In the News

History in Our Backyard: Archaeology on the Lighthouse Grounds

Jay Smith2026-01-13T15:57:49-05:00January 13th, 2026|

From time to time, artifacts appear on the grounds of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. Recently, several items emerged from the dunes located behind the Lighthouse tower, including a component of a hand pump and a piece of dishware. Our conservation team immediately began working to determine the time period from which these artifacts originated. The items were likely used on site by Lighthouse keepers and their families. Hand Pump Some people may [...]

An Active Aid to Navigation: The Lighthouse Helps Track Right Whales

Jay Smith2026-01-13T15:45:37-05:00January 13th, 2026|

Do you know why they’re called Right Whales? The name “Right Whale” means just that. In the mid-1800s, during the height of commercial whaling, these majestic creatures were considered the “right” whale to hunt. Why? Because they were easy to catch and incredibly valuable. Right Whales had large deposits of fat, or blubber, which made them more buoyant than other whales. As a result, they floated to the surface after being killed, making them easier [...]

Historic Ship Timbers Discovered on Crescent Beach

Jay Smith2025-08-29T15:30:56-04:00August 28th, 2025|

Following the recent swells and storm surges cause by Hurricane Erin, two large ship timbers were discovered washed up on Crescent Beach. The timbers were found by the St. Johns County Beach Services, who quickly reported the find to LAMP (St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program), the research arm of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. At this stage, the type of wood had not been identified, but samples have been collected and will [...]

Lighting the Way to Education: 2025 National History Day State Competition

Jay Smith2025-05-14T14:51:57-04:00May 14th, 2025|

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum was excited to be of the 2025 National History Day (NHD) State Competition on May 5 & 6. This annual competition, sponsored by the Museum of Florida History, invites middle school and high school students to plan, create, and present, unique projects through historic research focused on an annual theme. This year’s theme, “Rights and Responsibilities in History,” challenged students to explore pivotal moments and figures in history [...]

Lighting the Way to Education (Staff Spotlight: Hannah Millhollon)

Jay Smith2025-02-28T16:04:22-05:00February 28th, 2025|

Meet Hannah Millhollon, the Education & Program Manager here at the St Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. With over 10 years of experience in education, she has brought fun and passion to the Museum’s Education Department. Hannah holds a B.A. from Texas A&M in History and says her love for history was inspired by her Grandpa, a Vietnam War veteran who earned a Purple Heart. A proud Texan, Hannah started her teaching career as a [...]

The Tin Pickle, Local Gedunk

Lee-Capitano2025-01-15T10:34:37-05:00December 5th, 2024|

TIN PICKLE, LOCAL GEDUNK The St. Augustine Lighthouse is shaking things up with its eatery called the “Tin Pickle.” This World War II-themed eatery embraces the 1940’s spirit with lots of unique offerings. Throw out any idea you have of what attraction food is because this eatery walks to its own beat. Think fresh, like the house-made pickles that have customers coming back for more. “The rosemary pickle was hands down the best pickle I’ve [...]

Collections on the Move!

Jay Smith2023-04-13T15:47:12-04:00March 28th, 2023|

Last year, the Museum purchased property as part of an organizational initiative to consolidate operations. The new property offers the Museum a permanent space to expand as well as a new home for our collection of documents and artifacts. The location also means that the building is safer from storms and hurricanes. Since the end of 2022, the Collections and Conservation teams have been working diligently to pack up and move over 20,000 historical artifacts, [...]

Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy Exhibit Celebrates the Shrimp Industry in St. Augustine

Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy Exhibit Celebrates the Shrimp Industry in St. Augustine

Bobby Dye2025-11-04T15:03:09-05:00January 12th, 2021|

The First Coast of Florida, in addition to being the first U.S. coast to be settled by Europeans, was the first coast to foster a commercial shrimping industry. Spreading from Fernandina to St. Augustine in the early 20th century, following the expansion of the railroad built by capitalist Henry Flagler, the nascent commercial shrimping and shrimpboat-building industries were dominated by a number of innovative families of Mediterranean descent–including the Salvador, [...]

Luminary Night Events End With Social Media Blitz!

Jay Smith2020-12-03T10:30:24-05:00October 14th, 2020|

UPDATE: Tuesday Night’s Luminary Night was a great success! We had over 600 vehicles come through and help us celebrate the holiUPDATE: Tuesday Night’s Luminary Night was a great success! We had over 600 vehicles come through and help us celebrate the holidays and we packed the van full of donated canned goods. TONIGHT, we will light our luminaries and we ask you to share your photos on social media (either Facebook or Instagram) beginning [...]

Part from World War II-Era Plane Found!

Jay Smith2020-10-02T10:19:53-04:00October 2nd, 2020|

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum received the tail section of a World War II-era plane that washed up along South Ponte Vedra Beach during the recent nor’easter. The initial findings suggest that the part came from a F4F Wildcat, an aircraft produced by the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation mostly based on aircraft carriers. The section includes a tail hook suggesting it was carrier-based. As the plane came in for a landing, the tail [...]

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