The story always begins along the coast of northeast Florida with Ponce de León's first landing in 1513, the first permanent European settlement in 1565, and the beginning of Florida tourism during the golden age in the 1880s in St. .Augustine. Through history, they learn more about the past and provide something new for visitors to experience and learn about. This is what's new for 2023 on Florida's historic coast.
Experiences, Celebrations and Music
An iconic building in the historic heart of St. Augustine with an extraordinary collection is the Lightner Museum. Occupying the former Hotel Alcazar, a Gilded Age hotel complex commissioned by railroad magnate Henry Flagler, the Lightner Museum offers an immersive experience of art, architecture, history, and design. In 2023, the Lightner Museum celebrates the 75th anniversary of its founding and the 135th anniversary of its iconic building. The museum's Diamond Jubilee celebration will feature a host of new exhibits, events and opportunities to connect with art, history, culture and community.
There is a lot that goes into making a destination shine. Especially when the attractions are dedicated to preserving history and accurately telling our story. For example, in August 2022, the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum completed restoration of the 165-foot-tall light tower from the 1990s, encompassing all areas of the lighthouse, interior and exterior, with all windows and restored doors. Restoration of the 1874 structure began on April 25, 2022, and included replacement of several damaged cast iron steps and other treads on the stairs, as well as repainting of the light tower and repair of many other parts of the tower.
The St. Johns Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve is all about conserving rare and endangered plant species from around the world, as well as natural resources and native plants and animals. This beautiful preserve located along Deep Creek in rural Hastings, Florida, will open to the public in spring 2023 and will offer tours and programs, as well as classes on plant identification, xeriscaping, landscaping, native plants, water conservation, cold protection. techniques, fertilize (or not), plant, transplant and much more.
One can also make their own history with sports. TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course is the home of THE PLAYERS Championship, March 7-12, 2023. Known as the friendliest tournament for fans on the PGA Tour, tickets for THE PLAYERS are on sale now. Additionally, Pickleball at The Yards at Ponte Vedra Beach has been recognized by Golf Inc. on their list of Best Course Renovation in 2021. The new 12-hole course is now open! And as part of its renovation, The Yards added 12 new courts to accommodate America's fastest-growing sport: Pickleball.
St. Augustine Sailing offers an ASA Certified Sailing School that provides the knowledge and experience to be confident and secure in all of your sailing adventures, whether it be chartering a boat from a local port, taking an exotic sailing vacation, or even buying your own boat. Additional courses in Coastal Sailing, Advanced Coastal Cruising, Celestial Sailing, and Backup Sessions are also available. St. Augustine Sailing offers shared and private charters for visitors to get out and sail the waters around St. Augustine, relax and enjoy the scenery and abundant wildlife, from offshore sea turtles, dolphins and manatees to roseate spoonbills. and marsh herons.
Live music is a big part of the St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra scene. The recently announced lineup of performances at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall includes Jesse Dayton on February 17; The Man in Black – Johnny Cash Tribute on February 26; The Moody Blues John Lodge on March 10; An evening with They Might Be Giants on March 18; Guster on March 26; Tommy Castro & The Painkillers on April 12, and many other great artists.
The sound of music can be heard throughout the old city. Visit St. Augustine just launched a live music calendar app, making it super easy to find where live music is playing in St. Augustine. The free St. Augustine Live Music app is available on the Apple Store and Google Play and features 700 local artists, each with their own videos, bios, covers and upcoming shows, as well as 50 select venues throughout St. Augustine.
In addition to the new experiences and space on Florida's historic shoreline, there are numerous events that take place throughout the year, such as THE PLAYERS Championship®, St. Augustine Food & Wine Festival, and great historical re-enactments that create great reasons. to come experience the history, music, flavor and sports fun that is an important part of the history of Florida's Historic Coast.
Located halfway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida's historic coastline includes historic St. Augustine, the excellent golf course and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra, and 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches.