| Alcazar Hotel The Casino St. Augustine Florida |
| The Tatler - January 22, 1898 Casino Opening The formal opening of the Casino for the season of 1898 occurred on the 18th, and was a brilliant affair thoroughly enjoyed by hundreds of citizens and visitors to the city. Every hotel in the city was represented, cottagers were out in force, while St. Augustineites who are especially devoted to the Casino were also there. Mr. Taylor, manager of the Casino, issued invitations to nearly one thousand persons, at least six hundred responding. Ladies in evening dress, others in street costume, many wearing picturesque hats. Gentlemen in street costume and in full dress, alike, thoroughly enjoyed the evening, the beautiful room with its myriad of gleaming lights, while the hundreds of dancers declared the floor as ideal. The music was excellent, and those believing dancing a lost art should have seen the merry dancers Tuesday night, the entire south side, one hundred and twenty feet by thirty was crowded the evening through, the north side comfortably filled with enthusiastic dancers. The Casino orchestra has again been selected from the First Artillery band, and is one of the finest in the Army, enthusing the dancers. At ten o-clock the measure changed, and fleet footed waiters flitted about serving to the six or seven hundred people present an appetizing collation of salads, bread and butter, coffee and ices, later a punch was served, when dancing was resumed and continued until the midnight hour. This popular place of amusement has an increasing number of admiring patrons each year who delight in the pool and music in the morning, and the opportunities for dancing in the evening. Casino parties promise to be very fashionable this season, the hostess taking her party of young people there for dancing and later giving supper at her own home. The formal opening of the Casino includes all branches of this popular place of amusement. The Turkish and russian Baths, gymnasium as well as the pool, private bath rooms, billiard rooms, bowling alleys, which have been entirely rebuilt. Tennis courts and bicycle school. The Turkish baths are now open to the public. The hours between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. are for ladies, with Miss Charlotte McKenna in charge. From 2 o'clock until dark Mr. Frank O. Bierne will have charge and they will be open for men. Sundays from 9 until 2 for men only. Willie de Medicis, the Turk, will be in attendance as usual. The regular admission to the casino will be ten cents for bath day and evening, except when special entertainments are given. The evening concert will consist of music for dancing only, thus affording parties an opportunity to utilize the perfect floor and excellent music. Seldom indeed have the patrons of the Casino been more delightfully entertained than Thursday evening by the "Biograph," one of the marvels of this electrical age. The reproduction of living, moving men and women, life size, of galloping horses, dashing trains, gave very general satisfaction. When the last scene appeared, and the audience passed by beautiful scenery through Haverstraw tunnel and out again along the banks of the historic Hudson, their enthusiasm was boundless. While the audience was a good one, had the people of St. Augustine had the least idea of what the show would be, the great hall would have been crowded. We bespeak a full house tonight. |
| Casino Fact Sheet The Alcazar Pool. 1890 Probably one of the most luxurious apartments in the world is the Alcazar pool. One can go there when it opens, take a bath in any style, from the romantic oriental to the prosaic plunge bath; can revel in hot, cold, salt, sulphur, or fresh water as he chooses, in a pool or bathroom, take a good rubbing down, and have a quiet siesta in one of the loggias, listening to the music, or watch the devotees of Terpsichore float in the dream of a waltz over a floor like glass to the strains of one of the finest orchestras in America. The loss by fire of the Casino which joins the Alcazar, and contains the immense ball room, swimming pool, Turkish and Russian baths, the bowling alleys and billiard room was said to be over $75,000. But while the debris was still steaming, Mr. Flagler’s contractors had gangs of men clearing it away, and preparing to restore the place in all its former magnificence. In less than six weeks the Casino will be open again and ready to hold the grand fair in aid of Alicia hospital, the pet charity here 1925 - R. S. Fuller swimming instructor John Walton, therapeutic baths and massage Water sports 8:30 pm Dancing 9:15 Admissions .50 downstairs $1.00 upstairs |
| March 1889 - Casino pool open for 25 cents non-hotel. |
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| Below: Picture of pool drained. Notice the glass ceiling Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Historic American Buildings Survey or Historic American Engineering Record, Reproduction Number (Ex:"HABS,ILL,16-CHIG,33-2") |
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| Detail of outside - Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Historic American Buildings Survey or Historic American Engineering Record, Reproduction Number (Ex:"HABS,ILL,16-CHIG,33-2") |