Medieval Torture Museum in St. Augustine, Florida

During our trip to St. Augustine, we didn’t really have a plan ahead of time. We knew the area has plenty to do, so we planned to just walk around and check out anything that caught our eye. We stayed at the Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront in the downtown, so we were within walking distance of plenty of restaurants, shops, and museums.

One night as we were walking down St. George Street, I noticed the Medieval Torture Museum tucked down a walkway. I got my boyfriend’s attention and we decided to check it out. It was already getting late, but we went for it since it was open until 10pm.

Wooden staircase with a red-hooded figure cutout and signs reading "Medieval Torture Museum Upstairs," along with hours of operation from 10 am to 10 pm. — This was what caught my attention as we were walking down the street. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

We headed up the stairs and purchased tickets. We had no issue getting tickets when we just showed up, but if you’d like, you can purchase tickets ahead of time online.

The worker let us know that there was a guided audio tour that would take about an hour to get through. This was not a problem at all for us. My boyfriend pulled up the audio tour on his phone using a QR code the worker provided.

She also let us know that there were some things that we could try out for ourselves as we made our way through the museum, but that we should be careful because there are sharp things on display in the museum.

A large wooden medieval torture device with chains and slats, displayed indoors under dim lighting, with informational signs attached. — Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

Our Experience In The Museum

Let me just say that this museum is not for the faint of heart. You’ll be shown devices that were used to torture people and you’ll get all of the details, sometimes gory, from the audio tour. There are also realistic human figures throughout to visually show the stories. One of the first stories of the tour was about a guy who had his eyes burned out. Seeing the figure along with the story definitely made this quite the experience.

A mannequin dressed as a bloodied prisoner stands in front of historical torture device illustrations and props in a dimly lit museum display. — Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

Everything in the museum is numbered to go along with the audio tour. If audio tours aren’t your thing, you could theoretically just walk through the museum and read the short blurbs that are by the displays. But, I think that the audio tour was what made this museum so interesting, but also really disturbing. The storytelling was well done, and the stories really help to give you a glimpse into the darker side of humanity.

Dimly lit museum exhibit displays medieval torture devices, including an iron cage, torture chair, and a table with a mannequin figure, surrounded by historical illustrations on the walls. — Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

I thought it was pretty cool that there were ways for us to engage with the things on display. Many museums are very “look, don’t touch.” Of course, there were definitely many things that we couldn’t touch. But it was nice to have the option to see for ourselves how some of the devices worked.

A two-panel image shows a large metal bull with a side door; the right panel reveals a figure inside, simulating a medieval torture device. — Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

As we made our way through, I was shocked at how many different items they had on display. There were over forty items! So, make sure you set aside a good chunk of time for this museum if you’re planning on going. This is not something you’ll want to rush through as there’s so much to see.

A museum display of historical torture devices features a mannequin in period clothing with a metal mask, surrounded by shackles, iron boots, and various restraints on a patterned carpet. — Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

Honestly, seeing all of these devices and hearing the stories was eye opening. I think for me, the hardest part was thinking about how a lot of the people that these torture methods were used for were most likely innocent (like people who were accused of being witches).

A mannequin dressed as a distressed woman hangs upside down over a wooden barrel in a dim, medieval-themed room with candles and torture devices. — Witch bathing. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

The other thing that had me feeling uncomfortable as we went through was the fact that humans in the past took the time to create all of these different methods to torture people. As I said, there were over forty different displays.

A realistic mannequin depicts a person tied face-up on a wooden table with a cage over their torso; an informational sign and illustrated diagram are displayed nearby. — Torture by rats. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

As uncomfortable as this museum could be at times due to the dark nature, I do think it’s important to acknowledge and learn about these parts of human history. I learned a lot as we made our way through the museum, but there were definitely times that my skin was crawling because I was so disturbed.

Is It Worth A Visit?

Honestly, this kind of museum is not for everyone. However, if this is something that is of interest to you, I’d say it’s worth a visit because it’s really well done. This is a sensitive subject, and I think that it was done in a way that wasn’t praising it. It was actually very educational. I personally wouldn’t say it’s family friendly, but if you look at Google reviews, people have brought children.