As most who pay a visit to the area learn, St. Augustine, Florida, is a treasure trove of history here in the United States. From the Castillo de San Marcos to the Fountain of Youth, all the way to the Oldest School House and the Old Jail, St. Augustine features historical information dating back over 500 years. The Old Jail plays a huge role in the history St. Augustine holds and is one of the most popular sites to visit during your time in our ancient city. Let’s get into the history captured in the Old Jail and how you can experience it!
The History:
The Old Jail was constructed in 1891 and served the city of St. Augustine until it closed in 1953. At the time, this jail held some of the most violent criminals, and was reknowned for carrying out capital punishment on gallows built around the property. Between the open and close of the jail, a total of 8 men were hanged and executed from these gallows. The Old Jail was constructed by Henry Flagler. Flagler built this jail because he wanted to create a safe environment for his guests and he needed a secure place to put people who threatened those morals. So with extra land Flagler had secured, he built a prison.
This jail couldn’t be just any old jail, Henry needed a jail built that was concealed within his own architecture so as to not frighten the guests or draw any unneeded suspicion to the area. So he constructed a jail with an exterior appearance of a Victorian house, making the jail camouflaged to the naked eye of his guests and those who lived in the town. Come to find out, Flagler decided that the original jail was built too close for his liking, so he employed the P. J. Pauley Jail Company to build a new jail for him at a further away location. The P.J. Pauley Jail Company was the same construction company responsible for building the Alcatraz in San Francisco.
Behind the walls of what seemed to be a quaint Victorian House, the Old Jail could contain up to seventy-two prisoners at full capacity. In the northern two-story wing, you would find the cells for men, women, and those who were placed under maximum security, along with a kitchen on the lower level next to the living quarters for the sheriff and their family. The jail served the city of St. Augustine until 1953, when it was closed and then turned into a local attraction only a year after closing. The Old Jail opened as an attraction for visitors to be able to have a look into the jail system including a walk through of the women’s cells, men’s cells, and the maximum security cells where some of the most dangerous criminals in the country were kept.
Visiting the Old Jail of St. Augustine:
The Old Jail has been renovated to give visitors a look into the lives of the prisoners and to show just how the penal system worked many years ago in St. Augustine. When you take a tour of the Old Jail, your group will be assigned a guide. All the guides at the Old Jail are costumed actors who will entertain you with the history of the jail, as well as tell old stories about the inmates, show you to their cells, and even book YOU as an inmate… so spooky!
The Old Jail is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but stays closed on Christmas Day. The guided tours depart every twenty minutes. Tickets range with age; guests aged five years and younger are free, while children aged 6-12 are $7.44 a ticket, and adults are $13.83 a ticket. The Old Jail also offers a Ghost and Gravestones tour of the jail at dark, where you will learn about the paranormal activity that goes on within the jail, as well as visit a number of other locations throughout St. Augustine known for their paranormal activity. Might we note that when you visit the Old Jail during the Ghost And Gravestones tour, you will be locked into a cell with the lights out. If you fear the dark, you may want to stick to the daytime tour.
The Old Jail is an amazing attraction in St. Augustine, and has captured some of the richest history around town. This activity is perfect for families and makes for an educational experience rain or shine!