St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
St. Augustine Alligator Farm
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 5, 2011
1. St. Augustine Alligator Farm Marker
Inscription.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm. . The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is one of the oldest continuously operated attractions created specifically for the purpose of entertaining visitors to Florida. Its origins date to the early 1890s, the first decade of St. Augustine's emergence as a popular tourist destination. Alligators were initially used to attract visitors to a small museum and souvenir shop on St. Augustine Beach at the terminus of a tram railway that ran across Anastasia Island. The owners soon discovered the public's fascination with the reptiles and in 1909 incorporated the South Beach Alligator Farm and Museum of Marine Curiosities, which they moved to its present location in 1920. W.I. Drysdale and F. Charles Usina purchased ownership in 1936 and, after a disastrous fire, began at once to rebuild the facilities, expand the collection, and create national publicity for the attraction. Thousands of servicemen who visited the Alligator Farm during World War II helped to broadcast its popularity. The collection of alligators and other animals in a controlled environment has provided a unique opportunity for scientists who have conducted research in cooperation with the institution. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm's role in the development of tourism in the state was recognized in 1992 with its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is one of the oldest continuously operated attractions created specifically for the purpose of entertaining visitors to Florida. Its origins date to the early 1890s, the first decade of St. Augustine's emergence as a popular tourist destination. Alligators were initially used to attract visitors to a small museum and souvenir shop on St. Augustine Beach at the terminus of a tram railway that ran across Anastasia Island. The owners soon discovered the public's fascination with the reptiles and in 1909 incorporated the South Beach Alligator Farm and Museum of Marine Curiosities, which they moved to its present location in 1920. W.I. Drysdale and F. Charles Usina purchased ownership in 1936 and, after a disastrous fire, began at once to rebuild the facilities, expand the collection, and create national publicity for the attraction. Thousands of servicemen who visited the Alligator Farm during World War II helped to broadcast its popularity. The collection of alligators and other animals in a controlled environment has provided a unique opportunity for scientists who have conducted research in cooperation with the institution. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm's role in the development of tourism in the state was recognized in 1992 with its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Erected
Click or scan to see this page online
1993 by The St. Augustine Alligator Farm in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-343.)
Location. 29° 52.926′ N, 81° 17.316′ W. Marker is in St. Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County. Marker is on Anastasia Boulevard (State Road A1A) 0.1 miles north of Old Quarry Road, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 999 Anastasia Boulevard, Saint Augustine FL 32080, United States of America. Touch for directions.
3. St. Augustine Alligator Farm Entrance taken from marker looking south
Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 394 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on December 9, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 2. submitted on March 23, 2019, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 3. submitted on December 9, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
