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Villa Zorayda Museum
-A Historic Gilded Age Museum Located in St. Augustine, Florida-
The Villa Zorayda was built in 1883 as the winter residence of Franklin Webster Smith utilizing his method of construction, poured concrete and crushed coquina shell. Smith replicated architectural details of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain for his residence. The Villa Zorayda set a precedence for architecture in St. Augustine and began the Moorish Spanish Revival style of architecture that is seen throughout the city today as well as the concrete and coquina construction that was used throughout the city.
After 20 years as a residence, the building was leased out and transformed into the Zorayda Club, a restaurant and club where the most prominent guests enjoyed dining, dancing, and socializing. After Smith’s death, in 1913, the building and part of Smith’s collection were sold to Abraham Mussallem, an immigrant from Lebanon, who was an authority on oriental rugs and Egyptian artifacts.
In the 1920s, the Zorayda Club became a gambling casino and speakeasy, and by the late 1920s, Abraham and his wife, Olga, decided to close the club and live in the building as their residence with their family. After a few years, the Mussallems realized how important the building was to St. Augustine’s history, and in 1933, they opened it as a museum, the Villa Zorayda Museum.
Today, the 45-60 minute tour gives an in depth look at the historical significance of the building to the City of St. Augustine, the magnifi ... view more »
LOCATION
MAKE IT A NIGHT
ALBUQUERQUE LITTLE THEATRE
Cheese Coffee Caf Downtown - Liu Chinese Fast Food
- Vinaigrette
- Garcias Kitchen The Original
- Route 66 Malt Shop
- Bottger Mansion of Old Town
Bottger Mansion of Old Town- Liu Chinese Fast Food
Bottger Mansion of Old Town - Liu Chinese
- Vinaigrette
PARKING INFO
Located in St. Augustine’s Historic District, the Villa Zorayda Museum offers free parking while visiting the Museum. Our parking lot surrounds the Museum. All day public parking is available for a fee. Conveniently located in the Historic District, we are within walking distance of many of the attractions, historic sites, shopping, restaurants, churches and Historic St. George Street. Our parking lot can also be rented in the evening for up to 50 cars for any function being held in the downtown area.
PUBLIC HOURS
The Museum is open Monday- Saturday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last tour at 4:30 PM) and Sunday 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
PUBLIC ADMISSION FEES
Adults: $12.00
$1.00 Off Discount for Seniors over 60 years old or AAA members: $11.00
$2.00 Off Discount for Military (active and retired): $10.00
$4.00 Off Discount for Students: $8.00
Children ages 7 – 12: $5.00
Children 6 and under are admitted free. A 50% discount off of adult admission is extended to all St. Johns County Residents who provide photo identification with current St. Johns county address – on the audio tours only – and cannot be used in conjunction with any other discounts or on a group basis.
Docent led guided tours are available by reservation only for groups of 10 or more. Prices for the docent led tours are $17.00 Adults, $7.00 Children ages 7 – 12, and children 6 and under are admitted free.
Apr 27, 2022
Nov 30, 2019 - Jan 4, 2020
Contact information
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