Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:St. Augustine, Florida
Our Tourist Attractions Expert Says:
"Stunning" is the word first-time visitors to Flagler College most often use to describe the campus in St. Augustine, Florida. From a dining hall with million-dollar Tiffany windows to dorm rooms that once hosted celebrities like John Jacob Astor, Gary Cooper and Presidents Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt, the campus exudes luxury.
The centerpiece of the campus is Ponce de Leon Hall, once a luxury resort, built by the man who Flagler College is named for. Henry Morrison Flagler was a Gilded Age industrialist, railroad pioneer and oil magnate. In 1888, he built the luxury resort Hotel Ponce de Leon. Murals were painted by George Maynard, and the interior decorator was none other than Louis Comfort Tiffany. Thomas Edison is said to have contributed as well. Designed in Spanish Renaissance Revival style to compliment its historic surroundings, the Ponce de Leon hotel was among the most luxurious of its time.
Flagler College is now the beneficiary of Flagler's rich attention to detail. Today, the old hotel houses female dorms and the famous Tiffany-windowed dining hall. Eight of the other 15 buildings on the main campus are historic structures that have been lovingly restored by the college.
A statue of Henry Flagler stands guard at the King Street entrance. The Lightner Museum, just across the street, is a site to see, just for the building itself! The building centers on an open palm-planted courtyard with an arched stone bridge spanning a fishpond. The first floor houses a model Victorian village, with shop fronts representing emporia selling period wares. The Victorian Science and Industry Room displays shells, rocks, minerals and Native American artifacts in beautiful turn-of-the-20th-century cases. Other exhibits include stuffed birds, an Egyptian mummy, steam-engine models, and amazing examples of Victorian glassblowing. Plan to spend about 90 minutes exploring it all, and be sure to be here at 11am or 2pm, when a room of automated musical instruments erupts into concerts of period music. Check out the cafe, too, housed in what used to be a stunning indoor pool. Kids love to do the scavenger hunt that you get for free at the admission desk.
Sign up for a student-led tour to get a look at all the history Flagler College has to offer. The student guides do a wonderful job of blending the past and present. Ponce de Leon Hall is only available for viewing during the summer when there are no classes.
Flagler College is located in St. Augustine, in Northeast Florida on the Atlantic Ocean. St. Augustine is 35 miles south of Jacksonville and 55 miles north of Daytona Beach. The main campus is located at 74 King Street. St. Augustine is served by the Jacksonville International Airport.