{"id":1409,"date":"2016-04-26T13:13:01","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T17:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=1409"},"modified":"2016-04-26T13:13:01","modified_gmt":"2016-04-26T17:13:01","slug":"lightner-museum-extraordinary-collections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/first-coast\/lightner-museum-extraordinary-collections\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lightner Museum: Extraordinary collections"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ben Samples, OneTankMedia
\n<\/span><\/i>mail@floridanewsline.com<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Stuffed lions, marble sculptures, Victorian art \u2026 and shrunken heads.<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome to the Lightner Museum.<\/span><\/p>\n

Located deep within the heart of downtown St. Augustine, the Lightner is incredibly unique \u2014 both from within and without.<\/span><\/p>\n

Built in 1888, the Lightner Museum was originally the Alcazar Hotel. Containing its own steam room, bowling alley, archery range and tennis court, the Alcazar attracted upper-class guests who preferred the highest level of decadence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once the Great Depression forced the Alcazar to shut its doors, Otto Lightner purchased the hotel in 1946 and used it as a literal storehouse for his immense collection of art and antiques.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Lightner\u2019s collection is anything but ordinary; it contains art made from human hair, intricately designed salt and pepper shakers, beautiful Tiffany glass and, yes, shrunken heads.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people ask me \u2018What\u2019s in here?\u2019 what I always tell people is that this is a museum of collections,\u201d said Emily Dietz, a student of Flagler College who interns at the Lightner. \u201cWhat sets the Lightner apart is just the collections themselves. Literally, what we have here is anything and everything from all over the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The museum is made up of three floors, but to say that each floor has its own distinct theme would be an overstatement.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a general rule, the first floor is made up of Victorian-era antiques, including a collection of dolls and pianos \u2026 but visitors will also find a mummy, a stuffed turkey and a hodgepodge of unrecognizable, yet fascinating scientific contraptions.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the second floor is a collection of beautiful glass art \u2014 along with a bathhouse that was once utilized during the building\u2019s hotel years. And on the third floor, visitors will see fine art from the Victorian era, huge, incredibly detailed furniture \u2014 and when they look down, they will see an enormous pool that has been emptied and turned into a restaurant.<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter the odd nature of the collection, there is no denying the rich history that permeates the museum as a whole. As visitors walk through each exhibit, it\u2019s as if they\u2019re seeing random, sometimes bizarre snapshots of an era long past.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fascinating to see the way they used to live, and I think it was such an elegant era, [that] we\u2019ve forgotten about,\u201d said Diedre Young, a visitor to the Lightner.<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about her favorite piece in the museum, she was, quite understandably, unsure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say there\u2019s only one,\u201d remarked Young. \u201cSome of it I don\u2019t like at all \u2014 I either like it or I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For those who are willing to take a chance on the Lightner, the admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students and young people, $6 for active military and free for children under 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

People can also visit the Caf\u00e9 Alcazar for a meal. With a menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and fresh seafood, the restaurant should satisfy most palettes.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, as an added bonus, how many people can say that they\u2019ve dined in restaurant that is located in the middle of a swimming pool?<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if all of the fascinating eccentricities of the Lightner end up leaving you disappointed, Plan B could be only a block away. The museum is located in the middle of downtown St. Augustine \u2014 one of Florida\u2019s most historic and tourist-friendly destinations.<\/span><\/p>\n

The randomness of Lightner\u2019s collection may prove to be maddening for some. But for those with a more offbeat taste, the Lightner is a fascinating treat that keeps them wondering what\u2019s around the next corner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben Samples is a <\/span><\/i>senior studying multimedia journalism at the University of North Florida. He is a member of the One Tank Media team.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Photos courtesy Ben Samples, OneTankMedia<\/em><\/p>\n

The Lightner\u2019s exterior is just as grand as its interior.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"OTM<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Antique toy soldiers stand on guard as visitors walk through the first floor.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"OTM<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0This fully stuffed lion is one of the first exhibits visitors pass by in Lightner\u2019s bizarre collection.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ben Samples, OneTankMedia mail@floridanewsline.com Stuffed lions, marble sculptures, Victorian art \u2026 and shrunken heads. Welcome to the Lightner Museum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1411,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,1,4],"tags":[81,9],"class_list":{"0":"post-1409","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-creekline-st-johns","8":"category-mandarin","9":"category-first-coast","10":"category-ponte-vedra","11":"tag-onetankmedia","12":"tag-travel"},"yoast_head":"\nThe Lightner Museum: Extraordinary collections - Florida NewsLine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"CreekLine, Mandarin NewsLine, NewsLine, Ponte Vedra NewsLineBy Ben Samples, OneTankMedia mail@floridanewsline.com Stuffed lions, marble sculptures, Victorian art \u2026 and shrunken heads. 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