Last updated on March 31st, 2024 at 02:25 pm
Looking for fun things to do in St. Augustine with kids? We’ve rounded them all up here!
How do you find the right balance between fun, education and a little R&R when traveling with kids and teens? St. Augustine, Florida makes this an easy question to answer!
Known as Americaâs oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida has an unparalleled history and all the museums, historic buildings and points of interest to go along with it! But thereâs so much more to this town for families to explore. Beaches, historic sites, unique dining experiences, and plenty of adventures waiting to be had make St. Augustine an ideal family vacation destination.
We visit Florida often and spend a lot of time exploring St. Augustine. St. Augustine is located on the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of Florida, also known as the Historic Coast. It is less than two hours away from Orlando, making this a doable day trip or a great extension to your Walt Disney World vacation if you want to add on some time at the beach.
Top 5 Picks: Things to Do in St. Augustine with Teens & Kids
If you are just looking for a quick list of the canât miss, very best family-friendly things to do in St. Augustine, I am here to help! Here are our Top 5 recommendations.
âș Check out the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.
âș Play on the beach â one of the nicest stretches of sand on Florida’s Atlantic coast!
âș Explore the area on the St. Augustine Hop On Hop Off Old Town Trolley Tour.
âș Take a sip of water and wander around the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.
âș Stroll through the historic district and visit the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum.
Keep reading for more details on these top five things to do in St. Augustine, plus lots more ideas to help you plan your trip! From spending time at the beach to zip lining over alligators, here are the 17 best things to do in St. Augustine with kids and teens.
Things to Do in St. Augustine with Kids
1. Zip Line at the Alligator Farm
A visit to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is a must. It opened in 1893, making it one of the oldest attractions in Florida.
See dozens of crocs and alligators, plus exotic birds, reptiles, lemurs and monkeys, in a lush tropical setting. There also are daily wildlife shows and alligator feedings. The Alligator Farm is definitely one of the best things to do with kids in St. Augustine!
But if you are visiting with older kids or teens, the real thrill here is the Crocodile Crossing Zip Line!
Crocodile Crossing is a high ropes course and zip line tour that goes right over the alligators and crocodiles! There are two different courses to choose from – a short route, the Sepik course, goes a maximum of 20 feet high and takes about 45 minutes. The second route, the Nile, is for the more adventurous! It goes a maximum of 60 feet high and takes about 90 minutes.
Both zip lining courses take you through the treetops and over exhibits, including the Land of Crocodiles. But donât be too scared; everyone wears a harness and is connected to a safety line.
2. See the Sights on the Old Town Trolley Tour
There’s a lot to see in Americaâs oldest city! How to make sure you donât miss anything? Hop aboard the Old Town Trolley and hop off at various stops to check out all the cool things to do in St. Augustine.
Narrated by a live tour guide, the Old Town Trolley stops at 22 locations around the city, plus has a separate beach line you can take.
âș Click here to read all about Exploring St. Augustine on the Old Town Trolley Tour.
If you are not staying at a hotel right downtown, I recommend starting at Stop #1. This is Old Town Trolley depot. Although you can hop on anywhere, this is the start. Old Town Trolley offers free parking â something you wonât find much of anywhere else in St. Augustine. This makes it the perfect place to start your day!
Stop #1 is also where you will find the St. Augustine History Museum, Oldest Store Museum and the Old Jail â more on that below!
The Old Store Museum was one of our favorite stops! Led by a fun and informative tour guide, it offers a peek at the type of items sold in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Admission to the St. Augustine History Museum is included with your Old Town Trolleyâs Hop On Hop Off Tour. It is located in a building right next to the trolley loading area. We enjoyed this museum very much! It showcases the areaâs origins and was a great introduction to our St. Augustine vacation.
3. Old Jail Museum
The Old Jail building was constructed in 1891 and served as the jailhouse for the city of St. Augustine until it closed in 1953. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Today, the Old Jail Museum is one of the most popular attractions in St Augustine. More than just a museum, youâll be taken on a tour by a costumed guide and hear stories about the inmates who once called this jail home and what life was like at the prison.
We did not originally plan to visit the Old Jail Museum, but bought our tickets on a whim when we arrived to catch the Old Town Trolley. This ended up being one of our favorite places in St. Augustine!
Tours depart every 20 minutes from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day, and night tours of the Old Jail are offered as part of the Ghosts and Gravestones tour.
4. Visit the Pirate Museum
If thereâs one museum I highly recommend for kids, this is this one! The St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum has nearly 50 displays and exhibits detailing the fascinating â sometimes scary â history of pirates going back more than 300 years.
There are authentic artifacts, cannons, and even interactive experiences for kids, teens and adults of all ages to enjoy. It is truly one of the best things to do in St. Augustine with kids! My son especially loved the interactive activities and exhibit featuring artifacts of the Red Sea Pirates.
There is also a very cool exhibit featuring pirates in the movies.
Upon paying admission, museum staff will give you a treasure map and you can hunt for treasures hidden around the museum in spots marked with a skull and crossbones (as in X Marks the Spot!). This makes for a truly fun and interactive learning experience. At the end, kids who complete the activity get a prize.
