Top 5 Things to See in St. Augustine with Kids – Plus St. Augustine Itineraries

St. Augustine, Florida is a wonderful city to visit. It is so rich in history, being the oldest continuously occupied city in the United States, that it’s the perfect place to take your world schooling kids. Plus a trip doesn’t have to be long and expensive!  In just a couple days, you can experience five of the top things to see in St. Augustine.

Many of the things you want to see are close to each other.  As long as you’re okay with some walking, you can see a lot in one day. If you can spend three days, you will be able to see a lot that the city has to offer.  Our itinerary calls for at least 2 full days.

Below are 5 things that you won’t want to miss during your visit. Follow along for some tips and personal experiences with each attraction.

It’s worth noting that there are several hotels in the area. We have visited a few times and learned that the hotels near I-95 are about 5 miles from the downtown area where you’ll be spending time. For the most part, they are not much cheaper than the hotels in town. Spend the money, if you can, and get a centrally located hotel. You can walk to many of the places we will mention plus you won’t have to worry about finding parking and paying parking fees. These fees could possibly make up the difference between staying in town vs. out of town.

Things to See in St. Augustine with Kids

 

First on the list of things to see is the Fountain of Youth. It is located just a few blocks from the historic downtown as well as 3 of the other places on this list. It’s just behind the Old Town area, so try and combine those into one day if you can.  How much you pack into one day will depend on the ages of your children and how much time you have in St. Augustine.

The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park has a ton of historical things to see, and not just the fountain itself. They have an entire area set up and dedicated to the Indians that lived here, with people to answer questions and perform demonstrations.  Your kids can see how the Indians lived, what they ate, learn about their history and their role with early settlers.

They also have a planetarium on site.   It’s a great place to cool off mid-day if you’re visiting during the warmer months! You can see a show, learn how the sailors navigated by the stars and see some of the old navigational tools they used.

You can drink from the fountain, but I will warn you that it isn’t the best tasting water! Can you say Sulfur? Bleh!

There is also an old church, a gun firing demonstration, and a great gift shop.  One thing we really enjoyed is the archaeological dig site – where they are still working. The kids can even sift through some of the dirt, which is always cool for little ones.

Overall, it is definitely worth the visit and the price isn’t bad for everything you get to see.  The tour takes a few hours if you want to experience everything.

Ticket Prices:

Adult: $15
Child (6-12 yrs): $9
Senior (60+ yrs): $14
*Save $1 per ticket and purchase online!

 

The second place to see, just around the block from the Fountain of Youth, is the Old Town. It is kind of a hub for tourists, as it is the place where you book many of the things to do in town, and it’s where you’ll start out on either the train or trolley tours.

There are some great shops, like a tea and spice shop, and several with souvenirs and other fun items. There are 3 museum type tours. Bundled tickets are offered as well as individual tickets if you don’t want to do it all.

The old jail is one of the best tours available and will be interesting for both kids and adults. There are authentic items on display and the Sheriff’s living quarters, cells and other areas of the jail are open to view. The “prisoners” giving the tours are knowledgable and fun.

The Oldest Store museum is also well worth a visit. The actors giving the tours interact with the kids and adults, making it an entertaining experience. The shop is interesting to see and you get to go back into the “inventory” to see a lot more early items such as old bicycles, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and more.

If you are there at a meal time, there is a small café in Gator Bob’s store. It’s not too pricey and the food was better than expected. We spent about 3 hours in Old Town and didn’t do one of the museums – just to give you an idea on time.

Right now, you are at approximately 6 hours of exploring.  This is a pretty busy day for kids, so I’d suggest this as Day #1.

 

 

Next up to visit is the Castillo de San Marcos. The fort is located right in the heart of downtown and is truly amazing! It does get hot without any shade, so be prepared and take water and a hat.  Just walking around the outside of the fort is incredible, but when you get inside and see the way it was built with all the levels, you will be impressed.

There is a great view of the water from the top level, so have your camera’s ready!  Many beautifully detailed cannons as well as other weapons on display. Ask the workers in uniform to take photos with you while you’re there.  The gift shop has some neat items and not just “touristy” stuff. It will take at least an hour to see the fort, but if you like to read everything and really take it all in, plan for two hours.

