Colonial Quarter, St. Augustine

The Colonial Quarter in St. Augustine is a living history museum that takes visitors on a journey through the formation and creation of America's oldest city. The site, previously known as the Colonial Spanish Quarter, was opened in 1963 to depict life in St. Augustine during the 1740s, when the area was ruled by Spain and occupied mostly by persons of Spanish ancestry. After an extensive multimillion-dollar renovation completed in three months, the site reopened in March 2013 as the Colonial Quarter, dropping "Spanish" from its name.

Owned by Pat Croce's Colonial Quarter LLC, the two-acre attraction reveals St. Augustine's history as a fledgling port and allows guests to partake in authentic musket drills, climb to the top of a 17th-century watchtower replica, and dine and drink in 18th-century style at the Bull and Crown or the Taberna Del Caballo.

The Colonial Quarter is where visitors can experience hundreds of years of Colonial Spanish and British living history in St. Augustine. The attraction has become one of the city's premier live music venues, with local bands performing here nightly on the outdoor stage and open area picnic table seating covered with trees and lit by lanterns.

The site takes guests on a journey through the city's first days as a trading port in the 16th century and as the first European waterfront community in the Americas. Visitors can see a 16th-century sailing vessel crafted by hand and inspect artifacts at the grounds of the Colonial Quarter, glimpsing into the interesting past of the city through the archeological investigations that took place on this site.

Visitors can climb up 35 feet to the top of a replica watchtower from the 17th-century and fire off in a musket drill, learning to lock, load, and fire their 17th-century replica musket with the garrison's military gunsmith. They can also tour an 18th-century home to see what it was like to live during the early Spanish Colonial days and dine in 18th-century style at the authentic taberna, enjoying Spanish music, light tapas, cold beverages, and an intimate atmosphere.

Overall, the Colonial Quarter is an interactive, immersive journey through history that takes vacationers and locals back in time through three centuries of St. Augustine's formation and creation.