Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Charming Step Back in Time! Visiting the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse was like walking straight into the 1700s! The little building is full of history, from the original desks to the hand-written lessons on the walls. The self-guided audio tour was short but really informative — I learned a lot about how kids were taught in colonial times. The staff was friendly and happy to answer questions, and the small garden area adds a nice touch for photos. Definitely worth a quick stop if you’re exploring historic St. Augustine — it’s a perfect blend of charm, history, and nostalgia.

The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse is a monument to education through time. Unbelievably, the original frame and house are still standing and being preserved in order to showcase what life was like almost two centuries ago. If you like history and have a passion for education, its definitely worth a quick stop in.

Walkin Tours Ghost Tour – Midnight Chills and Thrills Purchased this self-guided ghost tour on Eventbrite for just $7—definitely worth it. The app allows access on two devices, which made it super convenient for our family setup: my wife had it on her phone, and I paired one earbud with my son so we could enjoy it together. The tour itself took about an hour and was a perfect way to stretch our legs while passing through the city at midnight. St. Augustine's eerie charm really comes alive in the quiet hours, and the app’s narration added the perfect spooky touch without going over the top. Whether you're a skeptic or a thrill-seeker, this tour is a fun, budget-friendly way to explore some haunted history at your own pace. Would totally recommend it for night owls wanting a unique experience.

Cool experience. You're not allowed to take video but it's okay to take pictures. I've been here before and rules have changed but it was all good. I loved getting my diploma at the end of my little visit.

Visiting the Old School House was such an amazing experience! It was fascinating to see how children used to learn and what schools looked like in the past. The building itself is so old and full of history—it really feels like stepping back in time. Walking through the garden and exploring how everything was set up gave us a glimpse into life from another era. The care and effort that went into preserving this historical site is truly admirable. Whoever is responsible for maintaining it has done an incredible job. I highly recommend visiting, especially with kids—it’s both educational and fun. Such a beautiful and unique place to explore!

I didn’t expect to see such an old school building in this area. I was truly surprised that it’s still standing, especially since it’s made of wood. It’s amazing how well it has been preserved over the years. The structure carries a lot of history and character, and it really stands out against the more modern surroundings. It’s a rare and charming reminder of the past.

Very well preserved history and the structure of the school. It's amazing how it still standing to this day.

It doesn't take very long at all to visit this place. Not a whole lot to see but I like to see what an old schoolhouse looks like. There's a robot presentation where the teacher and a dunce cap-wearing student explain what education was like back then. There's also an outhouse, which provides for some funny photos. At the end of your visit, you get a diploma.

What a fascinating look at the history of Florida's educational system haha! It's the old original schoolhouse that was built in the 1700s. It's amazing to see! I'm impressed it's held up so long! The tour guide gave us a bit of history on the building and what a class would look like in that time period. It's honestly a must see! I love old buildings and architecture, so this definitely made me geek out!

We visited the oldest school house today on a class field trip. The employee told us about what life was like for kids who attended the school house years ago in the outside courtyard. We got an inside tour also. The kids got to write their names in ink and a feather quill on an attendance sheet. The kids also got to play with old timey toys and ring the outside school bell. It was a fun tour and the kids enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this historic exhibit, especially since I am in the field of education. There was much to be appreciated, from the "rules for teachers", to use of the "dunce hat". It was also cool to see pictures of actual former students, newspaper clippings about them, and the like. There was a picturesque courtyard to stroll in. The courtyard had statues of great educators. The entry fee is nominal and there is also a gift shop.

Went to see Oldest wooden school house with hubby during our St. Augustine vacation. Pricing is cheap, I think like $6.50 or so per person for entrance. Takes a few minutes to get through, depending on your pace. I thought it was an interesting experience. We were able to see the garden, the school room, the exhibit had an animatronic type of presentation. They also showed where the naughty students would end up which was kind of terrifying by today's standards. It also has a small gift shop where tickets can be purchased. Located in George Street. Interesting from a historical perspective, for the small price I'd recommend it.

The cost was a little high for what you get to see and considering it isn't an actual tour. It was kind of fun to see, but there's not much to it and not worth the price. Also, the two people working there were not especially helpful and didn't add anything positive to the experience.