5. Eat at an Authentic Spanish Tavern
Get a real feel for what life in Americaâs oldest city was like by dining at an authentic Spanish tavern. There are two in Old Town, both resembling the 40 or so taverns that were here during the 18th Century, right down to the wooden tables and lanterns!
We had lunch at the Taberna del Caballo on George Street, just steps from the Pirate Museum. It was the perfect place to take a break midway through our visit and regroup to plan the rest of our day.
There are many other unique and historic spots where you can enjoy a great meal in Old Town. Another one of our favorites is Columbia Restaurant.
Located on St. George Street in the heart of St. Augustineâs historic district, Columbia Restaurant is a great choice for lunch or dinner. The Columbia chain of restaurants has been in business since 1905.
The atmosphere is upscale without being stuffy, and the restaurantâs decor is bright and unique. It is filled with old-world charm. The menu at Columbia Restaurant is a mix of traditional favorites teens will love, and Spanish tapas and entrees for more adventurous eaters.
We tried the black bean cakes and scallops as an appetizer, which were tasty and perfect for sharing!
I ordered their Original â1905â Salad â one of Columbia Restaurantâs signature dishes. It was tossed tableside and features lettuce, ham, Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, and their famous garlic dressing.
6. Americaâs Oldest Wooden School House
Nothing will make your teens appreciate going to school in this day and age than a visit to the oldest school house!
Located in the Old City, this small museum depicts what life was like for teachers and students hundreds of years ago. My favorite was the list of Rules for Teachers from 1872 including this gem: âWomen teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.â
7. Visit the Colonial Quarter
Spend some time in the Colonial Quarter, a two-acre area in the center of downtown St. Augustine. The Colonial Quarter is a living history museum where visitors can experience what life was like in St. Augustine centuries ago. You can take a self-guided tour at your own pace, or join a guided tour.
There are lots of spots where kids can participate in hands-on activities, along with demonstrations such as a blacksmith making tools and cooking utensils.
The Colonial Quarter also has a 35-foot tall watchtower from the 17th century. Climbing the tower is one of the most popular things to do in St. Augustine with kids!
8. Scenic Boat Ride
See St. Augustine from along the Intracoastal Waterway and Matanzas Bay on a St. Augustine Scenic Cruise.
The boat tour is about 75 minutes long and cruises past many of the areaâs waterfront attractions, including Castillo de San Marcos, the Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine Lighthouse, and much more.
We took this tour late in the day after sightseeing, and it was so nice to be able to kick back, sip a cold drink, and just enjoy the sights and lovely sea breeze. We even got to see dolphins!
The tour is narrated, so you learn about the area and the homes and landmarks on the water. Tours depart several times a day from Municipal Marina, just south of Bridge of Lions in Downtown St. Augustine.
9. Discover Haunts on a St. Augustine Ghost Tour
Explore the darker side of St. Augustine with a nighttime ghost tour. Several companies offer ghost tours, including the Ghosts & Gravestones Haunted Trolley Tour which will take you on a trolley ride and into some of St. Augustineâs most notoriously haunted sites â including the Lighthouse, Old Jail and Wax Museum.
We did the St. Augustine Ghost Tour, which is a walking tour of the downtown historic district. It was cool and just moderately scary enough for my 12-year old. For older teens and the truly daring, try one St. Augustineâs ghost tours where participants are given electromagnetic meters to detect the presence of ghosts.
Side note: A ghost tour is perfect for teens, but not recommended for young kids! This old town has some legit scary history and itâs even creepier in the dark.
10. Check Out the Fort
Castillo de San Marcos sits along the coastline of the Old City and is within walking distance from the downtown area. It was built by the Spanish in 1695 to protect their treasure fleets from the British and from pirates. This national monument is the oldest masonry fort in the country.
Kids will enjoy exploring the fort, checking out the cannons and learning about how the military lived and worked. Best of all, the entrance to this fort is just $15.00 per adult and children 15 years old and younger are admitted free.
Castillo de San Marcos sits along the coastline of the Old City and is within walking distance of the downtown area.
11. Stroll the Historic District
With over 20 historical sites, St. Augustineâs Historic Downtown Area is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a compact and very walkable area, with lots of beautiful buildings, museums, churches, and dining options.
Walking around downtown is one of the great things to do in St Augustine with kids to get them moving and find a few fun stops along the way.
The historic district is close to the fort, Pirate Museum, Colonial Quarter, Potterâs Wax Museum and the waterfront, so it is easy to combine these popular activities.
12. Visit the Lightner Museum
Granted, this attraction may be a little more appealing to adults, but it is a great museum in a historic building that should not be missed!
Occupying the former Hotel Alcazar, a Gilded Age resort hotel commissioned by railroad magnate Henry Flagler, the Lightner Museum offers an immersive experience of art, architecture, history, and design. The museum houses a number of permanent and rotating exhibits.
Consider having lunch at Café Alcazar. Located in the former swimming pool of the Hotel Alcazar, the café sources local ingredients to create a delicious menu, and the experience is one of a kind!
