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November 2023 by Nishant N.
We opted for the combo ticket that granted us access to both the Colonial Quarter and Pirate Treasure Museum, and let me assure you, it was a worthwhile investment. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, our curiosity led us to the Colonial Quarter, seeking a deeper understanding of St. Augustine's history and the lifestyles of bygone eras. Our guide, Cooper, proved to be a highlight of the experience. Energetic, articulate, and possessing a profound knowledge of the subject matter, Cooper skillfully conveyed the historical context and information. The blacksmith demonstration, the guided tour of the old house, and the various exhibits showcased during Cooper's tour left a lasting impression on us. The pinnacle of the experience was undoubtedly the cannon demonstration that Cooper orchestrated towards the end of our visit. Without a doubt, Colonial Quarter is a must-visit destination for those eager to delve into the rich history of St. Augustine. Cooper's engaging guidance added a layer of authenticity and enthusiasm, making the exploration even more captivating.
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August 2023 by Jamie H.
Stopped in for a quick drink. Anthony was our bartender. Ask for him he was really nice and made us feel at home. Try his margaritas. Yum
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February 2023 by Tawnya S.
We are homeschoolers and had high hopes for this to be a really immersive educational experience. It was one (very good) guide dressed in period costumes walking you around a very small area. There is a leather shop, a watchtower, a blacksmith shop, one of the oldest houses in St Augustine, a model scale caravel boat and cannon firing. It is a small park and probably not worth the amount spent for a 45 minute tour that the kiddo was done with after 1/2. We had just studied everything so all the information, while informative, was t new to us. He did find the cannon firing interesting as he is a teenager. But after that he was like "can we go?" Can't say I recommend unless they add in more actors and displays. Felt like there wasn't enough.
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October 2022 by Kelly B.
I have mixed emotions about this experience from the perspective of an Elem Ed teacher. I know that all 4th graders visit this site as a part of their Fl history studies. I visited on a Wed in October. There were only 4 adults on the tour. We had one guide Burt. Burt was great and styled the tour with his guitar. I see all the other videos/photos that people posted and I saw none of that on my tour. I have no idea if that is a weekend only thing or not. For me, there was no exciting vibe as if to feel like I'm really experiencing the vitality of the city from the past. I expect to see multiple people in costume working within the colonial quarter and to my chagrin it was only Burt. I'm comparing this experience to what I expected, which was like Plymouth plantation or other living history, museums that I had been to . Most definitely this is not worth what they charge given that you have one tour guide who does all of the events and it's so small. Another issue that I have is that this place wraps around the no-name bar and evidently starting at 3 o'clock the band starts playing , this really ruins the vibe of trying to get into the moment and feel like you're back in time. Additionally, it's highly distracting from the experience so I'm guessing if you came earlier in the day you would not be experiencing this. I went at 3 o'clock, so I would recommend going earlier in the day.Additionally, this experience would be good for kids before they go to the fort in my opinion. I feel like they would get a lot more from it, then visiting the fort on a day where there's not going to be artillery, black smith demonstrations, etc.. For adults you will be left with wanting more for your money. I would not recommend this experience unless you had money to blow and did it mind wasting it. This is very much touristy and nothing like the Fountain of Youth in that regard. My suggestion to the owners would be to have a living history actors going about their day, as if they live there, so that you could see how people function and doing these respective occupations as you visited. When you go into the Sanchez House, you have a really terrible female mannequin by the table and it is not necessary since the fake ess is distracting. Maybe on the weekend it is full of actors which creates a far better experience. This was my first time at this location. The only highlights for kids is going up the tower to see out onto the bay, and seeing the cannon fire.
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May 2022 by Terisa H.
My Husband & i were in St. Augustine for our Honeymoon May 2022 & we had not experienced this on our past trip, so we went in. It was a bit pricey for what we did, but look at where we were. This was a nice little trip though time. The tour guide was funny & answered all our questions. The house, the ship, & the firing of the cannon, was our favorite parts of the tour. We got lucky that we went in May, because if it had been summer, there would of been no chance of us going on this tour.
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May 2022 by Glenn C.
This place was another tourist trap. They built a small demonstration village by the pirate museum. I have seen better demonstrations in the Richmond VA area. They have a replica wooden shipbeing built. Cannon demo was cool. Not worth the price!
