Make the most of your visit to St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights! Download the St. Augustine Nights of Lights App for maps, tips, and event details right at your fingertips. Avoid downtown congestion by using the Free Park & Ride Shuttle—it’s the easiest way to reach the festivities stress-free. Plan ahead, arrive early, and enjoy the holiday charm safely and smoothly!
This itinerary leads visitors through some of St. Augustine’s most significant historic cemeteries, exploring the stories of lighthouse keepers, artists, military history, and early Black community heritage before transitioning into an evening Haunted Pub Crawl through the nation’s oldest city.
The day begins at Evergreen Cemetery, where many notable figures in St. Augustine history are laid to rest. The grounds include six former lighthouse keepers—John Lindquist, William T. Lindquist, Peter Rasmussen, William A. Harn, Francis Philip Fatio Dunham, and Cardell Daniels—as well as English illustrator and sculptor Randolph Caldecott. Visitors may also discover the grave of Fred Gomer Francis, namesake of Francis Field. Historical markers throughout the cemetery add context, with the oldest located marker dating back to 1858. Open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Adjacent to Evergreen Cemetery, Pinehurst and San Sebastian Cemeteries are believed to be the oldest segregated Black cemeteries in Florida. Their exact age is unknown—many graves remain unmarked—but located headstones date burials to the 1840s. These sites provide a rare look at early burial traditions and the stories of Black residents whose legacies helped shape the city. Visitors may look for the final resting place of Artemisia Holloway Jones, noted columnist of Versanoie’s Corner for The St. Augustine Record, though age and disarray make some sites difficult to find.
The journey continues at St. Augustine National Cemetery, located on the grounds of the Florida National Guard compound just south of St. Francis Barracks. In use as a burial site since at least 1763, it is Florida’s oldest national military cemetery and contains graves of soldiers who fought in the Second Seminole War (1835–1842). It is also one of only ten national cemeteries in the country that flies an illuminated flag around the clock. The cemetery is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
The day concludes with a Haunted Pub Crawl—an adults-only adventure blending storytelling, paranormal intrigue, and St. Augustine’s vibrant nightlife. Options include GhoST Augustine, Ghost Tours of St. Augustine, and St. Augustine Land & Sea Tours.
