Lightner Museum

A great museum, great staff, great grounds. Great experience. Stunning architecture & historic building: The museum is housed in what was once the luxurious 19th-century Hotel Alcazar — a Gilded-Age resort — and many visitors say the building itself is a major draw. Grand arches, a dramatic courtyard/pool-house converted into exhibit space, ornate staircases and original tile floors create a powerful “stepping back in time” ambiance. wide variety of items: from cut glass and crystal, to Victorian-era decorative arts, furniture, stained glass, mechanical musical instruments, and more. the sheer diversity and craftsmanship of these pieces is impressive and. Rather than a typical museum focused on one theme, Lightner offers what some call a “collection of collections” — a mix of curiosities, antiques, and aesthetic objects that evoke a bygone era. That eclecticism — along with the historic setting — makes it stand out. Good for a relaxed, flexible visit: Because the museum is in an old hotel with multiple levels and rooms — some accessed by elevator — a stroll through at one’s own pace is possible. Some find this free, unhurried style appealing. the collections are so varied, some visitors say the museum lacks a cohesive theme or narrative. Layout can be confusing: The structure — inherited from its hotel-days — can be a bit convoluted. Lightner Museum is ideal if you enjoy historic architecture, eclectic collections, and curio-style museums rather than polished, highly curated blockbuster exhibits. It’s especially rewarding for anyone curious about the Gilded Age, decorative arts, or the idea of wandering through a quirky, sprawling collection at their own pace.

I loved my visit here! If you enjoy art and history I would say it's a must stop when visiting St.Augustine. My family and I got lucky enough to meet Keith Pariani, who has his collection of bikes there and hear all about them from him. What a treat! If you plan well and ahead of time, you can have lunch on site. The docents are well informed and one in particular blessed us with both museum knowledge and tourist tips. (Wish we caught her name to thank her personally!)

The Lightner Museum is definitely worth a visit, with a beautiful historic building and an impressive collection of art and antiques. The architecture alone makes it a special stop, and there’s a lot to see throughout the different floors. That said, it leans more toward being an art gallery than a traditional museum, which might not be what everyone expects. Still, it’s a great place to spend a couple of hours, and I’d give it 4 stars for the atmosphere, history, and variety on display.

If you like historic, unique and beautiful museums then you will enjoy this. You have the option of being self guided or with a guide so I opted for self. While I’m not a history buff I did enjoy walking around to the different levels to see how they sectioned off each rooms and area. A couple of my favorite rooms were the stained glass, timeline of the evolution of bicycles, and the crystal and glass room. Each room had its own story and when you get to the end there’s a beautiful courtyard looking down of where you can enjoy lunch at their cafe! It took me about 30 minutes to complete at a quicker pace but it could take up to 45 mins or longer. There were a handful of beautiful pockets to take pictures at outside as well and a cute little gift shop on your way out.

Really enjoyed visiting the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine. Admission was $20 and ends at 4pm and they close at 5pm, I see a lot of people mix up the times. The building itself is beautiful and full of history, and the exhibits have a nice mix of art, antiques, and interesting old items. The old swimming pool area turned into a display space. It’s a relaxing place to wander through at your own pace. Definitely worth stopping by if you’re exploring the area. Bathrooms available through out the building.

I am a wedding photographer and I hosted my wedding in the courtyard at the Lightner Museum, my team photographed our wedding and it was everything I hoped for! Despite the work they were doing on the courtyard, everything turned out amazing!!! Staff was amazing, the venue is gorgeous and so much history. I loved every moment. As a wedding photographer, we have photographed weddings at the Lightner Museum and just like my very own wedding day, it is beautiful and everything every bride dreams of. If you are looking for a ceremony venue, this is it!

Step into another world perhaps a better world. Beauty and thoughtfulness surround you. What a brilliant contrast to the throw away culture we now inhabit. Imagine a world where people are proud to put their names on things without hiding behind pseudonyms and handles. Imagine making things that can be resold and work long after their creators have collected their eternal reward.

