07/21/2026
Have you ever driven over this beautiful bridge?
Thanks to Florida Explored for sharing this beautiful photo and the history of the bridge.
Spanning the Matanzas River in the nation's oldest city is one of the most beautiful bridges in Florida, the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine. 🦁 Opened in 1927, this elegant Mediterranean Revival drawbridge is named for the pair of white marble Medici lions that stand guard at its western entrance.
The bridge was built during the Florida land boom of the 1920s, designed to be as graceful as it was functional, with ornate towers and railings that complement the historic city it serves. ⛵ It carries traffic and pedestrians between downtown St. Augustine and Anastasia Island, and its drawspan still rises regularly to let sailboats pass beneath. A major restoration in the 2000s carefully preserved its historic character, and today it remains a beloved symbol of the city, especially beautiful when lit against the evening sky.
The Bridge of Lions is proof that even infrastructure can be a work of art, a fitting gateway to America's oldest city. Those marble lions have watched over the harbor for a century. Have you ever crossed the Bridge of Lions into old St. Augustine?
