St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum

Jumbled somewhere in the hustle of St. George Street there’s a quiet alley that is home to the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum.

I could barely contain my enthusiasm as I stepped through the portal into a 300 year-old journey of Port Royal, Jamaica to experience the Golden Age of Piracy. I have always found the legends of pirates and their treasure to be fascinating and full of lore.

The St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum spared no cost when recreating this adventurous era. Every detail from floor to ceiling was embellished in true pirate fashion with elaborate wood craftmanship by the artistic hand of the neighboring Colonial Quarter’s own Master Carpenter, Gary Kennedy (currently working on a 16th-century replica of a Portuguese Caravel ship).

I felt like I was on a movie set. I was excited and compelled to touch everything! As if my attention span isn’t short enough, my eyes were contending with my feet at every turn. There was just so much to look at and take in.

As I walked through Port Royal and into the Rouge’s Tavern, where I began my interactive treasure hunt, I couldn’t help but feel like a giant 7-year-old bustling for clues and traveling my fingers over pirate artifacts.

The only authentic pirate treasure chest in the world. 400 years old by Pirate and Treasure Museum

With eyes wide and agile feet, I buzzed through the Main Deck and into the Captain’s Cabin, where I found an original Jolly Roger Flag, a cool find indeed. Then a skeleton caught my eye. Naturally I wandered over in my curiosity to find it was an Execution Dock (I tend to gravitate towards the creepier things). Just beside it I found the world’s oldest “Wanted” poster (like how cool is that).

From there, my interactive treasure hunt lead me to Shipwreck Island, an exhibit of authentic shipwrecked treasures from the Florida Department of Historical Resources including authentic pirate gold and the only authentic pirate treasure chest in the world. This place was becoming more fascinating by the foot. I had no idea there was so many artifacts from the Golden Age of Piracy!

Here are some of the other interesting highlights of the Pirate & Treasure Museum:

• Below Deck- Disney’s Blackbeard Audio Show
• Hollywood Pirates- See Jack Sparrow’s sword
• Gun Deck- Fire a real cannon
• Treasure Gift Shop

Me in the slammer photo: Christa Thompson

No detail was spared at the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum. This is a must-see attraction, complete with interactive technology and authentic one-of-a-kind artifacts all arranged in a well crafted fantasy-like environment. This is a museum that will entertain the entire family and one that your kids will actually thank you for taking them to.

As always, your experience, suggestions and questions are enjoyed. Happy fairytale travels!