Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, Florida

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Built by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler in 1888 in beautiful St. Augustine, FL. The Museum has been open to the public since 1948. It houses a world-class fine and decorative art collection from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The beautiful Alcazar Hotel serves as a backdrop for displays of furnishings, paintings, cut and blown glass, leaded glass windows, and natural history exhibits from the Otto Lightner Collection. The Museum aims to provide visitors with a fully comprehensive experience of Gilded Age art, architecture, and design.

History of the Lightner Museum

The hotel was commissioned by Florida East Coast Railway owner Henry Flagler, who hoped to lure high-spending winter visitors. It was designed by New York City architects Carrère and Hastings. The design style adopted was that of the Spanish Renaissance. The Ponce de Leon Hotel, across the street and now part of Flagler College's campus, was also designed by the same company. Both of these structures are important to history because they represent some of the first surviving uses of poured concrete in construction. These architects went on to develop iconic buildings like the New York Public Library and the Russell Senate Office Building in the nation's capital.

After many years as an exclusive winter hideaway for wealthy clientele, the hotel closed its doors in 1932 despite its steam room,  gymnasium, sulfur baths, three-story ballroom, massage parlor, and the world's largest indoor swimming pool.

On August 20, 1947, a Chicago publisher called Otto C. Lightner bought the historic hotel with the purpose of turning it into a museum devoted to various pastimes. The interior was filled with his many collections, the most notable of which was his large collection of Victorian-era artwork. The following year, 1948, the museum opened to the public when he gave it to the city of St. Augustine.

What You Will See in the Lightner Museum?

The spa, Turkish bath, and the three-story ballroom of the former Hotel Alcazar are now part of the museum. The museum is spread out across three floors of the historic Hotel Alcazar. However, the building's open courtyard, complete with palm trees, a koi pond, and a stone arch bridge, serves as the attraction's centerpiece and is worth visiting by itself.

On the ground floor, the Victorian Science and Industry Room showcases rocks, shells, minerals, and Native American artifacts in beautiful Gilded Age cases alongside stuffed birds, a model steam engine, a small Egyptian mummy, elaborate examples of Victorian glassblowing, a golden elephant carrying the world on its back, and a shrunken head.

A music room on the ground floor is filled with automated musical instruments from the 1870s to the 1920s. Instruments like player pianos, reproducing pianos, and orchestrions are some of the exhibits.

Louis Comfort Tiffany's stained glass, Victorian art glass, and cut glass are all on display on the second floor of the building. There are paintings, sculptures, and furniture exhibits on the ballroom's upper balcony, located on the building's third floor. The centerpiece is an enormous escritoire that was custom-made for Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte during his reign as King of Holland from 1806 to 1810.

In addition, the Ballroom Gallery features oil paintings by painters such as Paul Trouillebert Léon Comerre and Albert Bierstadt. Sculptures by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux and Randolph Rogers can also be found there.

The empty swimming pool may be viewed from the ballroom's upper balcony. However, the pool area is now home to the Café Alcazar.

What to Know Before You Go

The Museum is open daily except for Christmas Eve, when they close at 1 pm, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. They are open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, with the final admission at 4 pm sharp. The museum is located on King Street in St. Augustine, Florida.

The museum and its galleries span five stories. Therefore, you should budget at least an hour and a half to get a feel for the exhibitions, even if you're only passing through. Those with more niche interests may require more time. Regardless of your field of study or hobby, you'll find something interesting in this museum's collection.

Office:

St. Augustine, FL

Call:

(904) 347-9058

Email:

seroofers@gmail.com

Website:

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