Potter’s Wax Museum, St. Augustine: The First and Oldest Wax Museum in the United States
With our recent weekend in St. Augustine, Florida all wrapped up, I’m happy to announce that, thanks to my ladyfriend Serena, I am no longer the only person living in Florida who had yet to visit the historic city. That said, I am still the only oddball living in Florida (going on 23 years!) who has never visited the Florida Keys – but let’s keep that between us, yes?
And with this being my last post from our weekend in St. Augustine, I must say that it was truly a lovely city to visit. It’s got everything you’d need for a long weekend or even a week-long getaway. Great attractions like the Castillo de San Marcos and Basilica of St. Augustine, and plenty of restaurants, live music venues, and shops along St. George Street, the main, pedestrian-only thoroughfare in the heart of historic downtown. We stayed at the Historic Waterfront Marion Motor Lodge (a nice enough place to lay your head for a few nights) and enjoyed dinner at O.C. White’s Seafood & Spirits and live music at the lively Colonial Oak Music Park.
And when you visit any historic town like St. Augustine, what I really enjoy is stumbling upon an attraction that wasn’t initially on your list but upon discovering it, you’re really glad you did. For us it was Potter’s Wax Museum located at 31 Orange Street.
Potter’s Wax Museum
The founder, George Leonard Potter, traveled to London as a child and became fascinated with the craft of wax figure making after visiting London’s famed Madame Tussauds. With a strong interest in the history of St. Augustine and a dream of opening a similar museum in the States, the iconic St. Augustine wax museum was born.
In 1948, George Leonard Potter officially opened the first wax museum in the United States. Known as Potter’s International Hall of Fame, the original museum housed well over 200 wax figures in a two-story building located at 1 King Street in historic St. Augustine. By the 1970s, it was recognized as the second-largest wax museum in the world.
Each figure is hand-made using traditional techniques and materials. Much of the work takes place on-site in the Wax Studio, offering guests the opportunity to observe and interact with the artists. The studio is home to an assortment of special tools such as paintbrushes, sculpting tools, paints and mediums, a wide variety of hair, sewing tools, and prosthetic eyes and teeth.
George Potter passed away in 1979 and ownership of the museum went to his family, who managed it for a few years before deciding to sell off the majority of the museum’s collection. Shortly thereafter, former curator, Dottie White, bought 160 of the remaining wax figures and reopened the legendary wax museum. The renamed Potter’s House of Wax officially opened in 1987 at 17 King Street.
In 2014, the museum was moved into the Oldest Drug Store at 31 Orange Street, where it still remains. Over the years, Potter’s Wax Museum has become one of the most iconic and popular St. Augustine attractions. It features politicians, entertainers, fictional characters, writers, scientists, inventors, royal families, U.S. presidents, and even a few A-list celebrities and sports stars.
Potter’s Wax Museum, with its 160+ wax figures, was a highlight of our trip to St. Augustine – a real “small town” attraction that also felt like a “big city” attraction. Museum Hours are Monday – Sunday: 9am – 5pm, December 24: Last tour is at 3pm and closed on Christmas Day. Tickets run from $17 – $20 and tours are available. Tell them Dan and Serena sent you to receive a quizzical look. Enjoy the Gallery…
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