Though I am Roman Catholic, I love coming here to pray and reflect on the sacred mysteries of the faith. It’s chapel of St.Photios is the most beautiful part. With beautiful Byzantine icons of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints, it is truly heavenly and inspires reverence and contemplation. It is also suggested to leave a donation of one dollar or more in the chapel so that you can light a candle. Also it is important to check out the museum of the Greek and Minorcan people who came to St. Augustine and their history ,and check out it’s wonderful gift shop. Be sure to come by and stop to reflect, pray and learn. Even if you are not religious it is a wonderful place to stop and check out. God bless our Orthodox brethren!

In town visiting with my Greek husband and we were amazed to find this National Greek Orthodox Shrine. Neither of us had any idea of the history of Greeks in St Augustine. Incredible that this house was able to be purchased, saved and turned into this wonderful site. It is so beautiful and tranquil inside, as it should be. But it was so nice to escape into its beauty and away from all the noisy tourist noise of the street. Greek Orthodox or not, stop in and learn some history that I bet you knew nothing about!

Very nice place with pictures of local and southern state clergy. Also pictures and artifacts from Greece. The shrine area is like a tunnel area with painted icons on the walls and ceiling like in the Greek Orthodox Churches. These murals are absolutely beautiful! I visited while they were doing some renovations so I was told there is usually videos playing, but it was closed. If you're in the area, this is a great place to stop and learn some history. The gift shop was open and prices of items were very reasonable! The staff was extremely helpful and friendly! Although it's small, it's very beautiful. I'll definitely stop in again when I'm in the area.

If you are or are going to St Augustine, independently of your religion; I think that you should go to this beautiful and sacred place. There is too much history inside this walls, it’s a great opportunity to learn about religion, faith and the history of this beautiful city and its founders. The Shrine is perfectly preserved and has been visited by many important leaders and personalities around the year (like the President John F Kennedy for example) The paintings on the walls and each chambers are also amazing. We loved the experience and will define tot come back 🙏

What a wonderful surprise to find this "hidden gem" in the historical section of Saint Augustine. It was truly a beautiful exhibit and we completely enjoyed our tour of this Greek Orthodox National Shrine. Exceptional museum & shrine!

It 7s rear to find Orthodox church and I was pleased to find in St Augustine. It is mostly museum now with small altar. Gift shop.

I enjoyed my short experience there on 12/26/22. The cashier at the giftshop was very friendly The Executive Director was completely rude to myself and other guests that were there. They close at 6 and she was scurrying myself and other guests prior to 5 min being closed she needed them out. She made a point she wanted to go home. She said to everyone there she opened the place early so people would come and visit but wants to close early so she can head home. She also said to the other guests ‘em that were in deep worship, “Guys, I’m serious. I’m not kidding…we are closing soon.” We can’t buy our items at the gift shop with our her breathing down our necks …standing next to us… while we are buying items…so she can ensure we walk right out. She goes on to say thank you for visiting and to come again…is she bi-polar? Anyway, nice experience for a lot of us and the other visitors there except the executive director completely ruined the experience in the end. I hope this info helps others not to show their presence prior to closing.

So glad we stopped by. Beautiful shrine and artifacts in the gift shop. Polly was working and was incredibly friendly to our group and recommended lunch spots and attractions around town. Would highly recommend to anyone walking by. Keep an eye out for the sign as it is easy to miss!

Lovely visit to the St. Photios Shrine. The exibition is small but very impressive and colorfull.

This is a must visit. Stop by to see exhibits, light a candle and say a prayer for those who need healing and spiritual guidance. The Shrine is located in St. Augustine’s historic city gates at St. George Street. St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine, is dedicated to the first colony of Greek people who came to America in 1768. The museum has extraordinary exhibits of the First Greek Colony in the New World which consist of many artifacts, photographs and historical documents.

So beautiful! Such richness in culture, history and iconography. So happy I came.

If you belong to the Orthodox Church you need to stop here for few minutes. Beautiful byzantine icons to buy or just to enjoy looking at them

Beautiful history of Greek in Europe to coming to America suffering in Florida. Great artifacts.

Beautiful chapel, in the traditional style of Orthodox cathedrals, The museum is very well done and a wonderful way to tell the story of the first Greek settlement in America. I loved that the life of Constantine XI is commemorated by the children doing drawings of the last Emperor. What a wonderful way to preserve their heritage. Don't forget to visit the gift shop, they have lovely items and a good selection of books.

The shrine is absolutely beautiful and one of my favorite spots to visit every time I'm in St. Augustine. There are informational plaques and artifacts to view as well along with a gift shop on site.

Beautiful! Can't believe they have saint bones. Very cool to see.

Polly Hiller & staff are wonderful people. They are steeped in the combined history's of the Catholic and Orthodox peoples in the early days of American history. The Shrine is beautiful and deeply reverent; drawing your soul closer to God. The gift shop is awesome and well stocked. Time we'll spent on every level.

Beautiful artifacts and examples of art, I loved the historical exhibit. The young man working in the gift shop today was very polite and friendly.

“The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine, is an institution of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.” It is a dedication to the “first colony of Greek people who came to America in 1768.” The shrine is accessed along a side street and very hidden but once you go through the doors there is a lot to see. There are several different exhibits that highlight the timeline of Greek life in the US and the development of the religion in the US. The exhibits are beautiful and there is a lot to see and read.

Absolutely stunning! Highly recommend visiting! The murals are amazing!

Tucked out of the way, this gem is easy to miss. One of the most informative and illustrative historical installations in St Augustine that’d I’ve seen. It’s a small shrine and museum space, but well worth the visit. The informational displays do a good job of summarizing some of the lesser-known history of Florida, and the gift shop is great!

The art is wonderful and touching! The art and dedication to faith is absolutely beautiful! ❤️

Definitely worth stopping and reading the history.