If you’d like to visit more of the forts built to protect Spain’s claim to the New World, see our favorite historic forts to visit in Florida.

Ticket Prices:

Adults (16 years and older): $10
Children (15 and under): FREE if accompanied by an adult

 

Across the street from the Fort is the historic downtown. This is a wide spread area and one half of it is pretty to see at night. The wax museum is in this area, which will pop up when searching online for things to do.

The area also has many great restaurants. Pick up a guide booklet at your hotel to get an idea of the types of restaurants available. You’ll also find coupons to help save money.

There are lots of neat little shops in downtown, with a wide range of goodies ranging from touristy souvenirs to artsy creations to specialty shops. The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse is located in downtown, but you have to pay to go inside.  However, just seeing it from the outside is interesting as you walk around. There is also a Pirate museum near the school if you’re child is interested in learning about the Golden Age of Piracy. The museums can be great places to visit during the heat of the day.

Horse drawn carriages are always riding through the streets. Even if you don’t take one, it still makes a pretty picture. You can easily spend a few hours in this area but if you do any of the museums or tours, you’ll need to add time.

As you look out from either the Fort or the downtown, there is a beautiful bridge, called the Bridge of Lights. It is lovely at night and leads you to the last area on my list – to the beach and lighthouse.

 

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is a working lighthouse and just a few miles from the beach. There is a paid tour or you can just pull up and view it from the outside. They have daily activities, so check online in advance to plan your visit.

The tour is pretty cool and the walk up to the top offers breathtaking views. However,  it is a lot of stairs and your legs will feel like jelly afterwards.  Unless you have strong legs, that is, which I don’t!   It is really neat for older kids to go up and see the iron work and the view, though. If you can, I would highly recommend the tour and climb.

Ticket Prices:

Adults: $12.95
Seniors (60 & over): $10.95
Children (Age 12 or under and 44″ or taller): $10.95

The beach is lovely and a fun place for the kids to run and play. Please note the waves can be a little rough. If you have small children, just be aware and keep them close to shore. The shells and the sand are beautiful and colorful, so take a ziploc bag and a sifter with you to collect some! That alone is a great homeschool lesson.

Take time to walk out on the long dock to get over the water and feel the breeze. I recommend going later in the day to skip the hot sun and the sunburn that goes with it!

The fort, downtown area, lighthouse and beach wraps up Day #2.   If you’re beach bums, you could make an entire day out of visiting the lighthouse and relaxing on the beach.

If you’re looking for more activities, check out the Ripley’s Museum, St. Augustine Wild Reserve, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park and Mission of Nombre de Dios.   Depending on the amount of time you have in the city, you can add one or more of these to your possible St. Augustine itineraries.

There are no traditional theme parks in St. Augustine, so you would need to head up North to Jacksonville if you’re looking for a waterpark to beat the heat.  Although, you can find things like mini golf & go-carts in St. Augustine if you’re looking for more to do.

Take one (or more) of the tours I mentioned or just wander around the streets of this beautiful city. St. Augustine is a place the entire family can enjoy and learn something new together.

St. Augustine Itineraries:

 

2 Days –

 

Day #1
Fountain of Youth
Old Town with museum tours

Day #2
Castillo de San Marcos (early to beat the heat)
Stroll downtown area and possibly visit 1 museum
Tour the lighthouse
Relax on the beach before dinner

— OR —

Day #1
Fountain of Youth
Tour the lighthouse
Relax on the beach

Day #2
Castillo de San Marcos (early to beat the heat)
Old Town with museum tours
Stroll downtown in the early evening and have dinner

3 Days –

 

Day #1
Fountain of Youth
Old Town with museum tours

Day #2
Castillo de San Marcos (early to beat the heat)
Explore downtown area
Visit Old Schoolhouse and Pirate museums

Day #3
St. Augustine Wild Reserve
Tour the lighthouse
Relax on the beach

— OR —

Day #1
Fountain of Youth
Old Town with museum tours

Day #2
Tour or drive by the lighthouse
Pack lunch and have a beach day

Day #3
Castillo de San Marcos (early to beat the heat)
Pick another activity such as Ripley’s, the alligator farm or zoo
Stroll the downtown area

 

Can you recommend other things to see in St. Augustine with kids?  Or do you have a better itinerary?  We’d love to learn your tips!