Last month I had the privilege to chaperone Julia on her 4th grade class field trip. When she came home and told me they were going to St. Augustine I signed up to chaperone immediately. St. Augustine has been on my Florida bucket list for awhile now but I just haven’t had the chance to get there so when the opportunity came up in the form of a field trip that we could do together, I jumped on it.

Day One

Upon arriving to St. Augustine (and after an almost 5 hour bus ride) we were greeted by our tour guides with some packed lunches from Chick-Fil-A, which is always a great idea and of course the kids loved it.

After lunch we headed to our first tour of the trip which was a trolley tour. Julia was so excited to ride the trolley around town. I especially liked learning about St. Augustine’s rich Spanish history. A lot of the buildings and churches reminded me of Puerto Rico, specifically, Old San San Juan.

Potter’s Wax Museum

After the trolley tour, we visited Potter’s Wax Museum. With over 160 wax figures on display, Potter’s is the oldest wax museum in the country. I loved that they had such a diverse collection of wax figures and the kids really enjoyed learning about the different exhibits. They also got to learn about St. Augustine’s dark history (if they chose to explore) by entering a special section of the wax museum. Potter’s Wax Museum is perfect for class trips or groups and it feels like there’s something for everybody there.

Castillo De San Marcos

The centerpiece of St. Augustine’s history (it’s over 327 years old) the Castillo De San Marcos was built by Spanish settlers in the late 17th century. The fort is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, boasting stunning architecture and it’s the oldest structure in St. Augustine.

The Old Jail

This iconic landmark, dating back to the late 19th century, offers a glimpse into the harsh realities of what life was like behind bars with an interactive guided tour. The kids really enjoyed the live reenactments and all the props at The Old Jail. The actors do a great job of keeping the kids’ attention and storytelling about this jail and it’s inmates.

Day TwO

We started our second day of the trip with breakfast at the hotel and then we headed off to do more sightseeing around St. Augustine.

Lightner Museum

The Lightner Museum showcases a beautiful collection of art, artifacts, and antiques spanning centuries of creativity and innovation. They offer guided tours tailored to students' interests and grade levels to enhance their learning experience.

I think this museum left an impression on Julia; she took so many photos and was in awe the whole time.

Fountain of Youth

According to popular belief, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León discovered the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine in the 16th century. The kids were able to participate in hands-on archaeological digs and explored the recreated Timucuan villages where we got to see some peacocks roaming the property.

A lot of us parents were looking forward to drinking out of the Fountain of the Youth, which we’re able to, but quickly realized we had to follow that gulp up with regular water.

I’m so thankful we had this opportunity to explore St. Augustine together and happy to finally cross this beautiful city off of our bucket list. A lot of the locals told us we need to come back at Christmas time so that might be a plan.

Have you ever visited St. Augustine?