The Wandering Disciple

To modify a line from the Hollywood blockbuster Forrest Gump, the Lightner Museum is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna find. As you stroll the galleries of the Lightner museum, you will find elegant glassware and pottery, a collection of player pianos, Tiffany stained glass windows, shrunken heads and an Egyptian mummy. Yep, you heard right, an Egyptian mummy, This mummy is believed to be a child is displayed in a replica burial tomb in the museum.  The Lightner Museum is the collection of publisher Otto Lightner. He chose the historic Alcatraz hotel in St Augustine to showcase his wide ranging gallery. So when you visit, be sure to check out the exhibits as well as the elegant architecture of this historic building during your visit.  Taken: November 12, 2011 at Lightner Museum (St Augustine, FL)

What better way to cap off a busy day of exploring the ancient city than by taking a moonlit stroll through town. The old city takes on a new look under the light of the moon and the night lights of the city. From the brightly colored stain glass of the churches to the glowing historic structures along the historic district, the city looks much different when the sun goes down. (Photo: March 17, 2020)

The statue of Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles sits in the courtyard of the Lightner Museum. The Lightner Museum is housed in the historic Hotel Alcazar and features the collections of Otto Lightner. (Photo: November 12, 2012)

The cut glass exhibit at the Lightner Museum features pieces from the late 19th century. The museum is home to many unique exhibits ranging from glass like seen here all the way to a mummy. There are three floors of exhibits located within the historic Alcazar Hotel building. (Photo: November 12, 2011)

An Egyptian mummy is one of the many unique items on display at the Lightner Museum. Located in the historic Alcazar Hotel building, the Lightner Museum is home to the extensive collections of Chicago publisher Otto Lightner. (Photo: November 12, 2011)

One of prestigious hotels of the Flagler era, the Alcazar hotel was one of the first poured concrete buildings in the city and home to the largest indoor swimming pool in the world. Built in 1887, it operated as a posh hotel until 1932. In 1946, publisher Otto Lightner purchased the building to house his various collections and in 1948 opened the Lightner Museum. The building is also home to the City of St. Augustine City Hall and is a popular site for weddings. (November 12, 2011)

St. Augustine, Florida: A collection of collections is the best way to describe the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine. On display here are various relics from the 19th century ranging from the usual sculptures and paintings to the unusual Egyptian mummy and shrunken head. The items on display here are the personal collection of Otto Lightner, a publisher from Chicago. In 1946, he purchased the three story Alcazar Hotel building to house his collection of Victorian antiquities. He opened the musueum two years later and then donated it to the city of St. Augustine. The tour of the museum begins on the first floor. Several collections line the halls that resemble a Victorian Village. Each storefront of the village leads the way to a new collection. As you finish seeing the collections from the village, it is one to the music room. The music room is filled with mechanical musical instruments from the 1870’s to the 1920’s. Rounding out the first floor is the popular Science and ...

St. Augustine, Florida: Well we made it through the cold night. The lowest I noticed the temp overnight was 40 degrees. That last minute stop at Wal-Mart to grab a heater paid off as it did the trick to keep the tent just warm enough to get through the night. Now if only I wouldn’t had forgotten the air mattresses. The cold night rewarded us with a spectacular sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. We headed to the boardwalk overlook to watch the sun peak over the horizon and welcome us to a new day of adventures. Today was going to be a busy day so we began by heading for breakfast. We decided to have breakfast at Wildflower Café on A1A in St. Augustine Beach. They were highly recommended locally so we gave them a try. It was a bit pricey for breakfast but the food was delicious. My wife had a ham and cheese omelet and my son and I had pancakes. The best part of the meal was the bacon, I could have eaten a lot more but we had a town to explore. After breakfast we headed to Fort Mose Histori...