Colonial Quarter St. Augustine!

If you’ve been downtown anytime over the past year, you’ve seen- and heard- Colonial Quarter construction.  Loud thuds, whining saws and the occasional gunshot from the other side of the wall caught the ear of many tourists.  Andrew, 6, would beg to peek through cracks in gates so he could see what was happening.  Then, last week, we had a chance to step over the ropes and through those gates that loomed in his 6 year old mind for a sneak peek of St. Augustine’s new Colonial Quarter. 

Walk with me through a few highlights of St. Augustine’s Colonial Quarter!

Blacksmith at St. Augustine Colonial Quarter Museum

Blacksmith Josh easily engages visitors of all ages.

Josh the blacksmith showed us how a colonial smith shaped tools.  He also taught us that they would barter to repair or be paid in gold to craft new iron items.

Bellows add oxygen which increases the heat in the forge.

The children enjoyed how hands-on Colonial Quarter Museum is.

I remain fascinated by the graceful twists on the utilitarian hook.

As a mom of littles, I was very grateful to find benches liberally placed around the property!  We always had somewhere to perch when the big kids needed more time to explore.

There are plenty of benches to rest on throughout the Colonial Quarter.

A peek into the Colonial Quarter Print Shop:

Quill Pen in Historic St. Augustine

I can’t wait to see what they do with this printing press!!!

Historic moveable type printing press!

Flags over St. Augustine

Flags over St. Augustine is a great visual of which countries controlled St. Augustine over the past 500 years.

This walkway takes visitors into the boatbuilding area and introduces tourists to St. Augustine’s rich heritage.

Colonial St. Augustine’s Gun Smith

A gunsmith explains the mechanics of a flint-lock musket.

Jacob took the time to thoroughly explain the technology behind 1500s weaponry.  He is currently repairing & restoring damaged pistols from the time period.

Preparen! Apunten! Fuego!

Hands On History at the Colonial Quarter of St. Augustine:

A Spanish soldier prepares his match-lock gun for firing.

The boys enjoyed feeling the balance and length of a wooden 16th century musket first hand!  Unlike Nerf guns, they learned to treat these as practice weapons, not toys!

Young soldiers learn the rules of the regiment- always control your weapon, never point the gun at people, and turn your head away during "fire!"

The Leather Shop

Visitors stamp royal crests into leather – it’s not as easy as it looks!!  My “Rampant Lions” always looked like they had vertigo…

Hands-on traditional crafts allow visitors to experience Colonial St. Augustine!

St. Augustine’s Best View: The Watch Tower

Okay, the St. Augustine Lighthouse may have a better view… I’d have to go back again to decide!

The view of the Castillo de San Marcos and the inlet is amazing from the watchtower!

Hope this quick glimpse piques your interest in St. Augustine’s Colonial Quarter!!  Grand opening is March 16, 2013, though you can go in now during their “soft opening” period.  I loved spending time in the Spanish Quarter before it closed… I’m proud that the Colonial Quarter took the foundations laid years ago and elevated the Colonial Quarter to a fuller experience that also teaches St. Augustine’s history!