Disease Vector Education Center

This unique and fun educational St. Augustine attraction has perhaps the least fun name ever: "Disease Vector Education Center." Despite the name, visitors will find a charming and informative attraction that offers activities for everyone.

The Anastasia Mosquito Control District created and operates the Disease Vector Education Center, which provides spaces to play, learn, and relax.

Things to do at the Disease Vector Education Center

The center is designed to offer interesting and fun exhibits for all ages, from toddlers to adults.

1. Play on the unique, insect-themed playground, with a slide, swings, a climbing cube, and other fun features.
2. Learn about honey bees from a colony that lives in hives inside and outside the center. They even have a special route to get from one to the other. (No honey bees are harmed by the mosquito control district’s efforts, either in this center or by spraying.)
3. Feed mosquito larvae to little fish who love to keep old pools from becoming safe mosquito nurseries.
4. Climb into a real helicopter and take a simulated ride over the county.
5. Learn where mosquitos lay their eggs, what kind of mosquitos are found in the county, and which animal each type prefers as a blood source. (Hint: Despite how it feels, not every mosquito thinks your blood is the best.)
6. Sit in their movie theater and watch documentaries about mosquitoes and other insects.
7. Get to know a few other living arthropods and arachnids.
8. Practice tossing bean bags into sewer grates just like the professionals do.
9. Enjoy several interactive displays and even some about St. Augustine's history. Hint: Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne illness.
10. Experience much more, including tips on careers, information on helpful and even delicious insects, and a relaxing outdoor garden with picnic tables.

Visiting the Education Center

Admission: Currently, the education center is free for all visitors.

When: The Disease Vector Education Center is open on Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They will provide special tours for groups on Mondays and Tuesdays, with a prior appointment. Call (904) 257-9880 to schedule a group tour.

Where: 120 EOC Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32092 (About 22 minutes from the Plaza de la Constitución.)

How to find the Disease Vector Education Center:  To get there from most St. Augustine locations:

• Go west on State Road 16 toward Green Cove Springs, under the 95 overpass, and turn left onto County Road 208.
• Turn left onto Agricultural Center Drive (After Hampton Inn.)
• Continue down that road, until shortly past the St. Johns County Agricultural Extension office, and turn right onto EOC Drive.
• The Disease Vector Education Center is at 120 EOC. There is free parking.

About the Anastasia Mosquito Control District (ACMD): Their mission is “to protect all people from the nuisance of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases in St. Johns County, Florida.” Anastasia Island residents founded the AMCD in 1948, and the organization now serves the entire county. Operations were centralized in 2015 when the AMCD completed a facility on land they had purchased off Agricultural Center Drive in 2005.

About the Awkward Name: A vector is any blood-feeding arthropod — such as mosquitos, ticks, and fleas — that transmits diseases to an animal when they feed. The education center teaches people of all ages about diseases that mosquitos transmit, and how the AMCD controls the mosquito population in the county.