The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is an active 1874 light station and educational facility located on Anastasia Island in St. Augustine, Florida. This 2026 visitor guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport or parking, accessibility, and practical visitor tips.
This guide was updated in April 2026, noting that the attraction strictly enforces a 44-inch height restriction for the tower climb and explicitly prohibits visitors from carrying children up the 219 steps.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
| Opening hours | 9:00 am to 6:30 pm (March to September), 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (October to February) |
| Ticket prices | Adults: $17.95, Seniors: $15.95, Children (under 13): $12.95 |
| Address | 100 Red Cox Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32080 |
| Nearest public transport or parking | Free on-site car park |
| Typical time needed to visit | 1.5 to 2 hours |
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum opening hours
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum opening hours experience seasonal variations. From 1 March to 30 September, the site is open daily from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm, with the last ticket sold at 6:00 pm.
During the winter season, from 1 October to 28 February, the museum operates from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, with the final ticket sold at 5:30 pm. The attraction is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and it closes early at 3:00 pm on Christmas Eve. The tower itself is subject to immediate closure during adverse weather events, such as high winds or approaching thunderstorms.
5 great experiences in St Augustine to book now
- 🏛️ Learn the past of the oldest city in the US on a history walking tour.
- 🚤 Take an airboat adventure – spotting alligators and manatees on the way.
- ⛵ See St Augustine from the water on a sunset cruise.
- 🍷 On a food and wine tour, taste St Augustine’s top flavours
- 👻 Hear spooky historic tales on a St Augustine ghost tour.
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum ticket prices
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum ticket prices for general admission are $17.95 for adults and youth aged 13 and over. Senior tickets for visitors aged 60 and over cost $15.95, while children aged 12 and under who meet the 44-inch height requirement to climb the tower pay $12.95. Children under 44 inches tall enter for free when accompanied by a paying adult, though they cannot climb the tower.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in April 2026. General admission to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is not included in regional city pass schemes which instead bundle entry to nearby paid attractions such as the Castillo de San Marcos, the Old Jail Museum, and Potter’s Wax Museum.
Why book the St. Augustine Attractions Pass?
- 🚌 Old Town Trolley Tour: Navigate the nation’s oldest city with ease on an iconic orange-and-green trolley, featuring 22 convenient stops and entertaining live narration from expert conductors.
- 👮 The Old Jail: Step back to 1891 inside this Romanesque Revival-style prison, where costumed “inmates” lead immersive tours through the sheriff’s quarters and original maximum-security cells.
- 📜 Oldest Store Museum: Experience a living history recreation of a 1908 general store, filled with over 100,000 authentic vintage items—from antique elixirs to a goat-powered washing machine.
- 🏛️ St. Augustine History Museum: Explore 400 years of Florida’s past through exhibits on Spanish sunken treasure, indigenous Timucuan villages, and the opulent era of industrialist Henry Flagler.
- 💸 Incredible Value & Perks: Save significantly by combining three premier museums with a full day of transport, plus a bonus beach shuttle to the Alligator Farm and the scenic St. Augustine Beach.
How to get to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
You can reach the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum by driving south across the Bridge of Lions to Anastasia Island and following State Road A1A South to 100 Red Cox Drive. The museum is also a designated stop on commercial hop-on hop-off trolley routes, including Old Town Trolley Tours, which connect the island to the historic downtown area.
Why book the St. Augustine Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour?
- 🚋 22 Convenient Stops: Explore the “Ancient City” at your own pace with a route that covers over 100 points of interest, including the historic bayfront, city gates, and the plaza.
- 🎙️ Live Historical Narration: Enjoy a “transportation and entertainment” experience with professional conductors who share fascinating stories, legends, and humor throughout the journey.
- 🏰 Iconic Landmarks: Benefit from direct access to top-rated attractions like the Castillo de San Marcos, the Fountain of Youth, Flagler College, and the Lightner Museum.
