St Augustine Things to Do With Kids: 15 Fun Activities

With a pristine coastline marked by palm trees and lively surf, it’s no wonder visitors from all over congregate in St Augustine. The United States’ oldest city is a veritable wonderland of sun, sand, museums, wildlife, and more.

Thanks to this surplus of Vitamin Sea and scintillating local historical attractions, St. Augustine with kids is always a slam dunk. Follow along to discover the 15 best things to do in St. Augustine with kids.

Hop aboard and participate in riveting trolley tours that take you by the famous Fountain of Youth and the Castillo de San Marcos. Or, up the animal intrigue when you see real live gators in some of the area’s top zoological parks.

Spot sea turtles nesting oceanside, or pack up that bait and tackle so you can cast a line at the county pier.

From swimming with Flipper to cannon firings and swashbuckling pirate history, there’s never-ending enchantment to uncover in the Old City.

St Augustine Hotels

Ready to embark on the family-friendly St. Augustine getaway of your dreams? Before you hop on all of the top-notch St Augustine attractions, you’ll need to secure some superior lodgings.

Whether you are interested in staying close to the historic district and getting a jump on sightseeing or would prefer to rest at the beachside and work on that tan, we offer St. Augustine Hotels for every style and budget.

Wherever you decide to splash, sleep, and play, make your booking stress free, knowing you are always guaranteed our lowest rates online.

Wide shot of the exterior of the Hampton Inn in the historic district of St. Augustine, Florida, USA
photo credit: Hampton Inn St. Augustine-Historic District

St Augustine Things to Do with Kids

Pack up that beach umbrella, slap on some sunscreen, and prepare to walk the plank! With tons of outdoor attractions, not to mention a surplus of colonial history and landmarks, everyone from teens to toddlers will find tons to do in St. Augustine. Try perfecting your spike with a spirited game of beach volleyball, or opt for guided tours via a charming trolley.

St Augustine Beach

No trip to the Sunshine State is complete without some significant beach time. Let your little minnows splash around in some of our country’s finest beaches, when you hightail it to the area’s most stunning parks. Crescent Beach provides swaths of hard-packed sand perfect for bike rides, volleyball, and frisbee. While St. Johns County Ocean Pier provides ample opportunity for fishing, recreational play, and more.

Families can take advantage of multiple volleyball and Bocce Courts, a playground, and a covered pavilion area. Witness one of Mother Nature’s most majestic marvels when you perfectly time your trip with sea turtle season.

At Ocean Hammock Park animal inclined visitors may be able to spot several species, including loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles, gopher tortoises, and the Anastasia Island beach mouse. Budget for some extra time, as you’ll want to explore the site’s many nature/hiking trails and kayak/canoe launches.

beach and coastline at St. Augustine, Florida, USAAnastasia State Park

Ranked as one of the best state parks in the country, this pristine Eden of white sand, tidal marshes, and dunes can be found on a peninsula on Anastasia Island. Intrepid families flock here to immerse themselves in 1,600 acres of unspoiled wilderness. Anastasia State Park is home to many wading birds, ospreys, eagles, and more.

Watch the Blue Heron dive for fish, or bring along your bike for a heart-pounding ride through four miles of beach. Ideal for amateur hikers, the mostly flat Ancient Dunes Nature Trail loops through a shaded maritime hammock and weaves its way through ancient dunes.

Get your fill of H20 with swimming, and surfing, or stay dry while shelling. Refuel with a picturesque picnic in one of their three accessible areas, or plan to relax under the inky black night sky when you reserve a campsite.

St. Augustine Pirate Treasure Museum

Arggh Matey! Do you have what it takes to hunt down the elusive St Augustine pirate treasure? Raise that Jolly Roger because it’s time to time travel to the Golden Age of Piracy.

Come face to face with Captain Mayhem and swear you hear those cannon firings in the distance when you and your little ones make your way through over 800 artifacts from the 1600s through the present day at the St Augustine Pirate Treasure Museum. Imagine what life was like 300 years ago in Port Royal, Jamaica, as you spot Blackbeard’s Blunderbuss, antique coins, and the world’s oldest surviving pirate’s chest.

Don’t forget to stop by the Pirates in Hollywood exhibit to see how Tinsel Town has interpreted these scoundrels of the high seas.

Wide shot from above of the Old Town Trolley full of people ready for a tour on a sunny day in St Augustine, Florida, USASt. Augustine Hop On Hop Off Trolley Tour

Looking to scratch that itch for history? Make the past come alive for your little ones when you uncover over 500 years of the Ancient City’s charm, culture, and heritage on a St. Augustine Hop On Hop Off Trolley Tour. Your family will receive a crash course in local landmarks as you traverse every inch of the city’s brick-lined streets.

Your 90-minute guided tour allows you maxim flexibility and access to 22 convenient stops. Get ready to snap away, as you’ll be dying to document the former Ponce de Leon Hotel, the Fountain of Youth, and the Oldest Store Museum.

Learn to love life on lockdown at the Old Jail Museum, or enjoy unique attractions such as the Alligator Farm. Settle in and relax as your conductor peppers their commentary with local lore, history, and jokes. From the European flair of Old Town to unmissable stips at the Castillo de San Marcos, this fully packed tour allows you to experience St Augustine at your own pace.

St Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park

Florida is synonymous with gator country. Get to know even more about these scaly reptiles when you round up your rugrats for a slithering excursion to the St Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. For over a century, this park has served as one of the state’s largest running attractions.

Visitors of all ages will be in awe as they discover 24 species of crocodiles, and a variety of other reptiles, mammals, and birds. In addition to peeking at iridescent albino gators, sloths, hooded vultures, and macaws, guests can up the adrenaline with crocodile zip line crossings.

