This week Brad & I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary, and what better way to mark the occasion than with a getaway full of history, romance, and architectural splendor? We drove up to St. Augustine and spent the day at the Lightner Museum, housed in the former Hotel Alcazar — a building steeped in Florida’s Gilded Age legacy. As we wandered through its grand halls, swimming pool, and ornate rooms, we were reminded how the past can whisper stories in every corner of a place.
The Hotel Alcazar was commissioned by Henry Flagler in the late 19th century as part of his dream to turn St. Augustine into a luxury destination. The building, completed in 1888, was designed by the firm Carrère & Hastings, the same architects behind the adjacent Ponce de León Hotel. Flagler’s vision was ambitious: he imagined a resort that was not just for lodging, but for holistic enrichment, wellness, and entertainment. The Alcazar was conceived as the “Entertainment Annex” to the grand Ponce de León, offering amenities that went far beyond the typical hotel experience.
The Alcazar itself comprised three major components: the hotel proper, the baths, and a casino. Flagler and his designers included features intended for the wellbeing and delight of guests—an indoor swimming pool, grand ballroom, bowling alley, croquet lawns, and tennis courts. Walking through the museum today, you still sense the intention behind each space: to elevate the guest experience, to comfort and to dazzle.
One of the more fascinating details is the signage on the building: the sign on the Alcazar is often called the first electric sign in the country, and the hotel’s electrical system was installed under the direction of Thomas Edison’s associates. (Indeed, the hotel’s electric infrastructure was a feat in itself back then.) Over time, that sign became an emblem of the bold optimism of that era — a moment when electricity was synonymous with progress. That spirit of innovation aligns nicely with what we do at Hi Octane Design: marrying craftsmanship, boldness, and storytelling in spaces and identities.
As we celebrated our 21 years together amid those storied walls, we felt a renewed appreciation for timeless design and for the care taken in every detail. The Lightner Museum is a living reminder that great architecture, when done with purpose, can endure far beyond its original era. It inspired us—both personally and professionally. Here’s to many more years of creating, exploring, and finding the beauty in history.
