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Villa Zorayda Museum in St. Augustine, FL

83 King Street • St. Augustine, FL 32084

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Based on 501 reviews

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About Villa Zorayda Museum

Overview

Located just across from Flagler College and a few blocks from The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, the Villa Zorayda Museum lets guests get an up-close view of the architectural work of art created in 1883 by Franklin Smith. The museum offers state-of-the-art self-guided audio tours that are available throughout the day, as well as special behind-the-scenes tours on select Tuesdays.

up to 1 hrs 1 or more people

Good To Know

Plan to spend about an hour.
Children 6 and under are admitted free.
Impressive Gilded Age architecture.
Tours run continuously throughout the day.
The Museum is on two levels. There is no elevator inside.
Guests with mobility issues should advise museum staff at the entrance or call ahead.
Admission includes a self-guided audio tour.
The Villa Zorayda Museum offers free parking to guests.

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Description

After several years of historical renovation, the Villa Zorayda, with its collection of unique antiquities, is a must-see on your visit to our nation's oldest city!

After being closed for several years, the Villa Zorayda Museum has undergone an extensive renovation and is once again open to the public as a museum. On the National Register of Historic Places, it was built in 1883 as the winter residence of Franklin Smith, utilizing his method of construction of poured concrete and crushed coquina shell. It is built on 1/10th the scale of a section of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. This building set a precedent for St. Augustine and began the Moorish Spanish revival of architecture that is seen throughout the city today. In 1904, it became the Zorayda Club.

On display for the first time ever is the custom-made bone China made exclusively for the Zorayda Club. In 1913, it was purchased by Abraham S. Mussallem, an authority on Oriental rugs, fine arts, and Egyptian artifacts. In 1922, it became one of the most fashionable places for casino gambling. In the mid-1930s, it was opened as a museum featuring the priceless antique collections of both Franklin Smith and A.S. Mussallem, which is still on display today. The 45–60-minute tour gives an in-depth look at the historical significance of the building to the City of St. Augustine, the magnificent architecture, and descriptions of the many exquisite pieces you will see. On display is the "Sacred Cat Rug," over 2400 years old and made from the hairs of ancient cats that roamed the Nile River. Taken from a pyramid in Egypt, it is said to possess a curse for anyone that walks on it!

Villa Zorayda Museum Reviews

Based on 501 reviews

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arthury85

Glens Falls, New York

"Great small museum with interesting architecture."

Reviewed February 10, 2026 NEW

Excellent small museum. The exhibits were very interesting, and the self-guided tour was well done. It is worth spending an hour or two here.

SkandiLady

Turlock, California

"Interesting and Unique Museum. Not Good for Kids."

Reviewed February 07, 2026 NEW

Interesting guilded age Moorish design furnishings and decor to see. Admission $18. Free parking with museum visit. They give you a phone like device for a self audio tour. Very ornate furniture, antiques, glassware that this magnate collected. This museum is not advised for children or teens. Due to stairs and smaller spaces, I doubt it could accomdate disabled persons. Some of the rooms are not well lit. Overall, we saw a great deal of unique items and felt it was worth the visit. Took about 1.5 hours to go through.

exploration822408

"one of the best museums in town."

Reviewed February 03, 2026 NEW

This was probably one of the better museums we toured wile her in january. Our group of 2 adult couples drove directly here from our hotel and paid the $20 a day parking fee to park the car in there parking lot. (right next door from the lightner museum) We thought it was a good deal compared to the $30 most other placed were charging. This place is just so different than anything else here it stands out. alot of detailed architecture , bright colors, and items from other countries. Two floors here to explore with several rooms on each floor. allow an hour and a half to see everything. The rug made from cat hair was cool. No food or drinks here but they do have a bath room.

403larrys

Minneapolis, Minnesota

"It turned out to be not the right place for my taste. It was beautiful, but not something I found interesting,"

Reviewed February 01, 2026 NEW

I must admit to any connoisseur of this era and the Middle East. This would have been an exquisite location to tour. However, I found it was not to my liking, sadly. As the saying goes, it's not it, it's me. In this case, it was truly me.