St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is dedicated to discovering, preserving, presenting and keeping alive the story of the nation’s oldest port. We do this in many ways:

• Educational opportunities
• Local and national preservation efforts
• Maritime archaeological research
• Safeguarding the memories and precious belongings of those that came before us.

On-Going Preservation

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. We proudly work directly with government agencies to insure that America’s castles survive for generations to come.

Preserving the Past for Future Generations

The lighthouse stores a vast collection of WWII artifacts including thousands of pictures (some were saved from being sent to the dumpster). The lighthouse also has an oral history library in its permanent collection that continues to grow.

Among our efforts is a desire to grow our entire collection. We are an official partner of the Library of Congress’ Veteran’s History Project.

Through our Maritime Memory Project, we are expanding our knowledge of WWII military service in the waters of the first coast.

We are actively seeking local stories to share about this great time in the First Coast’s history.

Our Vision

We work to be the finest light station and maritime museum in the world.