Lightner museum is a beautiful museum inside and out with beautiful architecture and beautiful artwork, musical instruments, furniture pieces, and many other different collections from the Guilded age! Definitely a must see!

What an absolutely beautiful museum, inside and out! I haven't been in years, and our quilt group took a tour to view the new Art Nouveau exhibit. Multiple floors filled with a lifetime collection, as well as outside exhibits. We learned the history of the building and the main exhibits, and then took the "pool" tour later on. To see the photos of the pool filled with water makes you wonder what it would have been like to visit back in the day. Now the pool houses a small cafe, and the food smelled amazing! All in all a very pleasant way to spend some time in St. Augustine.

The museum used to be one of Flagler's hotels (for the "working man"). It's cool to walk around the outside and down the halls to appreciate the architecture. $19 for general admission Check online for student or other discounted prices. This is downtown so you'll have to find a meter or paid lot. This area gets busy, walk if you can. Overall its a big smorgasbord of random things. Lightner was an avid collector and solicited for people to send him artifacts of their hobbies as well. A lot of things were from Chicago. Some things you might see... A full room of etched glass (I have a new found appreciation now), paintings, giant stuffed lion, toasters, a stained glass room, old Russian bath house, wood carved statues, salt shakers, shells, and a lot more. If you don't like museums honestly there are more enjoyable ways to spend your time in St. Augustine. You can walk around the grounds and some inside without a ticket. If you're into niche random art it's kinda fun.

The Lightner Museum is one of the iconic buildings in historic St. Augustine! It is housed in what was the former (historic) Alcazar Hotel that was famous during the Gilded Age. We arrived too late for a tour but we were able to walk around the grounds and admire the building's exterior architecture. The building is beautiful and I wish we had been able to see inside. It gives us something to look forward to on our next visit to St Augustine.

Lightner Museum is one of the iconic building in historic downtown of St. Augustine! Partying like its 1899 at the historic Alcazar Casino for an extravagant evening of Art Nouveau-themed entertainment to celebrate the opening of Lightner Museum's fall exhibition, The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art.‍ We enjoyed an exclusive first-look at this major exhibition, craft cocktails curated by The Treasury on the Plaza, decadent hors d'oeuvres from Chef's Garden, and live gypsy jazz from Miami's French Horn Collective. The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art exhibition marks the culmination of the Lighter's 75th anniversary celebration and will be on view from November 17, 2023 through March 15, 2024. Mingled with so many friends and appreciated the local St. Augustine's vendors

We joined walking tour which was very entertaining and plenty of history about Lightner, Flagler and other wealthy businessmen settling I. Florida in late 1800's

Attended the Art Nouveau exclusive exhibition, "The Triumph of Nature," at the Lightner Museum last night. The enchanting evening of elegance and culture was hosted by the Lightner Museum. We were captivated by the historic surroundings, the art work and loved seeing friends, St. Augustine's top vendors, decadent hors d'oeuvres from Chef's Garden, and live music, this soirée was an unforgettable celebration of art and refinement.

I was disappointed in this museum. This one had a mish mash of someone's personal collections, and there wasn't much of a theme much less a rhyme or reason to the items in the collection. We visited on a very rainy day, so at least we stayed dry. I don't think it is worth the price of admission.

We parked at the Castillo de San Marcos and walked to the museum, but there was some (paid) street parking available much closer the museum. There are three floors of exhibits. It took us a little over 2 hours to go through, and we were moving a little quickly. There are docents available for questions. We felt this admission price was worth it. It was a good rainy day activity. The signage states that the last ticket is sold at 4:00, but you probably wouldn't be able to see the whole museum before it closes at 5.

Fantastic architecture throughout the building but also great collections presented throughout. I loved being able to learn the history of the hotel while also viewing collections of historical pieces. Very fun to explore the different installations. The staff is very friendly and informative as well! Be sure to check out the cute gift shop at the end as well.

