Lightner Museum

        
  The museum is housed in the former Hotel Alcazar which was built by Henry Flagler as an overflow for the Ponce de León Hotel and also to be used as a health spa. It had a steam room, massage parlor, gymnasium, and sulfur baths, as well as the world's largest indoor swimming pool which is now a cafe. When Flagler extended his railroad farther south along the Florida coast, St. Augustine lost much of it’s tourist industry and the hotel was sold to Otto C. Lightner, a Chicago publisher, who had moved to Florida for his health. Lightner had been collecting an unusual assortment of objects for years and gave all of it and the hotel to the city to be operated as a museum.

  The hotel with it’s beautiful interior and exterior architecture and courtyard is worth a visit on it’s own. The collection includes decorative objects, light fixtures, stained glass, and architectural fragments that Lightner saved from Chicago mansions before they were demolished plus paintings, furniture, buttons, seashells, cut glass, a shrunken head, a moth eaten stuffed lion and scads of other stuff.

  The accessible entrance is near the rear of the building on the right hand side, The sidewalk is brick and very bumpy. There’s also a very steep short ramp at the front entrance. Most of the exhibits are accessible but some of informative signs in the higher display cases are hard to see. One passageway in the glass section is too narrow for wheelchairs. The steam room and the breakfast room have steps with no other access.

   Parking is limited in most areas of St. Augustine especially for oversized vehicles.There’s a free parking lot for RVs only on the corner of West Castillo and Riberia Street, west of the visitor center and parking garage ( which has all day parking for cars – $10.00 or free with a handicap permit ). The signs in the lot are a little confusing. There is no fee except if you’re staying twenty four hours but sleeping overnight in the lot is prohibited. The lot isn’t close to anything so expect to walk or roll at least 1/2 a mile or more to any of the attractions. Most of the sidewalks and curb cuts are in very good condition and the terrain is flat so it’s fairly easy to get around. Another option is to park at the Old Jail and buy a pass for the Old Town Trolley. Wheelchair access on the trolley sounds less than ideal.They require 24 hour notice, can not use the ramp at all of the stops and do not have on/off service for wheelchair passengers.  Museum
29.89149, -81.31406