Finding the right place to stay for a family trip to the Ancient City is about more than just a place to sleep, it is about a favorable place for a comfortable rest without straying far from your “temporary home”. St. Augustine is a really cool city for a vacation, but only if you choose your location wisely. To keep the kids happy and your stress levels low, you need a spot that balances time for a pool, with visiting interesting sites, saving you from the problems of constant parking hunting.
“Two ways for family stays”
When searching for family-friendly hotels, you generally have two variants. The first is the Vilano Beach or Anastasia Island route, where you get resort-style staff, ocean views, and a lot of free space for your children to run wild and have fun. This is great for calm relaxation, but it means that you need to drive into town for every activity.
The second, and often better strategy for active families, is booking right in the Historic district. Hotels near San Marco Avenue or the Bayfront puts you in the center of events. From here, you can easily hop on a trolley or walk to the Castillo de San Marcos. But the real benefit of staying in this district is that you are steps away from the most unique stuff to do in St. Augustine Fl. without needing an Uber. That means you can split the day whatever you want, because you no need to spend much time getting to the right location.
“From tiny arts to dark history”
Once you are settled in a downtown hotel, you will find that the city’s best entertainment is often hidden in plain sight. For families with a mix of ages (especially hard-to-please teens), the “Combo” experience at the Colonial Quarter is a lifesaver.
Right next to the standard tourist spots, you will find two radically different experiences under one roof, both of them located at 100 St. George Street and rated 4.8 stars by thousands of visitors. First, there is the Tiny Things Museum. It is a fascinating stop where art is painted on grains of rice and seeds. It is quiet, intricate, and fascinating for kids. Then, right next door, is the Medieval Torture Museum. It offers a stark contrast that rivals the intensity of top things to do in Los Angeles or New York. It is an immersive, educational dive into history.
While the tiny art delights the younger ones, the Medieval Torture Museum fascinates the older crowd with its historical accuracy. You can see the medieval shackles and learn about the social hysteria by hear medieval sayings. It is an educational reality check. This combination of cute and eerie vibe, located across the wall from each other, is what makes this site special. It provides a variety of emotions that you might usually expect when looking for Los Angeles attractions, but it’s all packed into our charming historic streets.
Expert Comment
“When families ask me where to stay, I always tell them to stay where the stories are. A hotel with a pool is nice, but a hotel near immersive history is unforgettable. The juxtaposition of the Tiny Things Museum and the Medieval Torture Museum is a good opportunity to visit both of them in a row. On one side, you have the cradle torture representing the darkest heaviness of human history, on the other, you have sculptures inside a needle’s eye representing the lightness of human creativity. It is a profound lesson for any age group. Just don’t mix up the entrance doors!”
Author: Dr. Silas Reed Museum Pedagogue & Specialist in Interactive History Exhibits.
