The Lightner Museum: Exquisite Architecture and Engaging History
St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, is home to a beautiful and eclectic assortment of art, history, and architecture, and the Lightner Museum is the city’s finest display of all three. From the museum building itself to the collections housed within, the Lightner Museum has exhibits that will speak to everyone!
If you find yourself looking for something to do in St. Augustine, we definitely recommend a leisurely, upscale afternoon at the Lightner Museum.
So, don your beret and finest jewels—we’re getting fancy today! (Actually, you can totally visit the museum in jeans. But standing between the Tiffany glass and marble sculptures, you’ll feel like a million bucks!)
The Alcazar Hotel
Hotel? Weren’t we just talking about a museum?
Yes, and we still are talking about the Lightner Museum, because it’s one and the same as the Alcazar Hotel! Grab a cup of your favorite tea and settle in for a quick story featuring the usual star of St. Augustine. No, not Ponce de Leon—I’m talking about Henry Flagler!
Railroad tycoon Flagler was becoming a hotelier. It was the next logical step—once folks disembarked from the trains, they’d need a place to stay. Having a hand in both transportation and tourism was just good business sense!
That’s why, in 1885, he hired prestigious architects to build the Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine. In 1887, construction began on the Alcazar Hotel, just across the way. Initially planned as an entertainment venue for the Ponce, Flagler soon decided it should become a second, standalone hotel.
In appearance, both hotels were a callback to St. Augustine’s earliest days as a Spanish settlement; with terra-cotta and cream facades, red tile roofs, and elaborate pillars, the hotels proudly incorporated elements of Italian Renaissance and Moorish design.1
Although the Ponce was grander overall, guests still flocked to the Alcazar, which was set apart thanks to its entertainment and recreational facilities, like a casino and Turkish baths. (Not to mention the first swimming pool in Florida, which also happened to be the world’s largest swimming pool at the time!2) The Alcazar was the embodiment of Gilded Age luxury.
However, as the 19th century rolled into the 20th, the hotel’s popularity began to decline, and with the start of the Great Depression came the end of the Alcazar. It sat, a mere relic of halcyon days until Otto Lightner rediscovered it…
A Home for Hobbies
When I first read about Otto C. Lightner, I thought to myself: now there’s a guy who’d like Hobby Lobby almost as much as I do. (Which is a lot.)
Lightner owned and published a magazine called Hobbies, often contributing his own articles for it as well. In one such article, Lightner proclaimed, “You will rarely find a man who has a hobby getting into trouble.”2 Lightner’s personal hobby was collecting.
He advocated collecting of any kind, be it seashells or matchbooks, but with his considerable means, he collected fine art and natural history specimens—the sort of things that might be found in a museum. (You can probably see where this is going.)
His first Museum of Hobbies was housed in a mansion in Chicago, but on a visit to St. Augustine, he saw the vacant—and much larger—Alcazar Hotel. It was the perfect place to house his permanent collection! In fact, Lightner sheepishly admitted, “We will have to grow into it.”3
Any excuse to keep collecting, right? *winky face*
In 1948, the Alcazar Hotel reopened to the public as the Lightner Museum of Hobbies. Although open for exploration, the museum was far from complete. Lightner had grand visions of installing glittering chandeliers to light the museum, cultivating a sunken garden in the old swimming pool, and lining the walls with historical quilts…
Sadly, before he could accomplish all he envisioned, Lightner passed from cancer in 1950. His grave is in the courtyard of the museum, so he may ever rest amongst his beloved collection.
Although he never got to see his collection completed, the Museum of Hobbies lived on, earning a place on the National Register of Historic places in 1971. Today, it continues to entrance visitors with its unique collections, exhibitions, and cafe.
Touring Hobby Lobby The Lightner Museum
When you visit the Lightner Museum, you’ll not only be treated to the architectural wonder of the Alcazar Hotel but also the 20,000-piece collection within. (Talk about collecting goals!)
The main focus of the museum is the Gilded Age—the time from the end of the Civil War to the stock market crash of 1929. The term “Gilded Age” was coined by Mark Twain as “an ironic comment on the difference between a true golden age and their present time, a period of booming prosperity in the United States that created a class of the super-rich.”3
The Lightner Museum houses many pieces meant to declare such economic status, like Tiffany art, oil paintings from around the world, and an elaborate desk designed specifically for Louis Bonaparte (Napoleon’s brother). However, there are also plenty of the “every day” collections lauded by Lightner, too, like toys, salt and pepper shakers, cigar labels, and buttons.4
In addition to permanent displays, the museum also hosts amazing temporary exhibitions that complement the collection. In the past, they had a “Dressing Downton” exhibit (exploring clothing styles seen in the Downton Abbey television series), and as of writing, they are currently exhibiting War & Pieces, a collection of contemporary sculptures created from thousands of porcelain fragments.
The museum is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $17.00 for adults, $10.00 for children ages 12 to 17, and free for children 11 and younger. (Ask about the active military, senior, and college student discounts!) Tickets can be purchased online or at the museum.
(Photo: Jared via Flickr)
Tours of the museum are self-guided, so you can go at your pace, lingering as long as you like by the exhibits that speak to you. The museum covers four and a half floors, so be prepared to spend at least one to two hours here. Oh, and wear comfortable shoes! (Note: the museum is wheelchair accessible!)
You can make lunch part of the Lightner Museum experience by dining at the unique and elegant Cafe Alcazar. Instead of being converted into a sunken garden as Lightner had planned, the old swimming pool became a chic cafe. Even if you don’t want to grab a bite, it’s worth popping in to take a look around. This beautiful eatery is located directly behind the museum! (If you do choose to eat here, reservations are recommended as the cafe is only open from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
As a grand portrait of both the city and the Gilded Age, a visit to the Lightner Museum is a must if you want the full St. Augustine experience! Peaceful and inspiring, it’s a great way to spend the afternoon inside, out of the Florida sun. But it’s not just an escape from the heat! This museum is a truly satisfying experience and a wonderful escape into a bygone era.
Have you been to the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine? What was your favorite part? Let us know in the comments below! And tell us if you have any neat collections of your own! (Like Disney trading pins!)
Cover Image
Photo: Dan Lundberg via Flickr
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