This makes you feel privileged! How fortunate we are to live in this age and time! There is an animatronic presentation that was informative and interesting! Used to be just one room for all the kids! A kitchen was outside and separated! You get a diploma after a self walk through exhibit! The gift shop is nice!

I might be a bit biased since I am an educator but I loved my time at the school house. It was a a really neat visit and fun to see how schools have changed and how they have stayed the same. The cost was $5.95 for each adult and this allows you to enter the school yard and the garden. Inside the school house are animatronic character that explain the set up and rules of schooling in the school house. Once you visit the inside of the school you can tour the gardens and see statues of other educators and even ring the old school bell. The upstairs portion of the school is closed to visitors for safety and sustainability reasons. There are pictures and mirrors to allow you to look through the upstairs. Once you are finished with the tours you "earn" your diploma from the Oldest wooden school house!

On our way out for a little stroll, we first stopped in the souvenir shop. I did not take the tour, but we had planned to come back, but we ran out of time. The tour is cool and it's only $5.00pp. Not bad. I did buy a bunch of stuff in here, like Pirate coins and things like that. The lady who worked here was helpful and was a great sales lady. Next time I visit I will take the tour. I went on the tour when I was young, but don't remember much. I need to refresh my memory and go again soon.

Must See! Rich History! If you're ever in the area you should definitely stop by for a quick trip back in time!

The most authentic and Oldest Wooden School House situated at the heart of St. Augustine old town. It's small it's wooden and charming. When you go in there is mannequins on display recreating a classroom lesson discussion. It's vintage informational, some may find the mannequins a bit creepy. The wooden house includes artifacts of old school notes and objects. Little bowls, strips of paper notes, old utensils and pots. There is a small little detention area with a little boy mannequin holding a sign that says "i"m inocent " already misspelt. There is also an upstairs area but blocked off. When you exit the wooden school house in the back there is a wooden kitchen area as well as a patio with a with small cobblestone fountain and even a small privy area. The loo where the students went to use the restroom. Overall the wooden school house was informative, cute but I would've done five stars if the upstairs was accessible.

The Oldest Wooden School House is a very unique piece of history and its only $5, for the self guided tour. And you receive a diploma at the end of your tour. I learned much about how schools were ran three hundreds years ago. There was a $.12, a day charge, but if students couldn't afford it they could bring things such as firewood to pay the fee. The lot that the school sits on has a lovely garden with a two hundred year old pecan bearing tree the sits in the center. There is also an adorable wishing well. There are seating areas throughout the garden which offers a very peaceful setting to relax. There is an animatronic display inside the school house where the teacher and one of the students talks and moves. They provide an explanation of how the school was ran and what happened to children if they were bad. There's a second building that has a kitchen for the teachers as they lived on the property. They put the kitchen in a separate building in case there was a fire to keep the school safe. We were unable to go upstairs in the school which was disappointing, however we were advised it's unsafe. I would go back here again as the price was right and it's a cute place off of busy St George Street to regroup on a hot day under a tree on a bench.

The tour is guided by animatronics. The schoolteacher tells off one little boy who he sets up in front of the class, while another little boy is in timeout. Between these two boys, and the glaring kid in the back of the class this must have been a horrible group of children. If you've seen the German film "The White Ribbon" as I have, then your imagination can come up with all sorts of scenarios for these kids. They attach a group photo of some of the students for the high school reunion. I doubt the biting boy was in attendance. The outside was my favourite part. It was made especially nice by the Christmas decorations.

This school had a historic story. To read some of the information in the school and surrounding it is fun. If is an important part of local history. The small little gift shop at the exit is a bit of a waste of time. They do have military discount.

A very unique and interesting piece of history to see. It is only $5/person so why not? I can't believe it was actually a school being that it's so tiny! You don't spend much time here at all so you can check it out while passing by.

Worth the few dollars it cost to go in. Very informative. Super interesting and original!

Don't miss this it very informative if you read the signs. Go aFter dinner when there are less people and the enjoyment will be better.

We had the pleasure of meeting Lina and Ron at the Oldest Wooden School House today in which they made our experience absolutely wonderful with their hospitable attitude. Not only were they informative about the school house itself, but they also allowed us to sign our "diplomas" with a felt feather pen. This is a must see in St. Augustine & we cant wait to come back!

