Old Jail Museum: Explore St. Augustine's Historic Prison

Step back in time and experience the Old Jail Museum in St. Augustine. Discover the history of America’s oldest prison and get a glimpse into the lives of its prisoners. Book a guided tour today!

Duration: 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Old Jail Museum - 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…
What's Included
  • Admission to Old Jail
What's Not Included
  • Transportation to/from attraction
  • Food and drinks
  • St. Augustine Old Jail closed on Christmas Day.
Additional Information

Situated on San Marco Avenue, in the Uptown District of St. Augustine, the Old Jail Museum provides an educational and fascinating insight into the living conditions of prisoners in the Nation’s Oldest City. Experience an intriguing guided tour conducted by the ‘jailers,’ revealing a captivating view of the cells where convicted men and women were…

Location
Old Jail Museum
San Marco Avenue
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(718 Ratings)
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Lori
Feb 16, 2026
Old Jail - What a fun way to learn history! Patrick was an awesome guide and made the tour fun by interacting with guests. He was very knowledgeable and fun to listen to!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C8274wndebbieb
Feb 6, 2026
Fantastic guided tour! - We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Lydia was a fantastic tour guide. She played the part of a prisoner and suggested that we (and the rest of the people on the tour) were convicts who were about to be imprisoned. She introduced us to the deplorable conditions of the prison. She was witty and funny (had some great puns) which made the tour fun even thought the subject matter was very dismal. (Lynchings, overcrowding, horrible food, chain gangs, etc…) We bought the ticket to this tour as part of the “Trolley Tour with attractions” pass. It was definitely worth it. An enjoyable way to learn about history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristy_p
Feb 5, 2026
Jed was great! He made... - Jed was great! He made the experience fun. He knew everything there was to know but did it creatively.
Review provided by Viator
Alexandrea
Jan 26, 2026
Fun experience - Our tour guide Louie was great! He had lots of knowledge and stayed in character throughout the tour. The stories were interesting and insightful of how the jail ran in the past. The inside of the jail was smaller than I had imagined and I could not imagine being an inmate there. This was a great tour and something to do to experience the history of St. Augustine.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shawntaye_s
Jan 12, 2026
Sykes Ole Time Weekend - Just walking by you would be like. Nah!!!! But this is a must see. The history of the jail itself is everything.
Review provided by Viator
Cruerockchick
Dec 29, 2025
Informative - This was a very informative and interesting exhibit to visit. Our tour guide was informative and fun. Definitely worth a visit when you come down.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_b
Dec 24, 2025
Don't forget your papers.... - Don't forget your papers. This is a unique, historical experience that makes you grateful you were not alive to experience it in real time. And it was fun.
Review provided by Viator
Christy_l
Dec 23, 2025
Entertaining historical tour - I enjoyed seeing the historic jail as well as the tour guide, Louis, who stayed in character making it fun for the kids.
Review provided by Viator
Joseph
Jan 27, 2026
This is a must when you visit St Augustine - The history told on the tour was great. I was not a fan of the tour guide but that is preference. The museum and penny arcade have awesome exhibits.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rhondapp321
Dec 25, 2025
Poor advertising - They did not change their hours online. We showed up at 4pm. They closed at 3pm instead of 5pm. Very upset we didn't get to do tour.
Review provided by Viator
From $19
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).