St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, St. Augustine (must see)

The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is situated on Anastasia Island within the city limits of St. Augustine. The lighthouse was constructed between 1871 and 1874, replacing an earlier watchtower built by the Spanish as a lookout. The conical tower is made out of brick on a foundation of coquina (shell rock). It stands 165 feet tall.

Visitors to the St. Augustine Lighthouse can ascend the 219-step spiral staircase to the top of the tower. To climb the stairs, you must be at least 44 inches tall. There are eight landings located along the climb up for those that need to rest. At the top, you can visit the lens room or step outside to the observation deck to see superb views of the city and surrounding area.

The museum boasts an intriguing collection of objects, photographs, maritime-themed art, boat models, and shipwreck artifacts. There are also interactive exhibits and hands-on activities. Objects and demos demonstrate the duties and daily life of a lighthouse keeper. There is a shipyard playground plus a puppet theater to occupy younger children.

This historical structure is still a working lighthouse today, its black and white barber pole stripes visible to ships offshore. It is also reputed to be haunted. For those interested in the paranormal, they offer nighttime ghost tours where a guide leads visitors on a spooky exploration of the lighthouse - lit only by glow sticks!

More specialty tours include a lighthouse keeper's tour and an evening event where guests can view the sunset and moonrise from the top of the tower - champagne toast included! A fun scavenger hunt is available on the outdoor nature trails. There are also special events throughout the year.

Hungry guests can stop at "The Tin Pickle," a cafe themed around World War II that features hot dogs, snacks, drinks, local beer, and homemade Sangria. There are maritime-themed gifts and lighthouse souvenirs available at the lighthouse shop. A visit to this fascinating museum and lighthouse is a must-do experience during your exploration of St. Augustine.