St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum

219 STEPS UP. 145 YEARS BACK. Visit. Discover. Climb. Explore! Built from 1871 to 1874, the St. Augustine Lighthouse was first lit on October 15, 1874.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, Inc. is a private, nonprofit museum and an historic landmark. We are dedicated to our mission “to discover, preserve, present and keep alive the stories of the Nation's Oldest Port as symbolized by our working St. Augustine Lighthouse.” Visitors help us save history, preserve 6 historic buildings, conserve 19,000 artifacts and maritime archaeological specimens. Your admissions and visits keep the light on each evening because the Museum keeps the light shining as a private aid to navigation. A visit to the Dark of the Moon ghost tour helps us fund our maritime archaeology program and to put students in the water with scientists to discover shipwrecks off the Nation’s Oldest Port.

Introduce K-12 students to the science of light, archaeology of shipwrecks, 500 years of Florida maritime heritage, and the important role of lighthouses and lighthouse keeping to the economy and coastal defense. We also have programs for scouts and other groups. Learn more about our educational offerings below. Also see the schedule of Daily Demos included with admission that are fun, interactive and educational opportunities for our visitors!