Yelp 100 Review Challenge 52/100 Another go to tourist spot in St Augustine. It's crazy to think that this is what schools looked like in the 1800's compared to how they look now. The little wooden structure had an exhibit of what school was like back then. They had some creepy looking dolls telling you everything that happened. Apparently the dunce cap was used for children that learned at a slower pace! Isn't that terrible! The school house had a beautiful garden behind it. They also had a little out house... I swear I wouldn't have survived back then. Lol it's interesting to see how education has evolved over the years.

First Stop of our tourist attraction. Was the first school ever made back in the 1800s which was a gazillion years ago? Everything was so intact, from furniture to rooms, statues, and all the structure alone. I was blown away. We even got our very private tour guide for our entire stay. With every sight, we visited. We go to meet the current director of the schoolhouse. She was so helpful with everything. Keep the children with a couple of hands-on activities. If you guys stop by this city, need to stop by here...

It's a very quirky and interesting part of the historic tour in St. Augustine. To think of how schools have changed in the past 300 years is mind-boggling but if you pay the small tuition fee of $5.00 for your entrance, the quick tour of the school is yours. You're free to photograph as much as you'd like. The tour starts by pressing the white button which initiates the Professor and his lecture on the history of the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. The teachers rule are still on the wall and setup is kept to mimic the same way it looked in 1684. The outdoor garden is lovely to sit and enjoy. Also, there's monuments to several Hispanic visionaries that have deep ties into Education. Upon finishing the tour, you'll receive a Free Diploma from the Gift Shop that has several fun souvenirs for sale. It's a small spot but it's well laid out.

This was my first stop when I visited St. Augustine for the very first time. The employees in the little shop were very kind. The shop has several little souvenirs for sale. The admission is only $5/person. The building itself is very small but it was a great experience and the garden/walk way in the back is beautiful.

Especially for the price, very interesting! Not very large, but it was a great visit. The staff was friendly and informative. Pretty garden to walk through as well.

An interesting stop, right by the City Gates of Saint Augustine, as you enter the city and its pedestrian streets. As you pass by, there may be something that makes you scratch your head: a chain and anchor outside the schoolhouse, lying atop some mulch. You may wonder what this is for, and it is to literally anchor the schoolhouse in place in case of a hurricane. This wooden schoolhouse was built over 200 years ago, at a time when Florida was still under Spanish rule. The building originally belonged to Juan Genoply. It is made out of cypress and red cedar. According to Wikipedia though, this is not the oldest schoolhouse, that honor belongs to the Voorlezer's House in New York, built prior to 1696, so perhaps calling it the "oldest wooden school house" is somewhat misleading. You will get to tour the schoolhouse and the grounds, which are very quaint and cozy. There are stone statues all around, and different plants, as well as a wishing well. The upstairs area of the schoolhouse, where the schoolmaster and his family lived is blocked off, I guess it needs to be restored or has been deemed unsafe for climbing. In the meantime, you can visit the downstairs area, which housed the co-ed school, and listen to the animatronic instructor speaking to the students. There is a kid with a dunce cap standing by the teacher, but the most misbehaved child, a biter, is held in an area underneath the stairwell -- deemed the dungeon -- for punishment. The kitchen is off in another building on the grounds, so as to prevent the threat of fire. You will get to visit the kitchen, complete with a mannequin dressed as a cook. Since the tour is self-guided, you can determine how long or how short you want it to be. At the end of the tour, you will get your graduation diploma from the gift shop. Don't forget to ask for it!

History presented by animated figures. This is the first schoolhouse here. It's small, it's preserved and it's a bit of history in a tourist area. Yes, you pay $5.00 to get in. But so what. It's a lovely little stop. The gift shop is an amusing little stop too. My boyfriend picked up a William Shakespear figureine to go on his desk at work. This was right next to the figures of BatMan and Sigmund Freud. LOVE IT.

great tourist attraction in St Agustine., everything has been preserved without any renovations. Quite amazing to see the oldest classroom, their kitchen, and patio. The outside patio has different monuments for the conquistadors of Latin American countries like Peru, Venezuela, Cuba etc. A must see!

