The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is located in the historic Avero House area on Saint George Street in downtown St. Augustine. The shrine is dedicated not only to the memory of the first Greek Orthodox pioneers who arrived in the New World on June 26, 1768, but to all the following generations of immigrants who came to the New World seeking freedom, justice, and a better life for themselves and their children.
Today, St. Photios is a sacred, educational center where those of Greek ancestry may celebrate their cultural heritage. The shrine is also a public place where all may honor and remember their own immigrant ancestors. Exhibits and galleries tell about the life of early Greek settlers and the development of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. Visitors can view the shrine’s beautiful Saint Photios Chapel with handpainted Byzantine murals depicting sacred icons on the walls and on the domed ceiling. Also on view, the Avero House, originally built after a siege by the English in 1702, and currently restored to its 1730s appearance.
41 St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
ALBUQUERQUE LITTLE THEATRE
Fort Mose Historic State Park is the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States. In 1738, the Spanish governor of Florida chartered the settlement of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, or Fort Mose for short, as a settlement for those fleeing slavery from the English colonies in the Carolinas. Over the next 25 years, Fort Mose and Spanish Saint Augustine became a sanctuary for Africans seeking liberation from the tyranny of English slavery.
St. Augustine Visitor Information Center (VIC)
For half a century, visitors to St. Augustine have made the St. Augustine/St. Johns County Visitor Information Center their first stop upon arriving in the Nation’s Oldest City. Commonly known as the “VIC,” the center offers information on special and cultural events, brochures and guidebooks for the area's attractions, clean restrooms, a gift shop. The VIC is staffed with friendly fully licensed tour guide hosts who gladly share information on attractions, museums, tours, accommodations, restaurants and unique shopping opportunities. The VIC is where a St. Augustine vacation begins, whether you plan to stay a day, a weekend or longer.