Villa Zorayda

A Grand Gilded Age Home that is Now a Museum attraction. This Exquisite Home was Built in Moorish Revival Architecture in 1883 by Franklin Smith. History Festival attendees: receive 50% off Adult General Admission to the Villa Zorayda Museum valid May 4th, 2025 – May 12th, 2025. Tickets must be purchased online at www.villazorayda.com during the valid dates. Enter coupon code histfest25 at checkout. Contact [email protected] or 904-829-9887 for more information.

The Mussallem family have now been the guardians of the Villa Zorayda for over 111 years. First, with Abraham & Olga Mussallem, who operated it as a museum until their deaths, and later in the 1960s by their sons, Eddy and Wally Mussallem, who restored the museum and renamed it Zorayda Castle. Zorayda Castle closed in the year 2000 and underwent an extensive 8 year restoration financed by Eddy Mussallem. Overseeing the restoration was Eddy’s daughter, Marcia Mussallem Byles, and her husband, James Byles. In 2008, the Villa Zorayda reopened once again as a museum going back to the original name given to it by Franklin Smith. Over 111 years and three generations, the Mussallem/Byles family have been the guardians of the Villa Zorayda.