St. Augustine by Golf Cart: Touring the Historic District

Ride in, then walk

Spain founded St. Augustine in 1565, and its historic core was laid out long before cars. The streets are narrow and busy with walkers, trolleys and pedicabs. A street-legal cart suits that kind of town, with an easy pace and open sides, and it gets your group from where you are staying to the edge of the action without a long walk in the Florida heat.

Once you are downtown, park and walk. The pedestrian-only stretch of St. George Street, from the Old City Gates to the Plaza de la Constitución, is closed to vehicles. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water, since you will cover a good amount of ground on foot.

Stops worth the walk

• St. George Street: the walking street at the center of the historic district, lined with shops, restaurants and historic buildings. Go early for a quieter stroll.
• Castillo de San Marcos: the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, built by Spain between 1672 and 1695 on the shore of Matanzas Bay.
• Lightner Museum: set in the former Hotel Alcazar, which Henry Flagler built and completed in 1888, at 75 King Street across from Flagler College.
• Plaza de la Constitución: the central plaza where the walking stretch of St. George Street ends.

A simple half-day plan

1. Ride downtown early, park and start at the Castillo de San Marcos by the bay.
2. Walk through the Old City Gates and down St. George Street, stopping for shops and a snack.
3. Reach the Plaza de la Constitución, then head over to King Street for the Lightner Museum.
4. Walk back to the cart, buckle up and ride home before the evening crowds.

Parking in the historic district

Downtown street parking is paid, through pay stations or the ParkStAug app, with a four-hour limit. Enforcement hours vary by location, so read the sign before you walk away.

Treat the cart like any other vehicle. Park in a marked space, never on a sidewalk or in a loading zone, and pay for the time you need. Arriving early in the day makes finding a spot easier. Before you head off on foot:

• Snap a photo of where you parked
• Note when your parking time runs out
• Take the key with you

Route tips for a street-legal cart

• Stay on roads posted 35 mph or less. Some main roads in and out of town are posted higher, and a street-legal cart can only cross those at intersections.
• Expect people stepping off curbs and crossing mid-block, and keep your speed down.
• Give trolleys and pedicabs plenty of room.
• The narrow streets take some getting used to, so plan your first drive in daylight.
• Use turn signals and keep everyone seated with seat belts on.
• Carry your driver license, which Florida requires to drive a low-speed vehicle.

Getting a cart in St. Augustine

We deliver to vacation rentals, hotels and homes in St. Augustine, so the cart is waiting where you stay. Every Boss Cart is a street-legal Bintelli Nemesis 6-seater with LED headlights, a Bluetooth speaker, USB charging ports and a rear flip seat, so six people ride in together and walk the district as one group. See our St. Augustine page, review our family safety tips and book your cart online.