UF, in partnership with the city of St. Augustine, officially opened a new historic attraction.
The attraction, Colonial Quarter, is a living history museum that spans across two acres. It gives attendees a chance to experience what life was like in St. Augustine in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
The museum, which has been open since Feb. 15, held its grand opening March 15 to March 17. More than 550 people attended the private grand announcement. The announcement was intended to draw media and attention to Colonial Quarter.
Cindy Stavely, executive director for Colonial Quarter, said the museum will act as an academic activity for elementary school students and above. Since the opening, Stavely said visitors have been receptive to the new museum.
“Everyone is very pleased at the amazing transformation from what the area used to be,” she said.
The attraction was previously known as Spanish Colonial Quarter, which was a state-run program. It shut down in 1997 when St. Augustine’s preservation board closed, according to a press release from Colonial Quarter.
Linda Dixon, associate director of planning at UF Facilities, Planning and Construction Department, said UF became the managing agency for the property in 2010.
Dixon said UF essentially outsourced the project, which is on state-owned land, to a private company, Pat Croce & Company. The company currently owns the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum.
UF is responsible for fact checking all of the information at the attraction, as well as basic building upkeep, among other responsibilities, Dixon said.
“This is a great example of a public-private partnership,” she said. “We’re excited that it has been pulled off in such a short amount of time with good partnering and contributions by many, many people.”
