St. Augustine Lighthouse
Families are invited to embark on a self-guided tour of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum and shipyard playground with a general admission ticket or enhance their experience with a guided tour. Take your chances with the lighthouse spirits on the “All Ghosts, No Gimmicks” Dark of the Moon paranormal tour or dive deeper into history and explore shipwreck artifacts on the Behind the Scenes or Lost Ships archaeology tours. The effort to save the Lighthouse began in 1980. The Keepers' House was the target of arson (1970) and had fallen into disrepair when the Junior Service League of St. Augustine adopted the project. As a result of this successful preservation effort, the St. Augustine Lighthouse has become a model for other lighthouses nationwide. Lighthouse staff is now recognized as national experts in restoration and museum operations. So much so that the lighthouse has been sought after to develop and facilitate conferences and to mentor museums nationwide. The St. Augustine Lighthouse lobbies for national preservation issues in Tallahassee and on Capitol Hill.
Listing Details
The lighthouse stores a vast collection of WWII artifacts including thousands of pictures. The lighthouse also has an oral history library in its permanent collection that continues to grow.
The ghosts of this haunted lighthouse are rumored to make their presence known by appearing as creepy shadows and making unexplained noises. Legend has it that the daughters of the Superintendent of Lighthouse Construction drowned, and continue to haunt the building ever since their untimely death.Three other people have passed away in the lighthouse from illnesses, while a keeper named Joseph fell to his death. Visitors have claimed to see shadows high up in the tower, while others hear the daughters laughing and giggling at night. The eldest girl is also fond of appearing before guests donned in the clothing she wore on the day of her death.
