Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum: 400 Years of Power on King Street
There is a building at the corner of King Street and St. George Street that has been the center of power in St. Augustine for over 400 years. Through Spanish colonial rule, British occupation, a second Spanish period, American territorial government, and into the present day, this site has never stopped mattering.
Today it is one of the most underrated free attractions in the city.
A SITE SINCE 1598
Since 1598, a government building has stood on this site with a view of the harbor landing, accommodating administrative headquarters and residences of colonial governors appointed by the Crowns of Spain, then Britain, then Spain again.
Government House served as the governor’s official residence from approximately 1710 during the First Spanish Period, throughout the British Period from 1763 to 1784, and until 1812 in the Second Spanish Period. Governor Gonzalo Mendez de Canzo was the first governor to build his residence on the present site in 1598.
After Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1821, this current Government House served as a courthouse and briefly as the Capitol building of the new Territory of Florida. In 1833 and 1834, Government House was rebuilt with federal funds following plans drawn up by architect Robert Mills, later famous for designing the Washington Monument.
In 1937, the Works Progress Administration remodeled it as the United States Post Office and Customs House. Parts of the coquina walls visible today are believed to date to St. Augustine’s first Spanish colonial period.
THE MUSEUM TODAY
Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum is located in the heart of historic downtown St. Augustine at the intersection of King Street and St. George Street overlooking the historic Plaza de la Constitución. Today, the Governor’s House hosts a public museum, visitor information desk, event rental space, and academic facilities in support of the University of Florida.
Exhibits blend technology with historic artifacts to tell the story of St. Augustine’s founding based on research by the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. The permanent exhibit “First Colony: Our Spanish Origins” details the area’s role in shaping American history. In addition to the lobby’s permanent exhibit, there are rotating exhibits in a gallery and interpretive signs on the grounds.
During their tour of St. Augustine in 2001, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain made a public appearance on the east balcony of Government House. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain also visited Government House in 2015. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
VISITING
Admission is free. Open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The gallery closes from 2:00 to 2:30 pm daily. Plan at least an hour.
The building sits directly on the Plaza de la Constitución, steps from St. George Street. It is genuinely one of the most historically significant spots in the United States and almost nobody talks about it. Walk in, look up at the architecture, read the timeline in the lobby, and take a moment to consider that you are standing in a building where Spanish governors ruled Florida 300 years ago.
Address: 48 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Website: staugustine.ufl.edu
Admission: Free