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November 2021 by Whitney Terrell
Super cool experience! Our guide Bert made history fun. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to “step back in time.”
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October 2021 by Michael D.
Hichly recommend this experience. Say 'Hey" to Bert, our tour guide. He has an encyclopedic mind for everything connected to St. Augustine. Prior to the founding of the city up to the present day. Bert absolutely made the tour. Ideal to be part of a guided tour. Witness & touch historical artifacts. The oldest 'room' in the city. Learn about the vast array of factors that created this city, including the real history of the impact of European empires. Blacksmith demonstration is educational. Bert is receptive to all types of questions. Suitable for all ages. The Colonial Quarter was the best tourist experience during our visit. Bert was kind enough to demonstrate life in the 1500's. Beeswax, boats, muskets & live fire canon. Bert is passionate about this subject matter, which really adds the extra dimension other museums lack. Thank you for an excellent experience. Parking is available for a fee nearby. Be sure to check out the 'narrowest' street in the country. Well hidden, Treasury Street remains intact. Great value when added with the Pirate Museum next door. Would definitely visit again. Peace.
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May 2021 by Tom H.
We took the tour May 30, 2021 with our 11 year old and had a great time. The tower provided great views of the water and the Castillo de San Marcos, and our guide was very entertaining. We learned about the history of the area , the ships, house construction, and there were demonstrations of blacksmith tools, and how to fire a musket.
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May 2021 by Josh M.
Don't be taken by online 3rd parties trying to sell you tickets for 50% off of $26. At the gate, tickets are $13.50 for adults. The place gives you a guided history tour as you sit and listen at different stations. Our guide was enjoyable to learn from. We took our almost 4 year old and 2 year old. They behaved well and enjoyed exploring the place afterwards.
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May 2021 by Michelle D.
I have visited St Augustine so many times I cannot count. But I never experienced the Colonial Quarter's until this past Mother's Day weekend. A friend was in town from S Florida with her mother who wanted to learn some history about the oldest city in the US. Tours run daily at 10:30 AM, 12 PM, 1:30 PM, and 3 PM and the tour last 30 to 40 minutes. Our tour guide started with a song and some background on Colonial life. Then we moved to the armory where we saw a gun made of wood. We saw a blacksmith demonstration which was quite captivating. We learned how they fed air to the fire in the furnace while heating the metal to a hot enough temperature to bend. We toured a home that was more than 270 years old. The home was decorated as if it were Colonial times. Right down to one of the first indoor toilets (wooden seat with an opening for a bowl);) We saw a row of flags that had all been flown over St Augustine at one point in history. Nextdoor was a boat that was a replica of something used to travel from Europe to America back in the day. We learned they put sheep in harnesses and hung them over the side of the boat or from the top of the sails during transport to the new world. Crazy right? The last piece of the tour was my most favorite as our tour guide shot a cannon. Check out my video. Pretty cool! There's also a Watchtower on the bayside of the property if you're feeling like some exercise you can climb up and check out the nice view of the water, boats and Lions Bridge. I would absolutely recommend Colonial Quarter's for locals and tourists!
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April 2021 by Dan Maynard
My family enjoyed visiting this informative and entertaining section of Saint Augustine. The guide was knowledgeable and presented the material in an entertaining delivery.
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January 2021 by Richard M.
Great educational tour of multiple structures inside the walkabout structure and the Spanish and English history of St. Augustine. Burt was a great guide. Much more educational than most experiences here.
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November 2020 by Jade U.
Absolutely awesome!! Our entire, big family loved the up close and personal Colonial experience. Coolest thing EVER and we learned so much! Randy greeted us on arrival and was so friendly and hospitable. We were very thankful for his help with understanding everything. Carlos was our presenter and guide. He taught us a TON of interesting, factual information AND he fired a musket, a cannon, and demonstrated blacksmithing to us. Highly recommend this to anyone in St. Augustine! Fun, fun, and SO much was learned!
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November 2020 by Matt G.
Florida sure is beautiful in fall, that's when all the license plates start changing color. Quaint piece of local history. Nice unique architecture for the region. Pleasant strolling around shops, cafes, gift shops, churches, exhibitions. A lot of it restored and altered for tourists of course, which is ok going in knowingly of that. Interesting too see the changes of the historic timeframe of St Augustine unique history.
