The City of St. Augustine's Heritage Tourism (HT) Department administers the Ancient City's seven-decade long program of preservation, restoration, and interpretation.

The Department's mission statement declares as its primary goal the preservation of the historic resouces entrusted to the City of St. Augustine, the maintenance and expansion of the interpretation program centered on those resources, and pursuit of the program to restore a significant part of the colonial city.

In accomplishing this mission, the HT Department must generate support for historic preservation and interpretation among the residents of St. Augustine and people throughout the United States who value the city's historic resources, especially those that reflect the contributions of Spain and Spanish-speaking people to the historical and cultural development of the United States.