Alcazar Hotel St Augustine: We Went to Cool Off and Ended Up Loving It
We popped into the Alcazar Hotel St Augustine—what’s now the Lightner Museum—on a hot May afternoon. At first, it was just a way to escape the heat. Turned out to be one of the most interesting parts of our trip to St. Augustine, Florida.
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Alcazar Hotel St Augustine: Fancy Past, Still Standing Strong
This Alcazar Hotel – Lightner Museum has a wild backstory. It opened in the late 1800s as a luxury hotel, built by Henry Flagler. Alcazar had everything from a ballroom to a massive indoor swimming pool. That pool? The indoor pool is now a café. It’s just the kind of interesting details that make this St Augustine attraction worth a visit.
What We Did Inside
We spent about an hour exploring the museum. The exhibits range from Victorian furniture to stained glass and vintage costumes. One thing that caught our attention? A real Egyptian mummy—tucked into one of the upstairs rooms. That’s not something you expect to see in a Florida hotel-turned-museum!
You’ll find all kinds of unexpected treasures inside the Alcazar Hotel St Augustine. Antique bicycles, porcelain collections, and Gilded Age paintings fill the space with character and charm. It’s an elegant mix of the unusual and the beautiful. Steve—like a lot of husbands—read every sign and filled me in on the highlights. I was more into wandering and soaking it all in. I especially loved the romantic vibe of the old hotel grounds and the dreamy atmosphere of the former indoor pool.
Heads-Up About the Garden
As of May 26, 2025, some courtyard sections were blocked off for renovations. You can still walk through parts of it, but it’s worth knowing before you go.
We Skipped the Café—This Time
The café looked charming, set right in the old pool area. We’d heard it was a nice lunch spot. But we had plans to try a few different bites around the old city instead. Maybe next visit!
Need-to-Know Info
Address: 75 King St, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Hours: Open daily, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tickets: $17 for adults, $15 for seniors, free for kids under 12
Website: lightnermuseum.org
Quick Tip: The Lightner Museum – Alcazar Hotel in St. Augustine is a top indoor attraction. I would recommend this activity for adults. Kids and families will find better options indoors.
Worth the Stop?
Absolutely. The Alcazar Hotel St Augustine may not be a hotel anymore, but it’s still full of charm and history. We came in to get out of the sun and left with a new appreciation of the history in St. Augustine.
