Go on a Deep Sea Adventure at St. Augustine’s Pirate & Treasure Museum
by Janice McSherry

The image of the swashbuckling pirate, as portrayed in literature, film and TV has captured the imagination of children and adults for a long time.  If you are one of those who are fascinated by pirates then a trip to St. Augustine’s Pirate and Treasure Museum will definitely be an enjoyable outing for you and your family.

The museum, located in Florida’s oldest city, combines authentic pirate artifacts and modern, interactive technology to present an entertaining tale of the “Golden Age of Piracy” as well as in-depth information on the most infamous pirates of all time.

This is as much a museum as it is a theme-park ride and there are 600 museum quality artifacts on hand including the original journal of Captain Kidd’s last adventure, authentic pirate treasure chests and old Wanted Posters.

The pirate museum is the brainchild of Pat Croce who has been a physical therapist, entrepreneur, a former president of the Philadelphia 76ers, motivational speaker, writer, Olympic commentator and a national TV star. Along with these diverse interests Croce has always had a love of pirate history. His purchase of a first edition English-language copy of Alexander Exquemelin's book The Buccaneers of America became the cornerstone of a huge collection of pirate artifacts which became a museum in Key West and was later moved to the present location in St. Augustine.

So, what’s on offer at this museum? Here is a brief look at the most popular attractions:

Port Royal, Jamaica – This city was considered to be the 17^th century’s pirate capital. You can take a walk though the cobblestoned streets. You can take a first hand look at pirate weapons and even the crude surgical tools that probably were used to treat the one-eyed peg-legged pirates of yore.

The Captain’s Cabin – This is the place where the journal of Captain Kidd’s last voyage of 1699 is on display. Along with the journal you will also see one of only two authentic pirate flags in existence, find out about the origin of the Jolly Roger insignia and get a chance to use an interactive world map to explore pirate strongholds around the world.

Main Deck – This is the heart of every pirate ship, and here you can become a crew member and try your hand at sailing the vessel, learning the art of knot tying and ringing the ship’s bell.

Shipwreck Island -- Here you can look at the only known pirate treasure chest in the world, touch an ancient gold bar and view other rare treasures from the vault of the Florida Division of Historical Resources.

These are just some of the exhibits and attractions at the pirate museum. If you would like to visit here are the details.  The museum is located at 12 S Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32084 and can be reached by phone at (877) Go-Plunder (877.467.5863)

If you are interested in organizing special events here such as educational field trips, birthday parties and corporate events, please contact the museum.  The field trips and birthday parties are moderately priced, and the property includes a scenic outdoor courtyard and a large deck that overlooks the Matanzas River, making it suitable for a variety of private events.