Seriously,you want to charge me $5 to look at a shed and a backyard? We paid it and I can't believe what we saw. There was a presentation by some puppets and that's about it. It's cute and somewhat interesting. Not worth $5. Maybe $2?

This is one of those tourist attractions that is pretty popular in St. Augustine. I thought there was a lot more to do here, but it wasn't too bad for $5. You walk into an old room with a few plaques on the wall telling you what went on in the olden school days. There is an upstairs that is closed off and when you push a button human size dolls come alive and do a couple minute long presentation on what went on during school. There is a little case with old memorabilia that kids back then would use as well as some old furniture. Outside is the kitchen that you cannot go into. You can stick your head in and look around. It's neat, but you can only look for so long. This exhibit goes by really quick, so don't expect much.

Such a cute place to see while in St. Augustine! The lady at the front desk, Lita I think, was extremely kind and gave us a little history about it all before we went in. The schoolhouse itself has a button you push where the "professor" then explains more history about the school house and things. A lot of cute little pieces of history in it! 10/10 recommend!

This place is adorable! It's off St. George St. It is seriously just the cutest. It was $25 for the 3 of us. The history behind it is neat. They have done a great job and restoring and recreating. You can spend about 35 minutes here. The garden is well kept. The well is pretty neat. Again, if you're in the city it's one of those places you should visit.

I have been to St. Augustine several times before but recently decided I should check this out - I highly recommend it for a quick visit. You have to go into the shop to buy a $5 ticket and once you enter, you are free to roam around inside the school house and the garden. There were some artifacts from the late 1800s - I did learn that a dunce hat wasn't for bad behavior but for slow learners. The garden was super nice. At the end, you receive a diploma to take home!

A great historical landmark you should visit while in St. Augustine. This won't take long to visit or read/listen to the information. Short and sweet! when you complete the tour you can receive a diploma! They also have a cute little gift shop!

The oldest wooden school house in the US. Interesting learning how schools run back then. The gift shop sold replicas of old toys & books. There's food & shopping on this street.

There is not much to this since it is the first school house and one room but still neat to visit once. Not worth the 5$ though. If you have seen it in the pictures below you have seen it. The anchor is a funny addition.

"Our Trip to St. Augustine" No trip to St. Augustine would be complete without a visit to the Oldest Wooden School House. Reasonably priced at $5 per-adult, my daughter and I went in; and, visited the kitchen, the school house; and, the gardens, while my wife waited in the shop. The animatronics are much better than we remembered; and, she got to ring the school bell this time! Last time she visited was with her school; and, she just didn't want to wait in line. What fun!

This is the oldest wooden school around. On a side note, per Florida standards, the level of education hasn't been raised since this building was put in place. It is, after all, a matter of maintaining and preservation. Duh. Seriously though, if you're in Saint Augustine you may as well just stop on in this very historic relic. While it does come off more tourist trap than anything else in this little town, it's actually legit and it's interesting to see how a school class was for the children of the era. I wonder what their text books said about the conquistadors. Opposed to what our own history books portray them as these days. On the plus side, this place is fully preserved and is an accurate depiction of yesteryear. That alone is worth the coinage to go in and check it out.

You get to see the actual school where the students learned, including animatronics of the teacher and students conversing, while giving a history lesson to you. Across from the school is a shed where the cooking was done. It's not attached to the school, so if it caught fire, it wouldn't set everything else off. There's a nice little garden, a well, and statues of important people. It's a quick, do it yourself tour, of less than 30 minutes. On your way out, they give you a diploma for finishing school, and you exit out of a gift shop.

A nice little piece of history woven into the busy street of st. Augustine. I had an informative and great experience. We had a young gentleman,who was part of their staff, willingly give us a brief history of the school house and more information about the life of the early inhabitants of st. Augustine (stuff you couldn't find on the information boards). I liked it. Tip - if you look at the back of the map booklets, the ones you can get at nearly every trolley stop or booth, they have a $1 Off coupon that you can use. If that helps or makes a difference for someone.

