The Best Things to Do in St. Augustine, From a Local

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In this guide

• Things to do in St. Augustine at a glance
• Castillo de San Marcos
• St. George Street and the Plaza
• Flagler College
• Lightner Museum
• St. Augustine Lighthouse
• Let the trolley do the walking
• Take a ghost tour
• With kids: the Alligator Farm
• The Fountain of Youth
• A free one: St. Augustine Distillery
• More free things to do
• Get out of downtown
• Before you go

Most people come to St. Augustine for a weekend and try to see everything. You can’t, and you don’t need to. The best of it is packed into a few walkable blocks downtown, plus a couple of easy drives across the bridge.

Here’s what I’d actually do, what it costs and how much time to give it, starting with the places I’d send a friend first.

Things to do in St. Augustine at a glance

Prices were checked in November 2026 and can change, so confirm before you go.

Castillo de San Marcos

If you only do one paid thing, make it the fort. It’s the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S., and walking the gun deck with the bay in front of you is the best way to understand why this city exists.

I grew up going to the Castillo on field trips, and honestly, it’s far from a locals’ spot. It draws a lot of tourists. But St. Augustine runs on tourism because the history here is incredible, and the fort is the heart of it. I still take my kids to “the fort,” as they call it, once or twice a year.

We also go to the Easter sunrise Mass on the front lawn, and it’s breathtaking: the sun coming up over the bay, with the sailboats and moored boats out in front of you.

Admission is $15 for ages 16 and up, and kids 15 and under get in free with an adult. Your ticket is good for seven days, and they only take cards. It’s also free for everyone on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

Time it for a cannon firing if you can. Over the next few months they’re scheduled on Nov. 8 and 22, Dec. 13 and 27, and Jan. 10 and 24, at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Weather can cancel them, so check the park’s schedule before you go.

St. George Street and the Plaza

This is the pedestrian street through the oldest part of town, lined with shops, old houses and places to eat. It’s free to wander, and it’s busiest midday on weekends. Go early or late if you want room to breathe.

At the south end is the Plaza de la Constitución, the old town square, with the Cathedral Basilica on one side and the Bridge of Lions just past it. From here, everything downtown is a short walk.

Flagler College

I’m a proud graduate of Flagler College. I earned a degree in graphic design, played baseball and worked my way through school at Mango Mango’s on St. Augustine Beach with my then-future wife. Back then, you’d walk to class past students sunbathing on the lawn, swimming in the pool or playing beach volleyball. So maybe I’m biased, but I think it’s the most beautiful campus in the country.

It started out as the Hotel Ponce de Leon, a resort for the wealthy built by Henry Flagler, the railroad man whose trains opened up Florida’s east coast. You can walk up and look at the outside for free, but the guided tour is the only way to see the rotunda and dining hall.

Historic Tours of Flagler College run daily and take about 45 minutes to an hour, leaving from the rotunda at 74 King St. Check their site for times and prices.

Lightner Museum

Right across King Street, the Lightner is in Flagler’s old Hotel Alcazar, and the building is half the reason to go. It’s a good pick for a rainy afternoon.

Admission is $20 for adults and $13 for ages 12 to 17, and kids 11 and under are free. It’s open daily from 9 to 5, with last admission at 4. You can buy an adult ticket ahead on GetYourGuide, or at the door.

St. Augustine Lighthouse

The lighthouse was another field trip for me as a kid. We learned about its history and saw shipwreck artifacts in the maritime museum. My brother even won a drawing contest when we were kids, and they printed his lighthouse drawing on T-shirts!

My grandmother used to take us there to get out and play and climb the beautiful southern live oak draped in Spanish moss. Those are memories I’ll never forget.

Across the Bridge of Lions on Anastasia Island, the lighthouse is 219 steps up a spiral staircase, and the view from the top takes in the whole city and the ocean. Climbers need to be at least 44 inches tall, and parking is free.

In the cooler months it’s open from 9 to 6, with the last ticket sold at 5:30. Check the site for current prices.

Let the trolley do the walking

If you’ve got kids, older parents or sore feet, the Old Town Trolley is the easiest way to see the city. It’s a hop-on, hop-off loop with about 22 stops and live narration, and the full loop takes around 90 minutes if you never get off.

If you want to add a few museums, there’s also an attractions pass that bundles the trolley with the Old Jail, the Oldest Store Museum and the History Museum.

Take a ghost tour

St. Augustine is supposed to be one of the most haunted towns in America, and whether you buy it or not, a ghost tour is a fun way to see the old streets after dark. Most are walking tours of about 90 minutes.

If you’d rather ride, Ghosts and Gravestones is a haunted trolley tour of about an hour. It’s not recommended for kids under 13.

With kids: the Alligator Farm

The Alligator Farm on Anastasia Island has been around since the 1890s, and it’s a real zoo, not just gators. Admission is $36.99 for ages 12 and up and $21.99 for ages 3 to 11, plus tax. It’s open every day of the year.

It pairs well with the lighthouse, which is just down the road, if you want to make an island morning of it.

The Fountain of Youth

It’s part archaeological park, part classic Florida roadside stop, and you should go in knowing both. The site is where St. Augustine was first settled in 1565, and you can taste the spring water.

Admission is $22.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids 6 to 12, and it’s open daily from 9 to 6.

A free one: St. Augustine Distillery

The distillery runs a free guided tour of about 45 minutes in an old ice plant at 112 Riberia St., and you don’t need a reservation. Tours have run every half hour from 10:30 to 5, but check their site for current times before you go. The Ice Plant Bar upstairs is a good spot for a drink after.

More free things to do

• Walk the Bridge of Lions at sunset, out toward the middle for the best view back at the city.
• Wander St. George Street and the side streets around it, which are quieter and just as old.
• See the outside of Flagler College and the Lightner courtyard.
• Watch the boats from the bayfront seawall along Avenida Menendez.
• See Nights of Lights from Nov. 21 to Jan. 18, free to walk. Here’s my guide.

Get out of downtown

Some of the best of St. Augustine isn’t in the old city at all. See my favorite boat tours, which beach I’d pick and easy day trips if you’re here more than a couple of days. Visiting in December? I’ve got a guide to St. Augustine at Christmas too.

Before you go

• Park once. Downtown is easy to walk and hard to drive. My parking guide covers the garage and the lots.
• Start early. The fort and St. George Street are much nicer before the midday crowds.
• Wear real shoes. The streets are old and uneven, and you’ll walk more than you think.
• Plan the rest. Here’s how I’d spend a weekend, where I’d stay and where I’d eat.

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Details were checked on Nov. 6, 2026. Prices and hours change, so confirm with each place before you go.