About
The Festival
The St. Augustine History Festival was created and conceived by UFHSA (University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc.) for the purpose of generating excitement about the history of America’s oldest city. Our goal is to showcase every era of St. Augustine’s long and storied past through the 30 Special Events and Historic Venues listed below – from our founding in 1565 to the most advanced technology available in 2023 to research and study every year in-between. American history began here, and no one tells our story better than we do – come out and enjoy our city!
History Festival Events
| Special Events | Thursday, May 11th |
| Flagler College / St. Augustine Historical Society | 6:00 - 7:00 Special Talk Drs. Johnson/Broadwell |
| Participating Venues | |
| The Colonial Quarter / Colonial Oak Music Park | All Day: Special PBS Documentary Viewing |
| Flagler College Historic Tours | 10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. Historic Tours Discount |
| Fort Mose State Park and Museum | All Day: Afro-Cuban Art Exhibit/Music |
| Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park | All Day: The Artwork of Theodore Morris |
| Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum | All Day: Special Historic Map Exhibit |
| All Day: New Additions to Vickers Collection | |
| Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center | 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Daily Tours |
| Noon 19th-Century Fashion, 2:00pm Colonial Architecture, Daily Tours 11:00 - 4:00 | |
| St. Augustine Historical Society | All Day: History Festival Special Exhibits |
| St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum | 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Boatworks and Archaeology |
| Villa Zorayda Museum | 11:00 - 2:00 Local Artists Historic Artwork Display |
| Historic Houses of Worship | |
| Trinity Parish | 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Docent Guided Church Tour |
| Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine | Self-Guided Tours |
| St. Photios Orthodox Greek Shrine | 10:00 - 5:00 Guided Tours Reservations Requied |
| National Shrine of Our Lady le Leche | Festival Tour Times 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Special Events | Friday, May 12th |
| UF/Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension - St. Johns County | 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Live Animal Exhibit |
| Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center | 2:00 - 4:00 Curator’s Talk: Black Exploitation Through Currency |
| Tolomato Cemetery | 3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Scavenger Hunt |
| St. Augustine Historical Society | 4:00 - 5:00 Special Talk Dr. Christine Miller on Indigenous Medical Practices |
| Drake’s Raid Encampment | 10:00 - 5:00 Historic Encampment at SAHS |
| Participating Venues | |
| The Colonial Quarter / Colonial Oak Music Park | All Day: Special PBS Documentary Viewing |
| Flagler College Historic Tours | 10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. Historic Tours Discount |
| Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park | All Day: The Artwork of Theodore Morris |
| Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum | All Day: Special Historic Map Exhibit |
| All Day: New Additions to Vickers Collection | |
| Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center | 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Daily Tours |
| Noon British St. Augustine 2:00 Happy 130th!!!, Daily Tours 11:00 - 4:00 | |
| Spanish Military Hospital | |
| St. Augustine Historical Society | All Day: History Festival Special Exhibits |
| SAHS Research Library | 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Book Sale at Library |
| St. Augustine Historical Society | Drake’s Raid Encampment |
| Villa Zorayda Museum | 11:00 - 2:00 Local Artists Historic Artwork Display |
| Ximenez-Fatio House Museum | 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Free Family Events |
| Historic Houses of Worship | |
| Memorial Presbyterian Chuch | 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Church Tours |
| Trinity Parish | 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Docent Guided Church Tour |
| Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine | All Day: Self-Guided Tours |
| St. Photios Orthodox Greek Shrine | 10:00 - 5:00 Guided Tours Reservations Requied |
| St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church | History Festival Tour Times 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
| National Shrine of Our Lady le Leche | Festival Tour Times - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Special Events | Saturday, May 13th |
| City of St. Augustine | 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The Window Workshop |
| Fort Mose Historical Society | 2:00 - 3:00 Special Talk, Dr. Jane Landers |
| Drake’s Raid Encampment | 10:00 - 5:00 Historic Encampment at SAHS |
| Drake’s Raid Reenactment | 7:00 - English Victory! Battle through the Old City |
| Participating Venues | |
| Castillo de San Marcos | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Special Family Activities |
| The Colonial Quarter / Colonial Oak Music Park | All Day: Reenactors, Music, Historic House Grand Opening |
| Flagler College Historic Tours | 10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. Historic Tours Discount |
| Florida National Guard Museum / National Cemetery | 10:30 a.m. Guided tour of National Cemetery |
| 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Barracks/Grounds Tour | |
| Fort Mose State Park and Museum | All Day: Afro-Cuban, Art Exhibit/Music |
| Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park | All Day: The Artwork of Theodore Morris |
| Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum | All Day: Special Historic Map Exhibit |
| All Day: New Additions to Vickers Collection | |
| Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center | 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Daily Tours |
| 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Daily Tours | |
| Spanish Military Hospital | 11:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. "Duel on Aviles" |
| St. Augustine Historical Society | All Day: History Festival Special Exhibits |
| Drake’s Raid Encampment | |
| Villa Zorayda Museum | 11:00 - 2:00 Local Artists Historic Artwork Display |
| Ximenez-Fatio House Museum | 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Free Family Events |
| Historic Houses of Worship | |
| Ancient City Baptish Church | 11:00 - 3:00 Church Tours 2:00 Talk by Win Thornton |
| Trinity Parish | 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Docent Guided Church Tour |
| Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine | Self-Guided Tours |
| St. Photios Orthodox Greek Shrine | 10:00 - 5:00 Guided Tours Reservations Requied |
| St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church | History Festival Tour Times 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. |
| St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church | Special Tours 10:00 - 2:00 |
| National Shrine of Our Lady le Leche | Festival Tour Times 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Participating Venues | Sunday, May 14th |
| Flagler College Historic Tours | 10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. Historic Tours Discount |
| Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park | All Day: The Artwork of Theodore Morris |
| Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum | All Day: Special Historic Map Exhibit |
| All Day: New Additions to Vickers Collection | |
| St. Augustine Historical Society | All Day: History Festival Special Exhibits |
| Historic Houses of Worship | |
| Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine | Self-Guided Tours |
| St. Photios Orthodox Greek Shrine | 10:00 - 5:00 Guided Tours Reservations Requied |
| St. Paul A.M.E. Church | 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Art Show and Sale |
| 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Community Gospel Concert | |
| St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church | History Festival Tour Times 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
| National Shrine of Our Lady le Leche | Festival Tour Times 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
More about our
Participating Venues
Castillo de San Marcos
Experience St. Augustine’s National Monument – the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States
Florida National Guard Museum and National Cemetery
Two Separate and Insightful Tour Opportunities at the Nation's Oldest Militia/National Guard Unit
Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
Special History Festival Programs at America’s First Colony - Where Legend Meets History
Peña-Peck House
Enjoy a History Festival Special Tour: “Secrets from The Peña-Peck House Collection”
St. Augustine Historical Society/Oldest House Museums Complex
Visit St. Augustine's Oldest House Museums Complex and Historical Gardens
St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum
Find Out What's Happening at the Lighthouse during St. Augustine History Festival
Learn about our
Historic Houses of Worship
A PBS Documentary
Secrets of the Dead:
The Secrets of Spanish Florida
Before Jamestown and Pocahontas – before Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrims – there was only St. Augustine, a culturally diverse colonial experiment born from dire necessities of imperial proportions in the eye of a storm. The University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc. present this four-hour PBS documentary that identifies the beginnings of America’s true First Colony. Narrated by Jimmy Smits, you will see a story of early America that most people have no idea exists. This fascinating DVD is available for purchase at each of the St. Augustine History Festival’s participating venues.