The blonde lady working here was so rude! We came about half an hour from closing and she was already packed up and ready to go. She looked at us and said "Umm we close in 30 minutes." I've been here before and know it's a 5-10 minute tour. It's only one room. So we give her our tickets and she can't seem to figure out how to use them since they were from Attraction Share. She accidentally unplugs the computer or something and spends 10 minutes trying to fix it and goes "if I can't use the computer I can't let you in. Do you have an ID? I'm trying to be flex here." Yes she said flex in her time period attire. When she finally reboots the system we go in and she is STANDING AT THE DOOR! Just watching with her arms crossed. If you want to close early then change the hours of operation. She was so rude, I'm sure the other people working there are much nicer as the museum is cute. But this experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. She locked the doors when we walked out and it was still a few minutes from closing.

Cool little stop if you're touring the old downtown area. Knowledgeable staff and plenty to learn and see.

While visiting downtown St. Augustine I saw this building near the Art Gallery. What caught my eye immediately was the giant chains that went over the top of the building and anchored into the earth. I later found out that was a preventative measure for storms. The school house was built sometime before 1716 making it the oldest school house in the history of the United States. Some of the funnier features of the school is the area underneath the stairway for the bad kids (dunce). The area looks like a mini prison cell. Copies of the text books and other school artifacts are on display for the public to see as well as a garden outside.

Great photo opportunity on St. George Street. Love the big anchor on the outside that was added years ago to keep the building in place during hurricanes. Never felt the need to pay the $5 admission, but if you are a teacher it may be worth it to you. Love the school teacher looking out the 2nd floor window that periodically rings a bell and tells the children to stop playing cause its time for school.

Very neat piece of history but expensive for something that can take all of 10 minutes to see. When you have a big family with mostly children it can get expensive to see some of the "attractions".

Woww!!! What a great find to be honest. Me and my husband did a quick trip to St. Augustine and this was one of my favorite places we were able to see. Great history that it displays. They have very reasonable pricing and would definitely recommend for some enjoyable time with kids even adults just to have a feel on the past. For kids.. they do have a bell that they can ring!!! The experience was even better because we had the two young ladies whose names were Lina and Vickie who were very informative throughout and super nice! They made the experience extra awesome for us. Not many folks thinks this gem is open but it definitely is open for business and I do recommend for you to pass through if your in the area.

Really great place to learn about Florida's history. So many fun things to see! I loved the big mill wheel next to the Oldest School House. There are a lot of fun chocolate and candy stores on the same road and psychics, souvenir stores and nice restaurants.

$5 entrance fee... Loads of history and beautiful garden. The kids will enjoy a little history lesson. :)

This was a nice interlude during a busy day of sightseeing. The schoolhouse is small, but there's quite a bit to look at. We thought $5 per person was perfectly reasonable, even though some Yelpers seem to think it should be free. If attractions like this didn't charge a few bucks, they couldn't afford the staff and maintenance to keep them going, so five bucks is not out of line. Whatever you do, don't miss the gift shop- it's got some great little souvenirs!

Came here as part of our colonial package during a weekend trip with my fiance. I am a teacher, so we knew this was a must, and WE LOVED IT! The outdoor garden is beautiful! My fiance got a kick out of the old style outhouse, and of course he needed a picture, haha. When you get into the building you get to see the basement portion where the children came to learn. There is an animatronic presentation that gives you a lot of history behind the ways of education (and "detention") back then. At the end of the tour you are lead into the gift shop and you get a free diploma for visiting. I am an avid scrapbooker as well, so that was a really cool artifact to be able to take home! It was a great experience, and it was the one time I enjoyed being at school on a saturday

Complete joke!! Arrived there at opening time and was basically ignored with my family. The lady was so rude. No greeting and Gave us no instructions for tour and acted like she didn't want to be there. We didn't even do the tour which was self guided. Look really cheesy anyway. Don't waste your money. Take a picture of the outside and move on!

I love this little building. You won't be here longer than 30 minutes or so. It's interesting and fun to learn about. It's not big or anything. They have facts and information posted around the house. You aren't allowed upstairs for safety purposes but they have mirror so you can try to see up there and they set pictures out of the upstairs. This is my 2nd time going. It's 100% educational so kids won't love it but I find it interesting to look at and learn about. (I'm 15)