A must stop if you are visiting Saint Augustine! Such an awesome place full of so much history and beauty! It cost $17 for each adult and has a wide variety of collections. The staff was so helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. My husband and I spent 2.5 hours here and cut our trip short due to the parking meter expiring - there's so much to see! Highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the area, so gorgeous!!

It's location is almost certainly the most beautiful building in Florida, along with the college across the street. It actually made me wonder if the horrible ecological and architectural dystopian nightmare of Florida could've been avoided if Spain had tried a little bit harder over here. As for the inside of the museum, the collection can feel a bit small, which makes admission feel a bit pricey. Most of the attraction is to see the marvelous array of glassworks, which must be over a hundred pieces at least, but theres only about a dozen paintings. I think it doesn't take much more than an hour to see everything. It's also fun to walk along the inner courtyard and see all the antique dealers, But if I had to choose a museum to go to in Florida I think my heart still belongs to the Morse Museum.

Loved this place so much. Lots of neat things to see. My only regret is not getting there earlier in the day to enjoy the cafe at the bottom of the indoor swimming pool. There was a man playing piano beautifully while we browsed through the exhibit. It would have been absolutely sublime to enjoy a slice of pie with a coffee while being serenaded. Absolutely stunning and well worth the money.

The museum is one of the prettiest ones that I have been to considering it's both beautiful inside and out. It was formally the Alcazar Hotel and it has a lot of 19th century art and items. There is three floors of exploring and lots of picture taking. There is a cafe on the bottom level where the pool used to be and I'm not sure if you need a reservation prior to having a meal there. We ended up touring the museum instead since there is so much to browse and see. There are volunteers and staff readily available to any questions and keeping the museum looking spiffy from top to bottom. The outside has a beautiful landscaping and a coy pond that has a bridge going over it. There are plenty of photo opportunities in that area as well with many background options. Go check it out and see the another important part of history in St. Augustine.

When Henry Flagler developed his famous railroad that connected the East to the then-populous Key West, he needed his luxury travelers to have rest points along their journey. Therefore, he decided to develop two luxury hotels in one of the few developed cities in Florida at that time: the centuries-old Saint Augustine. The fist one, the Ponce de León Hotel(now Flagler College, across the street from The Lightner Museum and City Hall); the second was the Hotel Alcázar also now known as the Lightner Museum and the current site of the Saint Augustine City Hall. These hotels were jewels of the Gilded Age dedicated to the Spanish heritage of the town, and of their famous Conquistadores and settlers. Completed in 1888, the Alcazar was the second grand hotel in St. Augustine built by railroad magnate Henry Flagler. Three years earlier, Flagler had purchased his first parcel of land for development, setting in motion a plan to remake the Ancient City as a luxury winter resort for wealthy East Coast tourists. The Alcazar Hotel is a monolithic structure of poured concrete. Flagler's St. Augustine hotels were the first large multistory concrete buildings in the United States. The hotel's Spanish name is derived from an Arabic term meaning "castle," and the imposing gray exterior looms fortress-like over a formal landscaped plaza separating the Alcazar from the Ponce de Leon Hotel. Purchased in 1947 by Otto Lightner, the Alcazar was transformed into a museum to house Lightner's substantial collection of fine and decorative art, ephemera, and Americana. Today, as the Lightner Museum, the former Alcazar Hotel is a vibrant cultural destination welcoming visitors from all over the world. The statue of Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, founder of Saint Augustine, located at the entrance, was donated by the city of Avilés in Spain in 1972.

April 14, 2022 Another market at the Lightner Museum where the pool use to be and is now a cafe!

