Villa Zorayda Holiday and Candlelight Tours

Each year during the holidays, every room in the ornate Villa Zorayda Museum is adorned with more than 100 candles as well as traditional and Victorian Christmas decorations. A tall, beautifully decorated Christmas tree stands in the "Court of Lions," festooned in Zorayda's red and gold signature colors. The tree provides the centerpiece for this spectacular two-floor display.

Christmas Season Tours

The museum offers two different tours:

• The Candlelight Tours are on select days from Tuesday, December 2, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026. These one-hour tours begin at 5:30 and 7:00 p.m., and you must book for a particular time. The Candlelight Tours include an audio-guided tour that discusses aspects of the home's fascinating history. At one point during the tour, guests will be asked to gather around the balconies before the evening's grand event. The museum will darken, and you will experience the dramatic lighting of the Christmas tree, floor by floor, until the building is fully and spectacularly lit. Afterward, you are invited to continue with the audio tour to complete the 60-minute experience and enjoy a complimentary cookie and beverage.
• Holiday Evening Tours on every Saturday, from November 22, 2025, through January 3, 2026. These self-guided audio tours run continuously from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. each Saturday. You may start your tour anytime between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m., and tour at your leisure until 8:00 p.m. No guests will be admitted after 7:00 p.m. The Holiday Evening Tours begin after the normal tour schedule, and are audio-guided tours within the beautifully lit and decorated museum. 

What to Expect

Touring the museum requires standing and walking for its duration, and there is no elevator available in this historic building. These tours are approximately 60 minutes and include an overview of Villa Zorayda's history, its previous owners, and the art and antique collection found in the museum.

Reservations are suggested but not required. The audio guide, included in the ticket, is available in English, Spanish, and French. You may purchase tickets in advance. If you have questions, call the museum at (904)-829-9887.

Candlelight Tour Information:

• Admission: Candlelight Tours are $25.99 for adults and $13.99 for children ages 6 to 12. The tour is not recommended for children five and younger. (A 6.5% sales tax will be added to the ticket price.)
• When: Tours start at 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., on select days, from Tuesday, December 2, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026. You can make reservations online. Dates for the 2025/26 season: December 2, December 10, December 12, December 19, December 29, and January 2.

Holiday Evening Tour Information: 

• Admission: Holiday Evening Tours are $18.00 for adults and $11.00 for children ages 5 to 12. Children four and younger are free. (A 6.5% sales tax will be added to the ticket price.)
• When: Visit between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m., every Saturday evening from November 22, 2025, through January 3, 2026. You can make reservations online. While the museum remains open until 8:00 p.m., you cannot start your tour later than 7:00 p.m.

Where: The Villa Zorayda is located at 83 King St., across from Flagler College, in St. Augustine.

About the Villa Zorayda Museum

The Villa Zorayda had its heyday as a popular casino in the 1920s. It was built in 1883 by Franklin Smith, utilizing his construction method of poured concrete and crushed coquina shell, as his winter home. The Zorayda sparked the Moorish Spanish revival style of architecture that is seen throughout the city of St. Augustine today. Visiting the Villa Zorayda Museum is like a quick trip to Europe without leaving St. Augustine, as the Villa Zorayda was built as a scaled-down replica of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain.