You can’t expect that an ocean city as old as ours wouldn’t have a few rotten scoundrels in our history, and you would be correct. Pirates, their ships, and their “booty” have long been a part of our fair town’s backstory, but we aren’t ashamed to admit it! In fact, we celebrate the skeletons in our closet with a fun and fascinating pirate museum in St. Augustine that features exhibits, displays, and artifacts (including pirate treasure) of the scalawags that give St. Augustine just the right amount of naughty!
Walking the Plank Can Be Fun!
Captain the ship, swab the decks, and interact with the animatronic pirates that can be found throughout this fun museum. The Pirate and Treasure Museum is a 100% hands-on experience! Learn about some of the most infamous pirates throughout the centuries, many who attempted to attack St. Augustine (we were sacked twice!), and spend your time exploring the over 800 artifacts collected by owner Pat Croce. Mr. Croce has spent his life collecting pirate paraphernalia and has become somewhat of a pirate expert. His first museum in Key West, the Pirate Soul Museum, is still open today and is a popular spot for vacationers (but we remain partial to our own pirate museum in St. Augustine, of course!).
Special Exhibits
One exhibit in particular draws excited children from all over the world; the Pirate and Treasure Museum is home to the oldest treasure chest in the world. Worth over a million dollars, Thomas Tews 17th century pirate’s chest weighs over 150 pounds—and that is when it is empty! Another popular artifact is an original Jolly Roger flag. Only two of these exist in the world, making this treasure unique, rare, and much loved by the thousands of visitors that enter the doors of our favorite museum every year!
In addition to the aforementioned, the museum features gold doubloons (silver too!), jewelry, and grenades found aboard the Galleon Atocha, a Spanish ship that was lost at sea many centuries ago. Children have the ability to “fire” flintlock pistols and a cannon, and the Rogues Tavern features an interactive touchscreen exhibit in which eight different pirate stories are told. And finally, a 1696 wanted poster is on display, in which the King of England offers 500 pounds of silver in exchange for pirate Henry Every. He never had to make good on the reward, as Henry Every was a very good pirate who never managed to be captured!
The Ocean Gallery
Start your vacation adventure with a visit to the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum when you book your luxury Ocean Gallery vacation home and learn how to live the pirate’s life—arrrrggh!