Horrible experience with the staff. Purchased tickets for entry at 9:30 am, and the website said open until 2 pm Arrived at 12:40 and was told last entry for this day was 12:30 and refused admission with not even an apology Horrible customer service and was told to take it up with the tour service I said I would leave by closing time of 2 pm and was flatly told NO

The Lightner Museum far exceeds any expectations I had for it. Not only is the old hotel beautiful and the architectural details stunning but the collection is outstanding. It varies widely from glassware, to paintings, to bikes, to furniture, and much more. All extremely rare and dating back centuries

Great museum. Interesting exhibits and beautiful space. The old pool was really cool. Lovely grounds.

Interesting collection of pieces in a historic building. Consistent with many museums, the Lightner museum features a revolving collection. Most of the pieces have placards describing the origin, name, and done facts about the piece. The collection is eclectic featuring a bicycle exhibit, a few paintings, photographs of St. Augustine, middle eastern art, taxidermy, musical instruments, and glass drinkware. It was pleasant to wander around the collection, and I would recommend the Lightner museum.

A must see IMO if you do nothing else in SA. This mansion turned escape for the wealthy way back when has the remnants of a marble based indoor pool spa now museum with insane high quality global collectibles and is well worth it. Less than $20 to enter and you'll need a couple hours at least as there are four floors filled with things to see in every corner. And you'll want to stop read take pics etc at every step of the way if you're a true historian or take interest in times passed. Parking is scarce so you have to park at a meter or try to find a lot or you can park farther away and take the site seeing trans but that costs about $25-35pp. There's a lot of walking, it's all indoors and there are stairs if you prefer vs the elevator. There's a shop but not much to buy.

This review is only for the outside courtyard. We passed through on our foodie tour. Great photo ops for engagement and wedding shoots, family photos, etc. Bring your wife! Bring your kids! Bring your quarters! (You can purchase food to feed the ducks and koi fish in the pond.) Lovely! Just lovely!

The Lightner Museum is a place you must check out if you are visiting St. Augustine. It was built by Henry Flagler in 1888 and turned into a hotel In 1948. It is filled with history. At Christmas time it is even more magical. Came here for a wedding and was just in awe. The space itself is beautiful no need for much decoration. The photo opportunities are endless.

Pretty cool place with some great history. Family enjoyed it and it was just something else to do in this cool town.

This museum contains mostly old furniture from past years. It shows how do used to be a pool in the center of the hotel. Not good for kids though. They would find it very boring.

A very nice museum with a lot to see. We headed in about two weeks before everything shut down for the virus. Our anniversary is in March so we were celebrating that in the area since this is the city we got married in. We took our daughter with us (she was almost two when we went) and I'd have to say there wasn't much for her, BUT it was free for her to come in, so it's fine. We enjoyed the crystal area a lot and looked through all the unique pieces they had in their collections. The staff was friendly throughout. The restaurant wasn't open yet, so we didn't try that out, but it seems to have good reviews, so maybe next time! It looked like a really fun location to sit and have a meal. Overall: A Solid museum with some fun collections. Don't recommend for 5 and under, but it's a fun place!

Very interesting & large collection. Staff was very helpful & provided additional information at several points along our visit.

My friend and I decided to go down to St Augustine for the afternoon on Saturday! While visiting, we bought some tickets for the Lightner Musuem ($17 per person). The museum was pretty neat as it had a neat selection of different antiques/collectibles and some preserved layouts of the hotel. My favorite part of the museum was learning about Henry Flager, as he had a significant impact on Floridas infrastructure in the early days! Only thing I would've liked, is if the museum had contained more preserved hotel rooms (I.E. what were the guest rooms like in those days). Overall, I had a nice time, and would recommend checking it out if you need something to do!

