History is hiding in plain sight.
Self-guided scavenger hunts and true stories in America's oldest city. Play on your phone, at your own pace.
Millions of white lights. One very old city.
Nights of Lights runs nightly from Saturday, November 21, 2026 through Monday, January 18, 2027, dusk to dawn, and it's free to walk. Trolleys loop through town full of riders singing Christmas carols. Hotels fill fast on weekends.
Make a day of it: play a scavenger hunt in the daylight, then stay downtown as the lights come on.
Photo: JamFred21701, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPick a mystery. Walk the city.
One purchase covers your whole group. Clues unlock on your phone, with hints and a full ending.
The Lost Treasure of St. Augustine
Crack Captain Mara Tide's coded compass from the City Gates to the Plaza.
See the adventure
Little Detectives and the Sleeping City
Six gentle missions for small explorers. No reading required.
See the adventure
The Ghosts of the Ancient City
A truth lantern sorts records from rumors. No gore, no jump scares.
See the adventureYour phone is the guidebook
Choose an adventure
Pick by age and interest. Every route is self-guided and starts whenever you're ready.
Walk & solve
Clues unlock one at a time on your phone, with hints if you get stuck. Pause for lunch; your progress is saved.
Uncover the secret
Finish to unlock the secret ending and a printable detective certificate to take home.
The Three Keys of the Ancient City
Our free walking adventure. A tiny paper door will open for three keys: one made from noticing, one from learning and one from kindness. Play it on your phone today; no download, no sign-up.
The doorway without a door
The sea inside the stone
The key nobody can buy
Six free sights, six secrets
Tap a place for the true story behind it.
St. Augustine questions, answered
Is there a free scavenger hunt in St. Augustine?
Yes. The Three Keys of the Ancient City is a free 20–35 minute self-guided walk from the Old City Gates to the Castillo de San Marcos, played on your phone with hints and a printable certificate. No app or sign-up is needed.
What is the Castillo de San Marcos made of?
Coquina, a soft limestone made of compressed seashell fragments quarried on nearby Anastasia Island. During the 1740 British siege the walls tended to absorb cannonballs instead of shattering.
When was St. Augustine founded?
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine on September 8, 1565, on Timucuan land. It is the oldest continuously occupied European-founded city in what is now the United States.
What are the best things to do in St. Augustine with kids?
Walk St. George Street, see the Castillo de San Marcos and Old City Gates, cross the Bridge of Lions for bay views, and try a self-guided scavenger hunt like the free Three Keys walk or Little Detectives and the Sleeping City for ages 4–9.
What was Fort Mose?
Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, founded in 1738 about two miles north of St. Augustine, is recognized as the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States.