadiums, presidential libraries, and eating wherever the locals eat!

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5 Comments

  1. I’ve been to St. Augustine, but never visited this museum. I’ll have to add it next time I go, it seems like such a fun activity for kids!

    Reply

  2. The museum is so pretty! I love the architecture. St Augustine has been on my wish list for so long, I need to go! Playing I spy is a great way to keep kids involved and engaged.

    Reply

  4. What a fun day trip for families. I can see why this would be an exciting for kids with a little mix of play and learning.

    Reply

  5. I love that you made it into a scavenger hunt! What a great way to explore the exhibits, while also keeping the little’uns entertained. It is such a gorgeous looking collection!

    Reply

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