Plan out your day ahead of time, because you won’t want to miss the live demonstrations and wildlife shows which include alligator feedings, demonstrations, and more.

close up of alligator in grass at Busch Gardens Tampa in Tampa, Florida, USAOldest Wooden Schoolhouse

Love entertaining (or torturing) your little rugrats with tales of your schoolyard days? Show the IPad generation how students of yesteryear hit the books, when you head to the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. Nestled in the heart of downtown St. Augustine on St George Street, this charming edifice dates back to the 18th century.

Visitors can tour the facility and learn all about the daily lives of colonial schoolchildren. The school’s original structure was a one-room single-story building, with an exterior made of bald cypress and red cedar logs bound together by wood pins and iron spikes.

Schoolhouse visitors can appreciate antique copies of old textbooks and school supplies from the eighteenth century, In addition to touring the kitchen and gardens.

St. Augustine Lighthouse

Illuminate St. Augustine’s brilliant maritime past when you conquer the Lighthouse’s epic climb. For over 150 years the Light Station has served to aid in naval navigation. Pint-sized sailors of all ages will catch quite the thrill as they climb the lighthouse tower, view historic exhibits, or even witness boat building in progress.

Thanks to immersive areas such as the Cracker’s and Eliza’s Club featuring a shipyard play area, there are plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning and play. Mini explorers can take part in a game about finding a shipwreck, complete a nature trails scavenger hunt, or play with puppets in the Maritime Education Center.

Wide shot of pier and ocean with St. Augustine Lighthouse in the backgroundMarineland Dolphin Adventure

Join the pod and get ready to splash around all day when you witness the majesty of everyone’s favorite marine mammals. Fans of Flipper will be overjoyed to spend the day at Marineland Dolphin Adventure. Budding marine biologists will have their pick of spectacular adventures and up-close animal encounters. For over 80 years Marineland has been crafting memorable marine experiences as the world’s first oceanarium.

Swim with dolphins, watch them create incomparable art pieces, or simply swim and frolic through their 1.3 million gallon habitat. Besides dolphin handshakes and kisses, guests can enjoy seeing Sea Turtles, Sand Tiger Sharks, and Tortoises in their natural habitat.

St. Augustine Old Jail Museum

When time out isn’t cutting it, just throw them in the clink! All jokes aside, older kids will relish the opportunity to take part in this slightly spooky tour. For over 60 years the Old Jail in St Augustine housed all manners of criminals and hardened hearts.

Today visitors can step back in time with a trip to the Old Jail Museum. Through a guided tour you and your family can learn about the prisoners who were incarcerated here, see where executions took place at the gallows, and peek at an array of 19th-century weapons and artifacts.

Kids will be captivated by the costumed actors portraying Sheriff Joe Perry and his deputies. Listen up as your intriguing guides spill tall tales, history, and even grant you a chance to escape your grim prison fate!

 A photo of two people, a father and a daughter, beside a statue of a man and a dead crocodile.
photo credit: Melissa Fields-Meadows via Facebook

Florida Water Tours

Sparkling intercoastal waters, dazzling marine life, and famous St Augustine landmarks await you and your first mates on Florida Water Tours. Any St Augustine experience is elevated with the addition of water, so hop aboard for a 90-minute ocean adventure when you book a Dolphin and Wildlife excursion. Ideal for little animal lovers, this thoroughly immersive journey will appeal to the whole family.

Uncover the secrets and sights of Florida’s most bountiful ecosystems when you sit back, relax, and listen up on this marine naturalist-guided tour. Chock full of estuary delights and marshland habitats you’ll have chances to spot birds, dolphins, manatees, turtles, and more.

Furthermore, keep those peepers peeled on the horizon as you’ll want to soak in the scenery of the St. Augustine Bayfront, Castillo de San Marcos, Mission Nombre de Dios (The Big Cross), and the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

Sea Serpent Airboat Adventure

Gunning to get a glimpse of a real Florida gator? Take to the marshy backwaters of Six Mile Creek in style when you round up your whole family for an airboat escape. Choose from a 6 or 15-passenger Sea Serpent Airboat Adventure and prime yourself for over an hour of indigenous wildlife, sunken boats, treasure, folklore, and more.

Have that phone or camera fully charged, as you’ll have chances to capture incredible photos of gators, turtles, manatees, snakes, and avian life. The St Johns River is ripe with both animal life and local tall tales. Discover the remains of “Capt Blye” in Palmo Cove, or see sunken treasure. An ideal family outing, kid participants will even receive a free “Sea Serpent” souvenir.

Castillo de San Marcos in St Augustine Florida
St. Augustine, Florida at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.

Camping in an unspoiled state park, kayaking in the company of Osprey and Herons, and epic Lighthouse views. The Ancient City may be old, but this Florida hotspot continues to surprise us with its abundance of fresh activities, attractions, and unparalleled historic landmarks.

Children of all ages will be eager to show off their swimming, surfing, and volleyball skills. While older teens will go gaga over Jailhouse tours and snapping gallows selfies.

Feel the wind in your hair as you cruise down the St Johns River on an authentic airboat. Or watch in awe as your dolphin friend paints you a three-colored masterpiece.

From treasure chests to manatee sightings and more, there’s never enough time to tackle all of the things to do with kids in St Augustine.

Tell us, What Are Some of Your Top Things to Do With Kids St Augustine?

Leave a comment below!


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Written by Isis Maya Nissman

A New York native, Isis-Maya spent most of her professional life working in TV production until a vacation whisked her away to Central...


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