Scavenger Hunts · Self-guided walking adventure
The Lost Treasure of St. Augustine
Captain Mara Tide’s compass has washed up in the Keeper’s archive, and her chest will only open for a crew that can read the city.
More than a walk. A story your family solves together.
Turns “are we there yet?” into “what’s the next clue?”
Kids lead the way down St. George Street hunting real details: carved dates, monuments, shells in the stone. Grown-ups get a walk with no whining.
Real history, honestly labeled
Captain Mara is fiction and we say so. Everything you find along the way is real, so kids leave knowing the difference between pirates and privateers, and why the Plaza matters.
Built for real families
Every clue has a hint and a grown-up “show answer” button, progress saves if you stop for ice cream, and a sketch pad keeps little hands busy.
10 clues, one story
Start: Old City Gates (top of St. George Street)
Finish: Plaza de la Constitución
- Old City Gates: the captain’s strange doorway
- A scrambled compass at the same stop
- Listening to the town on St. George Street
- A backward message farther south
- The lost word, via Cathedral Place
- A monument with a memory in the Plaza
- The sea’s message
- The cargo that cannot sink
- One small rescue
- Open the captain’s chest
Plus 3 optional deeper missions: Pirate or privateer?, The star that gives a direction, The Moon pulls no ropes.
“The captain chose a strange doorway…” Your first clue starts at the coquina pillars of the City Gates. Look closely: the answer is written into the city itself.
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 Compass 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: Morning or late afternoon, when St. George Street is calmer. Works year-round; bring water in summer.
Tried our free walk? This is the full story.
| Three Keys free walk | Lost Treasure | |
|---|---|---|
| Clues | 3 | 10 + 3 bonus missions |
| Time | About 20 minutes | 60–90 minutes |
| Story ending & passport seal | Gate Seal | Compass Seal + full ending |
| Hints & grown-up answers | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Free | $14.99 per group |
Good to know
Is this hunt good for a 6-year-old?
Yes. Clues mix tapping an answer, typing a word and talking it through. A grown-up reads along, and every clue has a hint and a show-answer button.
Do we need tickets to any attraction?
No. Every clue is outdoors on public streets and in the Plaza. There’s no admission to pay.
Is the pirate story real?
Captain Mara Tide is fictional. The places, dates and history you discover are real, and the hunt tells you which is which.
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 8+ with an adult · $14.99The Secret of the Spanish Fortress
See this adventure →
Ages 4–9 · $9.99Little Detectives and the Sleeping City
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.