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
(696 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Dizzyb23
Sep 22, 2025
Best jail visit ever!! - What a great experience!! Can fully recommend this tour. It is the only way to see round the jail and that is with an actor/guide also but it is well worth it so please take the time to go when you are in the area. The Old Jail is an important part of the history of St Augustine. The tour runs about very 20 to 30 minutes or so and your guide is a knowledgeable actor who plays the role of an inmate. They book you in as a new inmate and take you round all whilst staying in character. It’s such an interesting place. The tour takes around 30 minutes ish and you will need to buy tickets to attend. It is suitable for children but I think you need to be aware that the place has some areas that sensitive kids may not enjoy so be aware. Learning about the difficult conditions was very interesting and our guide Louie explained everything really well and had a few jokes to tell too. Also, please make sure you tip your guide and give the cash directly to them and don’t put it in the tips box.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wander30952090568
Sep 11, 2025
A great experience! - Louie did a fabulous job with our jail tour, making it very interesting and entertaining! We would definitely recommend going.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
702stasiak
Sep 9, 2025
A unique tour of the old jail - We really liked this tour. The tour guide was fun and the tour was presented in a unique way. This was not originally something we had planned to do but we were glad we went on the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
484danif
Aug 31, 2025
Fun! - The Old Jail tour in Saint Augustine was fun and informative! Viola was a real hoot! She was in character and so engaging with the guests. My silly husband was her guinea pig a few times!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
285dashag
Aug 25, 2025
Very cool - Viola was our tour guide during our allotted time. She was exceptional, interactive, extremely funny, and friendly. The Old Jail is pretty cool!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
_f4097xz
Aug 10, 2025
History with a Wink: Benny Brings the Old Jail to Life - We had the pleasure of touring the Old Jail in St. Augustine with Benny from Brooklyn, and he was fantastic! He shared the harsh truths about jail life in that era, but balanced it with just the right amount of humor, making the experience both eye-opening and fun. He turned the tour into a real adventure — knowledgeable, engaging, and full of personality. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Careyl489
Aug 3, 2025
Local fun! - 📍 Local Fun Before College Send-Off! 🎓🗝️ On 08/02/25, my husband and I finally visited The Old Jail in St. Augustine—a place we’ve passed a hundred times but never explored. We wanted to do something different and fun with our daughter before she heads off to college… and this absolutely hit the mark! 💙 We booked a morning tour (10:15 a.m.) and had no trouble with parking—free lot right next to the entrance 🙌 Our guide, Aunt Viola, gave us a great 30-minute tour—she was super knowledgeable, engaging, and kept us entertained the whole time. Highly recommend asking for her if you go—just know she’s still looking for a pardon 😆 Just a heads-up: about half the tour is outside, so if you're going during summer… dress light and hydrate—it’s HOT out there 🔥🌴 💡 Local tip: If you’re a St. Johns County resident, ask about local discounts! Many of the tourist attractions around town, including The Old Jail and the Oldest Store Museum, offer reduced admission for locals—just bring your ID. 🎟️ Admission: Adults $15.99, Kids (ages 4–12) $9.99, under 4 are free. Combo tickets available if you're doing more than one attraction. Definitely one of those quirky, memorable outings that we’ll be talking about for a while. If you're a local looking for something different—or just want a fun way to soak up some real St. Augustine history—we totally recommend it. Great for all ages, and the actors make it fun and engaging. 📌 The Old Jail Museum 🕘 Open daily 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM 📍 167 San Marco Ave, St. Augustine, FL 🚗 Free on-site parking #StAugustine #OldJail #LocalFun #CollegeSendOff #HistoryWithACheatWave #FloridaHeatSurvival #AuntViolaNeedsAPardon
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ilovepuntacana19
Jul 14, 2025
Great visit - We had a great time on the Old Jail Tour. Our guide Lydia was fantastic and absolutely adorable. She kept us entertained. The tour itself was not long. It was very interesting to be inside and see the conditions that criminals endured.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jackson
Jul 6, 2025
Old time justice! - This tour was surprisingly interesting & Amazingly historical! Our tour guide was awesome too. We learned a lot about justice back in the ole days. Really interesting history!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fantasticplacetoeat
Aug 24, 2025
With right guide, very interesting tour!! - The tour is a harsh reality to how prisoners were treated. Seeing the actual cells..etc, is an experience worth the price. I gave it a four star as our guide (I won’t mention his name) has done too many tours and he ran thru his “lines” fast and one sentence after another. We caught a few cutsie jokes. It was obvious he just “got thru it” to get “his turn” up and go sit on porch. My mom did tip him and as soon as she did (no one else did) he left…I was in middle of asking a question…he was done with his spiel. I witnessed several other guides who were speaking clearly, and seemed to want the group to enjoy and experience. So, tour was very interesting and maybe you’ll get a less burned out guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $18
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).