Lightner Museum

The Lightner Museum is an art museum inside the former Hotel Alcazar in St. Augustine, Florida, displaying collections of furniture, mechanical musical instruments, and cut glass. The late 19th-century building follows a Mediterranean Revival style and spreads its exhibits across several floors around a central courtyard.

Henry Flagler had the building constructed in 1888 as a luxury hotel that welcomed guests until the 1930s. Publisher Otto Lightner purchased it in 1948 and converted it into a museum to house his private collections.

The building takes its name from publisher Otto Lightner, who acquired it to house his personal collection and later opened it to the public. Visitors today walk through rooms once used as hotel suites and ballrooms, now filled with display cases of 19th-century decorative objects.

The museum opens daily and sits centrally in the historic downtown, so visitors can walk from most hotels and attractions. Most exhibition areas are at ground level or accessible by stairs, and a full tour of all rooms takes about two hours.

The basement holds a former swimming pool that ranked among the largest indoor pools of its time and now serves as a café. Guests can sit at tables placed where the water once was.

Location: St. Augustine

Architects: Carrère and Hastings

Architectural style: Mediterranean Revival architecture

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00; Holidays off

Website: http://lightnermuseum.org

GPS coordinates: 29.89064,-81.31370

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:28