Being in town for our anniversary, my girlfriend and I wanted to visit some of the museums and sites in Old Town of St. Augustine. The Lightner Museum was a no-brainer for us where we love visiting museums and buildings with a tremendous amount of history. Given that the Lightner Museum was the site of the Alcazar Hotel, we wanted to explore the rooms that housed many 19th-century art and decorations. Entry fare was reasonable (I think $12 or $15 a person), as we toured the former hotel that we discovered housed guests during the winters and enjoyed such amenities as the pool -- the latter you can walk inside, which was cool. Mainly, I enjoyed visiting the sulfur bath and steam room, as well as the gymnasium. We explored all the floors, examining the artwork and paintings, imagining what it must have been like to stay there. The staff was friendly as we took our tour, asking us if we had any questions as we made the rounds. They had a little cafe where the pool used to be, but we weren't hungry and wanted to explore. We found out that they can host weddings and anniversary parties, which was evident based on the tables we saw set up with beautiful arrangements around the poorhouse. A beautiful building and relic of history, the Lightner Museum is a recommended spot if you enjoy museums and peruse through artwork from the 19th century.

Beautiful location. The building's architecture is gorgeous. Lots of different collections inside. Really neat place to visit once. Great for people who like to collect things.

The Lightner Museum is a super cool art museum which is on the site of the former Hotel Alcazar in the central business in the heart of the oldest city in the United States of America, St. Augustine, Florida. It's named after Otto C. Lighter, a Chicagoan who collected a bunch of American Gilded works of art which are extremely beautiful and interesting to look at!! I loved how there was a massive table upstairs which had a huge sculpture which was made up of massive pieces, and on the wall, there is a pamphlet which contains the story behind that sculpture. The place is massive, therefore you need about 3 hours or a little less to explore this epic place!! The photos attached to this review are self-explanatory!

We visited the Lightner Museum in downtown St. Augustine today. The Museum was a former resort from the Gilded Age called Hotel Alcazar. It was originally commissioned by railroad magnate Henry Flagler. Mr. Lightner, a magazine publisher of Hobbies Magazine, purchased the hotel to share his massive collections of furniture, art and memorabilia from that era. What we saw really took us back to the 1880's where industrial magnates lived in their "castles." Throughout the exhibits, the descriptions provided a sense of how the objects fit into the cultural and artistic movements of the time. Currently, there is a special exhibit of bicycles from that era which was really fun to see. For lunch we made a reservation at Cafe Alcazar, attached to the museum. The restaurant is situated in the former swimming pool of the hotel. It was one of the largest indoor pools in the country in its heyday. We highly recommend that you make a reservation before you go. The food was delicious.

It is a nice collection of a very wide range of stuff. I really love history and museums, but I became bored quickly with all the stuff. I guess I was expecting more about the history of the building, which is beautiful and has a great history. You will actually learn more about the building on the trolley tours that go around the town.

Great experience other than the old woman handing out maps. Talked down to my friend and then to me. English accent. I know volunteers are hard to find but this woman ruined the whole experience. Lock her in the basement.

This is an interesting place, to be sure. It is called the Lightner Museum and was founded by Otto Lightner, the publisher of Hobbies Magazine in the early 1900's. Obviously, one of his hobbies was collecting things. In fact, that's what this museum truly is, a Collection of Collections. There's a little bit of everything in here, from science and animals to art, music, glassware, furniture, beer labels and others. Lightner obviously didn't turn his nose up and gathering things. Much of it, in fact, was salvaged from other mansions during the Great Depression of the 1920's. Not everything here will be of interest to everyone, but I think everyone will find something that does interest them. It was worth the admission and wandering around to see what was on display. The building itself is interesting too. It was formerly the Hotel Alcazar, built by Henry Flagler, later bought by Lightner and ultimately gifted to the City of St. Augustine with his collections. It now houses his museum as well as some City offices. In fact, during the day we visited, a wedding was happening in the outdoor city courtyard. Pretty interesting joint, if you ask me.

A very interesting museum visit being able to see what the hotel was originally supposed to be, coupled with all the displays and artist works. There should be a slightly better map to follow as there are lots of nooks and crannies with unusual displays that are worth seeing. it will be easy to miss some.

