ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (05/06/2014)(readMedia)-- With summer quickly approaching, Flagler College is offering even more opportunities to tour the historic Hotel Ponce de Leon.
Beginning this week, tours will now run every hour from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day and last approximately one hour long.
The centerpiece of Flagler College, the former Hotel Ponce de Leon was built in 1888 by Henry Flagler and is now recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The distinctive architecture is complemented by beautiful grounds and an impressive interior, which includes ornate hand-carved wood, panels of imported marble, elaborate murals and Tiffany stained glass windows.
Guests of the former hotel included Frederick Vanderbilt, William R. Rockefeller, Mark Twain, Babe Ruth and Ernest Hemingway as well as five U.S. presidents.
Tours depart from the main lobby (Rotunda) of the college located at 74 King Street and tickets may be purchased at this location 20 minutes prior to each tour or at Flagler's Legacy, 59 St. George Street, open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Pricing is $10 for adults, $1 for children under the age of 12 and free for St. Johns County residents with a valid ID. Individual reservations are not necessary.
For group rates or more information, please contact Flagler's Legacy at 904-823-3378.
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Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 29 majors, 34 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. A Flagler education is less than half the cost of similar private colleges, and competitive with many state universities. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for its historic beauty. The centerpiece of the campus is the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, a grand resort built in 1888 by Henry M. Flagler, industrialist, railroad pioneer and co-founder of Standard Oil. The Ponce has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.