LIGHNTER MUSEUM – 75 King St., Saint Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 824-2874 www.lightnermuseum.org
Q-Tips say: Must see and do. One of Mrs. Q’s favorite tours. Mrs. Q says: My favorite part of the first floor is the Natural History room, including a mounted African Lion, a dinosaur egg, and many tribal artifacts (like a shrunken head!). Who can invite people into their home and offer them a look see at your own shrunken head or mummy (in a private room and respectfully represented). NOT sure the very little children would enjoy this one because this is NOT an “interactive-hands on museum”. Probably good for older children. There are Docents on every floor who are happy to explain and share their knowledge.
A unique and incredible bit of history, the Lightner Museum is situated adjacent to the beautiful Flagler College and shares a similar sense of architecture.
The Museum has a super collection of the wealthy northerner Mr. Lightner. Mr. Lightner was not content to collect some particular item, his collection consisted of other people’s COLLECTIONS. And that is principally what you get to examine throughout 4 floors of museum.
They really have a lot of everything – most of it from the 19th and early 20th century. The first floor has the best collections, from mundane (still cool) things like canes, tobacco accessories, and dolls (including one from the remnants of Hiroshima/Nagasaki). The first floor is the Natural History part.
The second floor has more history on the museum’s days as a hotel, including its Turkish Baths and a large number of vases and other art.
The third/ fourth floors have art, statuary, some Napoleonic furniture, as well as a great view from the ballroom of the former hotel pool down below which is now a restaurant.
Twice daily there is an informative music show put on by the staff in which they play old musical instruments on the first floor. Go and enjoy, we did.