Old Jail Museum Tour in St. Augustine
- 30 minutes
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Located on San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine’s Uptown District, the Old Jail Museum offers an educational and intriguing look into what it would have been like to be a prisoner in the Nation’s Oldest City. Take a guided tour led by the “jailers” for a compelling look at the cells where imprisoned men and women once lived, the maximum security area reserved for the most nefarious criminals and a collection of weapons.
Inclusions
What's included
- Admission to Old Jail
What's not
- Transportation to/from attraction
- Food and drinks
- St. Augustine Old Jail closed on Christmas Day.
Itinerary
For nearly 60 years – until 1953 – the Old Jail served as the St. Johns County facility for petty thieves and hardened criminals. There were even eight recorded executions, two of which were accused murderers. Sim Jackson, who was hanged in 1908 after murdering his wife with a straight razor, is among the group. Today, visitors learn about the infamous Sheriff Perry, who served from 1889 until 1897 and again from 1901 until 1919. His stature as a “big, bold man” at 6’6” and weighing 300 pounds was intimidating even for the most hardcore of inmates. Though popular in the community, Perry was feared amongst cell inhabitants – both male and female – for his reputation of renting out prisoners to local farmers through a leasing system. Visitors can also take a look at the cell blocks, gallows and sheriff’s quarters. See where the sheriff, his wife and children lived, right upstairs from the prisoners, and how they used their own kitchen to prepare meals for the inmates. A tour through this attraction will show visitors what life was like as an inmate and how the Old Jail helped shape St. Augustine’s history.
Experience is offered by Historic Tours of America
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.8
- 5643
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- 112
Ratings come from 742 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Historic Tours Of America
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children 5 yrs. and younger are free
- Free parking available
- Reservations are not accepted; tours operate on a first come, first serve basis on the day of
How it compares in St Augustine
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 10 attraction tickets we list in St Augustine.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 1 of 10.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About St Augustine
St Augustine is a Florida town on the Atlantic coast, founded by the Spanish in 1565, with a coquina fort, narrow streets and Victorian-era hotels.
St Augustine was founded by the Spanish in 1565 and is the oldest continuously occupied European-founded settlement in the continental United States. The Castillo de San Marcos, a fort of pale coquina shell stone built by the Spanish between 1672 and 1695, guards the waterfront. The Spanish Quarter, pedestrian St George Street and the cathedral basilica sit within a few blocks, and the Bridge of Lions crosses to Anastasia Island.
Top-ranked sights in St Augustine: Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Mission Nombre de Dios, Fountain of Youth.
Special offers in St Augustine
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