13. The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
Chances are you learned about Ponce de Leonâs Fountain of Youth in school, so it is cool to see the legendary sight in person!
The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is more than just a spring â although that is a main draw, and you can still help yourself to a sip of water. (Spoiler alert, I did not get any younger!)
The park includes a number of attractions including a planetarium, an old Spanish village, blacksmith shop, live cannon demonstrations, a watchtower, and numerous other exhibits and activities.
Keep an eye out for the beautiful free-roaming peacocks that live at the park. We spotted this one trying to decide what to drink đ
14. St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Located at the oldest maritime port, the St. Augustine Lighthouse features a climb of 219 steps to the top for fantastic views of the beach and city.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum also features a lighthouse keeperâs house from 1876. It has been transformed into a great museum covering centuries of maritime history from in and around St. Augustine.
We climbed the lighthouse and it was honestly not too bad, though the stairs do get very narrow toward the top so stay close to little kids if you go up. The views from the top are worth the climb!
15. Score a Hole in One
One of our favorite ways to relax and have fun as a family is by playing miniature golf. In this age of electronics, it is great to be able to be outside together and share a laugh and some friendly competition.
There are two great mini golf courses in St. Augustine Beach: Fiesta Falls and Bayfont Miniature Golf.
My son and I played two nights in a row at Fiesta Falls (the first night we got rained out half way through the course and they let us come back for free the next day) and had a blast!
Fiesta Falls is a beautifully designed mini golf course located adjacent to La Fiesta Ocean Inn & Suites. It has 18 holes and features really cool décor, including numerous waterfalls and a 65-foot ship.
Fiesta Falls is right on the beach, and sells ice cream and slushies so you can indulge with a treat at the end of your game.
16. Family Bike Ride
Does your family love to go on bike rides? St. Augustine is a paradise for cyclists and there are plenty of spots to rent. Many hotels in St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach also loan out bikes, making this one of the fantastic free things to do with kids in St. Augustine.
Beautiful coastal vistas and the quaint downtown streets of St. Augustine attract bikers from near and far. Try riding the Scenic and Historic AIA Coastal Byway â a route with designated bike lanes between Ponte Vedra Beach to the north and Marineland Dolphin Adventure to the south.
St. Augustine Bike Rentals also offers guided bike tours of the city. This is a great way to explore and stay active while youâre visiting St. Augustine with kids. They even have bikes with child seats if you have one too young to ride on their own!
17. Beach Time in St. Augustine with Kids
Having time to play at the beach is a must when youâre visiting the Florida coast! St. Augustine consists of more than 40 miles of beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, where Spanish explorers first set foot hundreds of years ago.
Beaches in St. Augustine are free to enjoy and parking is easy to find, making beach time hassle-free.
We stayed in Vilano Beach and really enjoyed this beautiful and quiet stretch of sand. There are lots of shells on this beach, so if you like to hunt for shells this might be the perfect spot.
One of the most popular and family friendly beaches is Anastasia State Park. Anastasia State Park is a 1,600-acre state park, located on the peninsula on Anastasia Island, across Matanzas Bay from downtown St. Augustine.
Where to Stay in St. Augustine
Trying to decide where to stay in St. Augustine? Here are some suggestions based on personal experience.
During our most recent visit to St. Augustine, we stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites St. Augustine â Vilano Beach. The hotel is located right across the street from a beautiful beach, and yet just a short drive away from Old Town and all the great things to do in St. Augustine.
It was so nice being able to explore the city during the day and then return to our hotel to enjoy time at the beach before dinner. This is the ideal scenario if you are visiting St. Augustine with kids!
âș Click here to read our honest review of Hampton Inn & Suites St. Augustine â Vilano Beach.
Alternatively, here are a few other hotel options in Augustine.
Originally built in 1888, Casa Monica Resort & Spa â now part of Marriottâs Autograph Collection â will immerse you in luxury and the rich history of St. Augustine. Casa Monica is located in the heart of downtown right across from the Lightner Museum. In addition or its ornate lobby and rooms, the hotel has a beautiful pool, restaurant and spa.
Another great though more casual Marriott property is the Courtyard St. Augustine Beach. I stayed here once with my son and it was a fantastic hotel for families. While it wasnât right on the sand, it was just across the street from the beach and only a five-minute walk from leaving the room until toes in the water.
Final Thoughts: Things to Do in St Augustine with Kids
Whether you are making St. Augustine the focus of your trip or tacking on a few days to a Walt Disney World vacation or Florida road trip, the historic coast is a true gem. It offers a great mix of history, culture, and plenty of opportunities for good old fashioned family fun. With so many awesome things to do in St. Augustine for kids, it is easy to see why this is the perfect destination for family travel!
Save These St. Augustine Attractions for Later!
Planning a family vacation to St. Augustine Florida? Pin the image below for future reference!
Thank you to the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors & Convention Center for hosting our stay. As always, all opinions are my own.
Rania Kalogirou says
Where I wish I was right now! Lovely post and it looks so relaxing!
katie says
Lots of fun things to do in St Augustine! I would love to explore more of Florida and will definitely start here!
Bettina says
These activities sound so fun! I would love to do ziplining!