5 Things You Need to Know About Visiting Castillo De San Marcos

First, a bit of history! Castillo de san Marcos is a true piece of Florida and American history, located on the Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, Florida. It was built by Spain (who also founded St. Augustine in 1565) in 1672, and was originally a wooden fort. After an attack in 1668, the entire city was burned down, and it was necessary to build the fort out of something other than wood! There weren’t many supplies available, and it was decided to use coquina (which means “small shells” and is similar to limestone) to construct the fort/castle. Nobody can really decide if it is a fort or castle, as throughout it’s history it seems to have fit the definition of both of these terms, but I will say that growing up in nearby DeLand, FL, I always heard it referred to as “the fort in St. Augustine,” so that’s what I’m going with today!

Construction of the new fort was started in 1672 and completed 23 years later, in 1695. It turns out the soft coquina was a good choice of building material, because as the years progressed and weaponry improved, the walls were able to withstand cannon attacks, as the canon balls were kind of absorbed by the walls of the fort, instead of shattering and knocking down the whole wall.

The fort peacefully changed hands 4 times. It first belonged to Spain, then the British, then back to Spain, and finally stayed with the United States, where it was designated a national monument in 1924. The National Parks Service has had control of it since 1933.

Ok, on to our visit! The kids and I hopped in the car for a quick 45 minute drive from our house in Jacksonville. It was a super easy day trip, and the kids had a really great time. They were actually more interested that I expected. Asher is 6, and he was very excited to hear about the canons and how they were used! Here’s what you need to know:

1. Get there on the earlier side! In the summer months, especially on the weekends and during holidays, it can get busy. We arrived and parked easily around 10:45am on a Thursday. It opens at 9am. When we left around 12:15pm people were circling the parking lot, and someone waited while I loaded all the kiddos into the van so they could snag my spot! The fort closes at 5pm.
2. Parking is very simple- there is a parking lot on the fort property. It is a metered lot, so after you park you walk up to the machine, use your credit card and choose how many hours you think you will be there. It is kind of on the honor system, and we ended up staying a bit longer than I paid for, but there wasn’t a consequence or anybody guarding the lot, so just estimate as best you can! If this lot is full, there is a parking garage about a block away.
3. Take a minute to walk down the accessible sidewalk next to the bay. It’s such a pretty view, with all of the boats anchored and the Bridge of Lions in the background.

4. It costs $15 per adult to get in! Kids 15 and under are free, but must be accompanied by an adult. If you think you will be there often, you can get a Castillo Pass for $45, which covers 4 adults (anyone 16 and up).

5. Have your kids participate in the Junior Ranger Program! Most state parks in Florida participate in this program. After we paid and walked into the fort, we came to a visitors desk. At this desk each kid (even my 2 year old) was given a scavenger hunt. It kept them VERY engaged and interested in the fort and they learned some history along the way. When they were done with the hunt, we returned to the desk and received their Junior Ranger badge! They were very proud of themselves.

Here’s a few more pictures of our time at the fort!

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Thank you so much for reading about our adventure to Castillo de san Marcos in St. Augustine!