Lightner converted the hotel into a museum to contain his vast collection of decorative and fine arts. He bequeathed the building to a board of directors who then opened it to the public several years later. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and today is home to both the Lightner Museum and City government offices. Enjoyed looking at the music room, fine art ,furniture, glass art and everything else. Discounts for seniors hours 9-5pm

What can I say other than I can't believe how gorgeous this place was when I visited it! The museum is three stories with a ridiculous amount of art that they showcase on any given day, they have a tiny restaurant that they have open for lunch and it is located within the museum making it very pretty and a nice place to eat! You can easily spend a day there if you take your time and watch the demonstrations they offer throughout the day as well. They have a gift shop as well but it is a little on the pricy side for the items they sell, I recommend window shopping because most items you can also buy at any little gift shop around St. Augustine. Overall s gorgeous museum!

This museum is really cool to walk through if you're in the area with some time to burn. It is a historical building with lots of rooms to explore. I wouldn't necessarily recommend taking small children though, because there's a room of Tiffany glass. A must for history buffs!!

My three year old son and I really enjoyed it! The building itself is fascinating and beautiful inside and out. The exhibits were nice. It wasn't crowded on a holiday weekend (we went in the morning).

The famous Lightner Museum is housed in the former Alcazar Hotel located in beautiful St.Augustine Florida and built in 1888 by Henry Morrison Flagler.The hotel was known as "the castle of happy returns." The hotel was at the peak of its popularity during the 1890's. More than 25,000 guests visited the Alcazar during those early winter seasons and countless more used the recreational facilities of the casino. For the pleasure of the guests, there was the world's largest indoor swimming pool at the time, the grand ballroom, sulfur baths, a steam room, massage parlor, a gymnasium, a bowling alley, archery ranges, tennis courts and a bicycle academy. Today it is kept in pristine condition and thousands of visitors and tourists visit The Lightner Museum while visiting St.Augustine,Florida. . . . . #staugustine #ilovestaugustine #thelightnermuseum #visitflorida #visitstaugustine #iloveflorida #photografxworldwide #waynesalvatti #museums #ilovemuseums #lightner #alcazarhotel #flaglercollege

Simply beautiful from beginning to end!! As a "local" (4 years and Running), I've never been to tour the Lightner Museum. We have walked the grounds numerous times, but never the interior. My mom came for a visit and was delighted about touring so we went. What perfect timing! There was a Downton Abbey exhibit which showcased all the clothing from the show. It was exquisite . Each set was unique, clean, and beautifully portrayed. My mom is an enthusiast for DA and she was very pleased with this Exhibit and the museum overall. If momma is a fan, then im a fan also! I would highly recommend the Downton exhibit to any museum goers!? Also, I would recommend touring the courtyard the indoor museum shop. They are both beautiful. The courtyard was vacant when we were there and it was very relaxing.

Very awesome awesome place. It is so crazy to think everything inside was once a hotel. The bottom of the museum use to be a pool!! I could go on and on about this place. It is definitely worth the time and money to go check out and appreciate.

Lightner Museum is a gem in St. Augustine. It is rich in history with a great collection of arts. Absolutely amazing! It is locate in the former Alcazar Hotel. It was an up-scale luxurious hotel as you can tell from its Arabic name, 'Alkasr' or 'Royal Castle.' Otto Lightner from Hobbies magazine acquired the hotel during the Depression and in 1950 willed to City of St. Augustine. The St. Augustine City Hall and the Lightner Museum now occupy the hotel. There is ton of painting, furniture, crystal, taxidermy, stained glass. Music demo using antique music boxes is available at 2:00 PM. Plan to spend at least 2-3 hours to explore its collection. Café Alcazar is located at the former indoor swimming pool. It is available for lunch

This is a museum where you will spend at least a minimum of an hour. It is full of history in each room. Everything is labeled nicely so you know what you are looking at. Couple of floors full of beautiful decorations and historic items. The restaurant area is so simple yet so beautiful. I highly recommend visiting and taking your time here.

