Scavenger Hunts · Self-guided walking adventure
The Ghosts of the Ancient City
Someone has mixed true records with whispers in the Keeper’s archive. Your truth lantern glows blue for evidence and amber for imagination. Can you sort them all?
More than a walk. A story your family solves together.
The ghost tour teens actually want
Spooky atmosphere without gore or jump scares, and a real challenge: decide what’s evidence and what’s just a good story.
A cheaper, daylight alternative
Night ghost tours cost a lot per person. This one is $19.99 for your whole group, on your schedule, and it works in daylight.
Real places, honest history
You’ll visit the City Gates, the Huguenot Cemetery sidewalk and the Plaza, learn what records actually say, and finish by writing your own clearly labeled legend.
10 clues, one story
Start: Old City Gates
Finish: Plaza de la Constitución
- Light the truth lantern at the City Gates
- The pillars keep a number
- A cemetery is a record
- The witness heard a whisper
- The borrowed voice
- The backward warning
- The historian’s tools
- The echo equation in the Plaza
- The story you may invent
- Solve the haunting
Plus 3 optional deeper missions: Give the shadow a test, A name changes a building, Draw the same place twice.
“A cemetery is a record…” From the public sidewalk, find the clue that tells you why this burial ground exists at all. The real reason is stranger than any ghost.
What you get
- Opens instantly on your phone. No app to download.
- Clues one at a time, with a hint on every clue
- A “Grown-up: show answer” button so nobody gets stuck
- Progress saves automatically: stop for lunch, come back later
- A finger sketch pad and 3 bonus missions for curious kids
- A full story ending and the Lantern Seal for your Detective Passport
- Every stop is outdoors and public, so no admission tickets needed
- One purchase covers your whole group on the same outing
Best time: Daylight is the default. Late afternoon into golden hour is the most atmospheric. In October it’s a perfect Halloween-week outing.
Tried our free walk? This is the full story.
| Three Keys free walk | Ghosts of the Ancient City | |
|---|---|---|
| Clues | 3 | 10 + 3 bonus missions |
| Time | About 20 minutes | 60–75 minutes |
| Story ending & passport seal | Gate Seal | Lantern Seal + full ending |
| Hints & grown-up answers | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Free | $19.99 per group |
Good to know
Is it scary?
Mildly atmospheric only: no gore and no jump scares. It’s designed for ages 10+ and works well for families with teens.
Does it claim St. Augustine is haunted?
No. The hunt teaches you to test stories against records. The ghost parts are clearly labeled as legend or as our invention.
Can we do it at night?
It’s designed for daylight. If you go at dusk, stay on lit public sidewalks with your group.
What happens after I buy?
Your adventure opens instantly on your phone in the browser. There’s no app to download. Save or bookmark the link, because it’s how you get back in.
How many people does one purchase cover?
Your whole group on the same outing: a family, a class, a co-op or friends. Share one phone or all follow along together.
All sales are final. Adventures are digital and unlock instantly. Trouble opening yours? Email hello@since1565.com. Please play safely on public sidewalks; see our Terms. More answers in our Scavenger Hunt FAQ.
Pair it with another adventure, or something happening this week
Ages 10+ with an adult; great for adults · $24.99The Gilded Age Conspiracy
See this adventure →
Ages 8+ with an adult · $14.99The Secret of the Spanish Fortress
See this adventure →
EventsWhat’s on in St. Augustine
Festivals and events in the next 60 days →
Hungry after? See where to eat near the finish.