How to Get to the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument:
Park is located on A1A in downtown Saint Augustine, Florida. Saint Augustine is located on Florida?s northeastern Atlantic coast about half way between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach.Park Size:
320 acresNearby Areas of Interest:
There are three other National Park areas within a short driving distance of Castillo de San Marcos. These include: Fort Matanzas National Monument (in Saint Augustine), a Spanish fort built in 1740-42; Fort Caroline National Memorial (in Jacksonville), site of a French Huguenot settlement in 1564; and Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve (in Jacksonville), which protects estuarine natural resources, along with historic and prehistoric sites between northeast Florida's lower Saint Johns and Nassau rivers.About 100 miles south of Saint Augustine, visitors will find the Cape Canaveral National Seashore, adjoining the Kennedy Space Center.
Description:
Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort and best-preserved example of a Spanish colonial fortification in the continental United States. It was originally built (1672-1695) by the Spanish to protect Saint Augustine, the first permanent settlement by Europeans in the continental United States (established in 1565), and was for many years the northernmost outpost of Spain's vast New World Empire. The floor plan is the result of "modernization" work done in the 18th century.Things to Do at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument:
There is no visitor center in the park, but museum exhibits are maintained within the rooms of the Castillo. Ranger programs are offered year round and reenactors, portraying Spanish soldiers, are on duty most weekends and holidays. Weather permitting, there may be cannon and/or musket-firing demonstrations. A short video presentation on the story of the Castillo is presented on request in one of the casemates.When planning your visit, keep in mind the average visitor spends between one and two hours at the park.
Operating Hours:
The Castillo de San Marcos is open to the public from 8:45am to 5:15pm every day of the year except December 25. The grounds are closed from midnight until 5:30 am. Visitation is highest June through Labor Day, during the December holidays, and March through April. Visitation is also quite high on summer and holiday weekends when an average of 3500 people per day visit the Castillo. Visitation is lowest from the middle of September through early December.History:
Proclaimed as Fort Marion National Monument on October 15, 1924; changed to present name on June 5, 1942.Contact the Park:
Castillo de San Marcos National MonumentOne South Castillo Drive
St. Augustine, FL 32084
904-829-6506 courtesy of the National Park Service
How to Get to the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument:
Park is located on A1A in downtown Saint Augustine, Florida. Saint Augustine is located on Florida?s northeastern Atlantic coast about half way between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach.Park Size:
320 acresNearby Areas of Interest:
There are three other National Park areas within a short driving distance of Castillo de San Marcos. These include: Fort Matanzas National Monument (in Saint Augustine), a Spanish fort built in 1740-42; Fort Caroline National Memorial (in Jacksonville), site of a French Huguenot settlement in 1564; and Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve (in Jacksonville), which protects estuarine natural resources, along with historic and prehistoric sites between northeast Florida's lower Saint Johns and Nassau rivers. About 100 miles south of Saint Augustine, visitors will find the Cape Canaveral National Seashore, adjoining the Kennedy Space Center.Description:
Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort and best-preserved example of a Spanish colonial fortification in the continental United States. It was originally built (1672-1695) by the Spanish to protect Saint Augustine, the first permanent settlement by Europeans in the continental United States (established in 1565), and was for many years the northernmost outpost of Spain's vast New World Empire. The floor plan is the result of "modernization" work done in the 18th century.Things to Do at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument:
There is no visitor center in the park, but museum exhibits are maintained within the rooms of the Castillo. Ranger programs are offered year round and reenactors, portraying Spanish soldiers, are on duty most weekends and holidays. Weather permitting, there may be cannon and/or musket-firing demonstrations. A short video presentation on the story of the Castillo is presented on request in one of the casemates. When planning your visit, keep in mind the average visitor spends between one and two hours at the park.Operating Hours:
The Castillo de San Marcos is open to the public from 8:45am to 5:15pm every day of the year except December 25. The grounds are closed from midnight until 5:30 am. Visitation is highest June through Labor Day, during the December holidays, and March through April. Visitation is also quite high on summer and holiday weekends when an average of 3500 people per day visit the Castillo. Visitation is lowest from the middle of September through early December.History:
Proclaimed as Fort Marion National Monument on October 15, 1924; changed to present name on June 5, 1942.Contact the Park:
Castillo de San Marcos National MonumentOne South Castillo Drive
St. Augustine, FL 32084
904-829-6506