We chose the Lightner Museum for our intimate wedding ceremony and it was absolutely magical. The planning team was extremely helpful and accommodating. The gardens were beyond breath taking, and we couldn't have asked for a better venue to get married in.

We finally visited the museum because we have tickets to the Downtown Abbey exhibit, provided to us by our inn. I have never seen the show but I always love going to museums and especially when there are specialty pop up exhibits. I have been to the Titanic and Bodies exhibits in NYC and they were both excellent so I was sure this would be the same. I have been wanting to go to this museum because of the history, as well as the cafe. This museum used to be a luxurious hotel a century ago. The cafe is located in what used to be the pool. At the time, it was the biggest pool. So big, I think Olympic swimmers came there. The museum has several stories and they are open in the middle, which overlooks the cafe. I loved looking at the pictures and looking at it in person, comparing. The lowest level had a bunch of miscellaneous items with descriptions. We spent the bulk of our time there. There were so many random things but really cool. There were these store fronts set up from decades ago. One of these trips we will make it to the cafe. It closes at 3pm and our inn has a gourmet breakfast that fills us up. Maybe just to go for a glass of wine or tea, just for the experience.

Such a quirky, interesting place to visit! The building alone has quite a few interesting bits to see - I mean, where else could you eat lunch in the original indoor swimming pool? Then add in a collection of collections and you have something for everyone. The collection includes things as varied as a collection of early toasters, a room of cut glass and carved wood furniture. Something for everyone!

Not for children - If you come here make it a date for you and your spouse, or friends but other than some cool rooms it's not as together as one would think. Everything is different random pieces collected that resembles more of an Antique mall than a museum. Very short and expensive museum experience for sure.

The Lightner Museum is increidably gorgeous. The building and the courtyard are stunning. Admission price is $10. The museum is housed within the former Alcázar hotel. It is a peculiar museum. I did like most of the exhibits, even tough, I found some of them to be a little random. I expected more information and see more exhibits about the former hotel. But, it's beautifully decorated for the holidays.

Definitely not a highlight of our weekend in St. Augustine. Cons: 1. The prices! I'm not sure if the prices are up because they had the Dressing Downton exhibit when we were there, but for $20/person, I expect a great museum. And this just isn't. 2. The collection. The museum's website says that it "is home to one of the best collections of fine and decorative 19th century art in the country." Maybe Dressing Downton made it hard for them to include a lot of their collection. But when we visited, the museum's collection didn't really impress - more of a collection of knick knacks than a collection of art: a shrunken head, a mummy, some rocks and gemstones, some antique musical instruments, a stuffed lion, etc. I wouldn't mind seeing these kinds of objects for $5. but not for $20. 3. Interior of the museum building. The exterior of the building is beautiful. But the interior is in some disrepair and needs a facelift for sure. Pros: 1. The exterior of the building is beautiful. Personally, I wouldn't pay to go in the museum again - but I highly recommend walking around the museum property! The museum is contained in the former Alcazar Hotel built in 1888 by Henry Flagler. Worth wandering around the courtyard! 2. The building. Because the building was once a hotel, they have maintained several rooms - including the Russian bath area. These rooms were of much more interest to me than anything in the collection. Unfortunately, they're in a bit of a state of disrepair, but it was interesting to learn about the history of the hotel and see what various rooms were used for when it was a fancy hotel! 3. The demonstration of antique mechanical instruments was the highlight of the museum for me (other than just the exterior of the building). A museum employee demonstrates how several of the instruments work and they were interesting and (for the most part) very beautiful! Don't miss this if you do decide to pay for entry to the museum. Twice a day only! Personally, I'd recommend that you skip the museum itself and just walk around the building itself. The museum is two-stars, but the beauty of this building made me up to three. The building is the highlight, and you don't have to pay $20/person to see that! NOTE: I should also say that I had already see the Dressing Downton exhibit in another city and wasn't at all interested in seeing it again. If you're very interested in that, I'm sure the exhibit would be of great interest to you!