- 🏖️ Exclusive Beach Shuttle: Take advantage of the complimentary shuttle service that brings you across the bridge to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, the Alligator Farm, and the beach.
- 🕒 Flexible & Frequent: With trolleys arriving at each stop every 15–20 minutes, you can spend as much time as you like at each destination without worrying about parking or navigation.
Parking at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Free parking at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is provided on-site for all visitors. The primary car park is located immediately adjacent to the main visitor centre and gift shop entrance, offering paved spaces under the shade of mature oak trees.
How long to spend at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Visitors typically spend between one and a half and two hours at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. This allows sufficient time to climb the tower, view the exhibits inside the historic Keepers’ House, walk the outdoor nature trails, and observe the boatbuilding demonstrations.
Accessibility at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Accessibility at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is comprehensive across the ground-level facilities, with wheelchair ramps providing access to the Visitor Centre, the main floor of the Keepers’ House, the 1936 WWII Garage, and the Maritime Education Center. All public restrooms are accessible. However, the lighthouse tower itself is not accessible, as reaching the observation deck requires climbing 219 spiral steps under your own power.
Inside the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Visitors to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum explore a multi-building historical complex dedicated to the maritime heritage of the nation’s oldest port.
The 1874 Lighthouse Tower is the focal point of the site. Visitors who meet the height requirements can climb the 219 steps to the top observation deck to view the original Fresnel lens and panoramic vistas of the Atlantic Ocean and St. Augustine.
The 1876 Keepers’ House contains indoor exhibits detailing the daily lives of the families who operated the light station. It also features the “Wrecked!” exhibit, displaying preserved artefacts recovered from American Revolution-era shipwrecks off the local coast.
The Maritime Education Center functions as an active workspace, housing a conservation lab where visitors can watch archaeologists clean and preserve submerged maritime artefacts. A “View from the Top” video is available here for guests unable to climb the physical tower.
The outdoor grounds feature the 1942 WWII Barracks, which highlight the region’s coastal defence history, and the Heritage Boatworks, an open-air pavilion where volunteer boatwrights construct traditional wooden watercraft.
Practical visitor tips
| Focus | Tip |
| Timing | Check the local weather forecast before arriving, as the tower closes instantly if lightning or high winds are detected within the vicinity. |
| Crowds | Arrive before 10:00 am to secure a parking space easily and avoid the peak afternoon heat during the summer months. |
| Layout | The museum is spread across multiple separate buildings and shaded outdoor paths, requiring visitors to navigate between exhibits on foot. |
| Entry process | General daytime admission tickets are purchased at the main entrance desk upon arrival, while specialty evening ghost tours require advance online booking. |
| On-site logistics | Small day bags are permitted inside the tower, but visitors must carry their own items up the stairs, as bags cannot be left unattended at the base. |
Frequently asked questions about the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
| Question | Answer |
| Is the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum suitable for children? | Yes, the site features a playground and interactive exhibits, but children must be at least 44 inches tall to climb the tower. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum? | Advance booking is not required for general daytime entry, but it is necessary for evening ghost tours or special after-hours events. |
| Is the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum open on Sundays? | Yes, the museum and grounds are open to the public seven days a week, closing only on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. |
| Are bags allowed at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum? | Yes, standard backpacks and bags are permitted, but visitors must carry them at all times. |
Things to do near the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
- Anastasia State Park
- St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
- St. Augustine Amphitheatre
- Bridge of Lions
- Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
More Florida travel
Other Florida travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- First time visitor’s guides to the Castillo de San Marcos and Mission Nombre de Dios in St Augustine.
- What to expect at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St Augustine.
- Visitor guides to the Lightner Museum, Old Jail, St Augustine History Museum and Oldest Store Museum Experience in St Augustine.
- The best stops on a road trip from Jacksonville to Miami.
- Get a complex slavery story at Kingsley Plantation in Jacksonville.
