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
(728 Ratings)
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Donnad
May 23, 2026
So much fun - This was GREAT! Our guide Lizzie was fun and informative, and she made the experience inter-active. One of the best tour guides I’ve ever had It is an appropriate tour for all ages and I highly recommend it!
Review provided by Viator
Jeanbrodie75
May 2, 2026
Best “Inmate” Tour Guide - Benny the “inmate” tour guide was very entertaining while also knowledgeable of history. He interacted with us, the audience, with jokes and song! (And he can sing!!) He made this tour the highlight of our St Augustine trip! Five stars for Benny!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chrism802337793
Apr 13, 2026
Well worth a visit - Florence was our guide and she was excellent. She was very informative and made the experience fun too. It was really interesting to hear all the stories about the criminal system back in 1906. Highly recommend a visit if your in the area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Theresaj735
Apr 8, 2026
Must-do tour with Benny! - Our guide Benny was amazing. Stayed in character and was a great and entertaining storyteller. Old Jail was fascinating to learn about, and top floor has some exhibits to browse after the tour ends. My 4th grader son enjoyed it too, although some of the stories are a bit scary and probably not suitable for younger kids.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J3004apdh
Mar 29, 2026
Great Experience - A great tour. Louie our tour guide did an excellent job of presenting the information in character as an inmate. Presented information in a fun way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heather_b
Mar 29, 2026
Interesting to learn... - Interesting to learn about all the things in the jail and what went on. Felt bad for the people thrown in that were innocent
Review provided by Viator
Escape655365
Mar 25, 2026
Quirky Oldest Jail in the nation Tour!!🤩🙌 - Incredible and Super Fun Informational Tour. The tour guide exceptional!! Definitely a MUST!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janets963
Mar 18, 2026
A fun way to learn a little about St. Augustine and the jail's history, for the whole family!! - This is a fun and unique way to learn history! However, the tickets are a little bit expensive. The tour is about 30 minutes long, and once the tour is over you can still look around, but not in the areas where tours are going on. Our tour guide, Viola, was very fun. She included some demonstrations that included the people taking the tour to interact with the displays. She also was very friendly to kids and she did include them in activities too. In the tour, there are quite a few people. They have you stand in a line, and they count out thirty people to come on the tour. All others not picked in the line are chosen on the next tour. Outside of the jail, there are some shops, restaurants, and a ticket booth for other tours. The building may not be what you expect it to look like. It is a reddish, pinkish building. It looks like a small hotel with bars on the windows. Overall, this was a great experience, and a fun way to learn a little bit about St. Augustine and the jail's history, for the whole family!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lawrence_k
Mar 17, 2026
Highly recommend - Fun guide and very interesting history. Didn't realize how primitive the conditions were in those days.
Review provided by Viator
Feranger1
Mar 11, 2026
Don’t miss this tour! - We really enjoyed our tour of the old time jail. Lizzie was very informative as well as extremely entertaining. She made the tour interactive by involving everyone. This is a must see in St. Augustine!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $19
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).