Ancient City Tours

08/28/2025

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY! Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés sighted land on August 28, 1565, the feast day of St. Augustine of Hippo. In honor of the patron saint of his home town of Avilés, he named his colony's settlement San Agustín. The Spanish sailed through the inlet into Matanzas Bay — the Nation’s Oldest Port — and disembarked near the Timucua town of Seloy on September 8.

📸: Menendez statue in from of St. Augustine City Hall, Lightner Museum

If you’re interested in learning more about the longest continuously occupied European settlement in America, give Ancient City Tours a call at (904) 827-0807…We’re ready to help you experience our St Augustine.

08/25/2025

More than just a Fountain…

We LOVE to take our guests to Ponce De Leon’s Fountain of Youth’s Archeological Park. I mean, have you BEEN there? Where else can you see a real blacksmith at work, a cannon firing (they use Spanish Moss in place of the cannonball. Bummer.), a planetarium, a Native American village…the list just goes on! However, did you know that the park also serves as home to a muster of PEACOCKS! “Muster” is a fancy name for “flock” and there’s well over 30 of the birds roosting on the grounds of Saint Augustine’s original settlement site.

Here’s a few neat facts about peacocks for the next time you visit the
Fountain of Youth:

* the ones with the brilliant blue heads and the long, beautiful tail feathers are boys

* The predominantly brown ones with a greenish heads are girls

* When baby peacocks hatch, they are called pea chicks (boys and
girls)

* In general, all peacocks are also known as peafowl

* If you hang out with a tour guide from Ancient City Tours, we’ll tell
you what our team calls the peacocks……are you ready……they’re
DISCO TURKEYS (shaped like a turkey, brilliant like a disco
ball!)

And now you know!

08/23/2025

08/23/2025

08/22/2025

✨ Meet Dion – A Legend in Storytelling & Entertainment

Dion Moore is a name you won’t forget. With nearly 50 years in the entertainment industry, Dion’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.

🎭 From 1978–1987, Dion danced ballet with the Academy of Tidewater Ballet in Norfolk, VA, before moving into the world of professional wrestling with NWA, WCW, and WWF, performing until 1999. His career later took him to Hollywood stunt work, with roles in films like The Patriot alongside Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger, and even a season at Universal Studios Orlando in the Wild Wild West Show.

👻 In 2001, Dion made St. Augustine his home, where he first drove horse and buggies through the historic streets. By 2004, he joined A Ghostly Encounter as a Ghost Storyteller — a role that combined his lifelong love of performance with his passion for history.

💪 In 2020, Dion faced a battle with stage 4 lung cancer. After nearly 5 years of fighting, he is now cancer-free and back to doing what he loves most: sharing unforgettable ghost stories with guests from around the world.

When you join Dion on a Ghostly Encounter, you’re not just getting a tour — you’re experiencing history, performance, and storytelling at its very best.

✨ Book your Ghost Tour with Dion today!
📞 Call 904-827-0807 or visit website (link in bio or comments).
📍 Visit us in person : 12 St. George Street

08/12/2025

Holly, who has been staying with us for 20 years, says, “Love love love staying here, rooms and social hour are always phenomenal. I’ve never had a bad stay at the St Francis Inn.” ❤

08/12/2025

ON TV! Thanks to First Coast Living for featuring the St. Augustine Lighthouse! Our Lighthouse Keeper (Jason) and Interpretation Department Manager (Amanda) were part of the interview! ❤️💡 We appreciate First Coast News for supporting the nonprofit St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum!