OLD JAIL MUSEUM

By  Mike Miller June 6, 2025

The Old Jail Museum is a historic site in St. Augustine, Florida. The Romanesque Revival building was built in 1891 and looks like a hotel.

It served as St. Johns County Jail until 1953. Visitors take guided tours to see cells and hear stories.

Costumed actors portray inmates and sheriffs. The museum is on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Old Jail Museum in St. Augustine

Henry Flagler, an oil tycoon, funded the jail’s construction. He paid $10,000 to move the old jail to make room for his Ponce de León Hotel.

The P.J. Pauly Jail Company, later builders of Alcatraz, designed it. The jail held up to 72 prisoners.

Sheriff C.J. Perry, known for harsh treatment, served from 1889 to 1897 and 1901 to 1919. Eight men were hanged on the gallows.

Conditions were poor, with no running water and one bucket per cell. In 1954, Henry “Slim” McDaniel turned it into a tourist attraction.

It was restored in 1993 and listed on the National Register in 1987.  

Old Jail restored cells.

The Old Jail Museum is at 167 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, FL 32084. From I-95, take exit 318, follow SR-16 east, and turn left on San Marco Avenue.

It’s open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, except Christmas Day. Tours run every 15 minutes, lasting about 30 minutes and ending at 4:30 PM.

Early closures occur on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve at 3 PM. Call (904) 829-3800 for details.

Reservations are needed for the “Old Jail After Dark” paranormal tour. Arrive 15 minutes early. Free parking is available on-site.

The lower floor is wheelchair-accessible; the upper floor requires stairs. Visit early to avoid crowds. Combine with nearby Oldest Store Museum or Fountain of Youth. 

• The jail’s pink stucco exterior was designed to blend with Flagler’s hotels.  

• Sheriff Perry, 6’6” and 300 pounds, rented prisoners to local farmers as laborers.  

• A 1908 fingerprint kit, one of Florida’s first, is displayed.  

• Visitors report paranormal activity, including moans and a crawling figure.  

• The sheriff’s family lived upstairs, cooking meals for inmates.  

• Women’s cells held up to 12 prisoners in cramped conditions.  

• The gallows in the courtyard were used for eight executions. 

• It’s been featured on popular shows like Ghost Hunters and Kindred Spirits. 

OLD JAIL MUSEUM WEBSITE