St. Augustine Lighthouse – St. Augustine, Florida

Welcome to the St. Augustine Lighthouse, where history and financial heartache go hand in hand! Get ready to dig deep into your pockets and splurge on an experience that will leave your wallet feeling lighter than a feather caught in a gust of wind.

That’s right, visiting the St. Augustine Lighthouse in Northeast Florida is quite expensive. While the lighthouse itself is architecturally beautiful with its memorizing black and white spiral design, when you leave this tourist trap, all you will remember was how much money flew out of your wallet as you entered (and exited!) through the gift shop.

So, let’s get into it – I’ll tell you everything you need to know about visiting the St. Augustine Lighthouse in this review!

Getting to the St. Augustine Lighthouse

Built in 1874, the Saint Augustine Lighthouse stands proudly on Anastasia Island, serving as a reminder that people back then really knew how to build things that lasted longer than the battery life of your average smartphone.

The lighthouse is located outside of the historical area and is not within walking distance. You will need to drive or arrange other transportation to get there. There is a parking lot near the lighthouse, which is free.

Address:
100 Red Cox Dr, St. Augustine, FL 32080

Admission:

Admission is $14.95 for adults (13 and older), children under 12 are $12.95. OOF. Take a hammer to your piggy bank if you want to visit this place, am I right?! Heaven help you if you have a family!! Included in this admission price are all of the museums and exhibits on the premises, plus you can climb the lighthouse.

I’ve been to tons of lighthouses in the USA and in the world and I’ve never paid this much to visit a lighthouse before. Most of the time, they only charge admission if you want to climb it (which I don’t because once you’ve climbed one lighthouse, you’ve climbed them all – and, yes, it applies to the St. Augustine lighthouse as well).

My sister and I were not interested in the museum – and judging by the lack of people inside looking at exhibits vs. the crowds of folks queuing up to climb the lighthouse, no one else was either.

The museum and other historical buildings might not have interested me but they’re all there if you want to see them. Prepare to be enthralled by displays of rusty nails, cracked pottery shards, and wall texts that could cure even the most stubborn case of insomnia.

Gift shop at the St. Augustine Lighthouse

As I mentioned before, you enter and exit through the gift shop. I love a good gift shop but this wasn’t one of them. Prices here are inflated like a hot air balloon on steroids – and the majority of stuff sold here is a bunch of junk. But if you do want a small souvenir to commemorate your visit, be prepared to fork over the equivalent of a month’s worth of groceries for a keychain and a magnet that’s probably made by a small child in a factory halfway across the world. Buy stuff if you wish, let your wallets weep, and may you emerge from this gift shop with a newfound appreciation for quality craftsmanship and reasonable price tags!

Can I just snap a photo without paying?

Not exactly. You can, but it depends on if you want a good photo or not. You can see the top of the lighthouse from outside the grounds, but your photos won’t be any good. Additionally, I’ve heard you can get great photos if you’re out on the water, but we weren’t going to be doing that on this trip.

Is St. Augustine Lighthouse Worth it?

Let’s be honest – for most people, visiting the St. Augustine Lighthouse is probably not worth the price paid. However, of course, it depends on how much you’re into lighthouses. If you love visiting lighthouses or are really into the history of the area, this is definitely a must-see, as it’s an iconic landmark of this area. However, since this isn’t a lighthouse where you can just roll up and snap a photo (like I prefer to do), you need to be mindful of the admission costs. At nearly $15/pp, the cost of visiting this lighthouse can add up fast, especially if you have a family. You’ll have to ask yourself — are your children really into lighthouses? Will they be interested in the museums? Probably not. Your family and/or friends will instead marvel at your ability to waste money and your unparalleled dedication to seeking out lackluster tourist attractions.

But hey, in the end, it’s not just about the money you’ve spent; it’s about the memories you’ll make while trying to suppress the thought of your bank account weeping silently in the background. So, if you’re willing to sacrifice a small fortune for the sake of checking off a touristy experience from your bucket list, the St. Augustine Lighthouse is here to drain your wallet and make you question your life choices, all in the name of expensive entertainment!

Have you visited the St. Augustine Lighthouse? Do you have any money left in your bank account? Let me know in the comments!