Go beyond the forts and landmarks with stories from every corner of Florida’s Historic Coast, from centuries-old cemeteries and a historic Black beach community to Ponte Vedra’s early days and the surfers who shaped the Nation’s oldest city.
St. Augustine’s story begins in 1565, decades before Jamestown or Plymouth. That year, Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded the settlement that would become the Nation’s oldest continuously occupied European-founded city. More than 460 years later, you can still walk that history. Climb the coquina walls of the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. Sit at a desk in the Oldest Wooden School House. Sip from the Spring of Eternal Hope at Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth. Then look up at the Tiffany windows inside Flagler College, the former Hotel Ponce de Leon built during Henry Flagler’s Gilded Age.
The history doesn’t stop at the city gates. At Fort Mose, the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in what is now the United States, freedom seekers built a community in 1738. Butler Beach on Anastasia Island was one of the few Florida beaches open to Black families during segregation. To the north, the GTM Research Reserve in Ponte Vedra protects Timucua shell mounds that are thousands of years old. Ponte Vedra Beach itself started out as Mineral City, a World War I–era mining town, before the 1928 opening of the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club turned it into a resort destination.
Start with the attractions below, each with a storied past.
Black History in St. Augustine
From Fort Mose, the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in what is now the U.S., to landmarks of the…
Flagler’s Gilded Age
See the grand hotels and churches Henry Flagler built when he turned St. Augustine into a Gilded Age resort.
Historic Forts
Visit Fort Matanzas, Castillo de San Marcos, and Fort Mose for a look back in time.
Historic Home Museums of St. Augustine
Tour centuries-old homes, from the Oldest House to the Ximenez-Fatio House, and see how St. Augustine families lived.
St. Augustine Historic District
Wander brick streets lined with centuries-old buildings, shops, restaurants and attractions in the heart of the Oldest City.
Lightner Museum
Explore Gilded Age collections inside Henry Flagler’s former Hotel Alcazar, now home to the Lightner Museum.
Fountain of Youth
Explore the archaeological park at the site of the 1565 Spanish landing, with cannon firings and the famous spring.
Colonial Quarter
St. Augustine’s transformed Colonial Quarter offers an immersive journey through four eras of the past.
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Climb 219 steps to the top of the 1874 lighthouse, then explore shipwreck stories in the maritime museum.
Tracing the Past: A Journey Through Historic Resting Places
Explore centuries of local history etched in stone as you walk through some of Florida’s Historic Coast’s most storied cemeteries…
African American History by the Sea on Florida’s Historic Coast
Historic Butler Beach offers a glimpse at African American history and American race relations.
Beyond St. George Street: Hidden Gems Locals Love
Top Things to Do On & Off St. Augustine’s Main Drag
Stroll along St. Augustine's historic St. George Street, then wander off the main drag for even more history, attractions, dining…
St. Augustine Surf Culture & History Museum
A bright, fun and informative look at how surfing has become such an important part of the Oldest City’s story…
Ponte Vedra Beach is Swimming in Culture, History, Arts & Entertainment
Florida’s Historic Coast may be known for its golf, beaches and luxury resorts, but it’s also a place steeped in…
Explore 8 Historic Landmarks in St. Augustine
Explore St. Augustine’s historic landmarks, where centuries of history unfold through Spanish forts, archaeological sites and Gilded Age architecture.
