Flagler College keeps St. Augustine's grand hotel in daily use

Flagler College keeps St. Augustine’s old hotel age in daily use.

Henry Flagler built the Hotel Ponce de Leon in 1888. It was his first luxury resort along Florida’s east coast. Today the building is Ponce de Leon Hall, the center of Flagler College. It is also a National Historic Landmark and an early major poured-concrete building.

That is a lot for one campus building to carry. It links St. Augustine to railroads, winter guests, stained glass, murals, and early electric lights. The college opened in the former hotel in 1968, so the place is still busy. Students use it while visitors look up at the same grand rooms.

That shared use is the charm. The building is not sitting apart from town life. It is part of the school day, the tour route, and the old city all at once.

If you visit, check current tour times, campus access, parking, and event limits. The best part is noticing how school life and old hotel life share the same halls.