In keeping with the Spanish-Moorish theme of much of old St. Augustine, Villa Zorayda is a sumptuously decorated mock-Arabian palace in the middle of America's first city. The Villa is spectacular inside and out, it features the geometric decor and vaulted arches typical of the Alhambra or the palaces of old Cordoba. In fact, the palace actually mimics a part of the Alhambra in 1/10 scale. The Villa was built in 1883 and since then it had undergone many incarnations as a former casino, private club, residence, and meetinghouse. Today it houses the eclectic collections of its original benefactor Franklin Smith as well as that of former owner Abraham Mussallem.
Website: villazorayda.com
Phone: (904) 829-9887
Closed now
- Thu 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
83 King St St. Augustine, FL 32084 ·571.12 mi
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Amenities
- Family friendly
Reviews
tripadvisor
A must see if you love Islamic architecture and/or Gilded Age achievements. Thank you to Franklin W Smith and the Mussallem family.
MoreWe didn't have this on our must-do-list, until the trolley driver peaked our interest. What an incredibly beautiful surprise. Nothing else like it in St A. Very informative audio guide provided on arrival. Definitely worth doing.
MoreWould not visit again. Full of collections of weird stuff. Felt small and cramped. Not really a story of the owners and history. Full of India themes, if you like that vibe. Not for me.
MoreExcellent small museum. The exhibits were very interesting, and the self-guided tour was well done. It is worth spending an hour or two here.
MoreInteresting guilded age Moorish design furnishings and decor to see. Admission $18. Free parking with museum visit. They give you a phone like device for a self audio tour. Very ornate furniture, antiques, glassware that this magnate collected. This museum is not advised for children or teens. Due to stairs and smaller spaces, I doubt it could accomdate disabled persons. Some of the rooms are not well lit. Overall, we saw a great deal of unique items and felt it was worth the visit. Took about 1.5 hours to go through.
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