Visit the oldest masonry fort in the continental USA and explore the life of St. Augustine as it emerges from the pages of history.
It opens at 8:45 am and closes at 5:15 PM every day.
It is only closed on 2 days in a year, during Christmas (25th December) and Thanksgiving Day.
The Castillo is approximately a five mile drive from Interstate 95, from the centre of the Saint Augustine district.
The entry fee for an adult of 16 years or older is USD 10. It is free for children under 15 years or younger. You can also get a Castillo Annual Pass for USD 40. There are certain exceptions and people with Castillo Annual Pass, Interagency Access, Age Passports, Golden access, Senior Passes, Annual Passes, and military passes can enter for free according to the terms which are specified on their cards.
Visitations are highest in the month of June, during the summer holidays, and on the weekends.
Visitations are lowest in the middle of September all the way to late November.
Around 3500 people visit each day.
The best time would be at 10:3o or 11:30 on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays.
Yes, the pass that you buy can be used for a week starting from the day of purchase.
The ground level areas are good enough for people on wheelchairs to stroll through. However, the upper level areas are not wheelchair accessible.
It is a federal site run by the National Park Service.
Yes there are. They are only available to senior citizens and people on active military duty.
Located on 1 South Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, the Castillo de San Marcos stands proudly as the oldest structure spreading across 20.5 acres and guarding St. Augustine. Located near the western shore of Mantanzas Bay, this National Monument is over 315 years old and it has an extremely rich history. If you are a history enthusiast, then this is a must visit for you.
The monument was constructed between 1672 and 1695 and is built of coquina, which is soft limestone composed of broken shells (which is also fire resistant!) quarried from Anastasia Islands. What makes this Castillo special is that it has never been conquered, because of its fortification by coquina and it even survived English General James Oglethorpe who attempted to restrain the town in 1740. The attacks in 1712 and 1728 had the same output. The British had never been able to take it till the Treaty of Paris in 1763, after which, it entered under the English rule for the next 20 years. It has been used as a Military Prison and was named Fort St. Mark. The Peace of Paris was in 1783, when Florida was given back to the Spanish, and in 1821 it became a United States territory. The Americans renamed it as Castillo Fort Marion in the honor of General Frances Marion who was an American revolutionary war hero. It was used as a prison for the Native Americans from Florida and Great Plain during the 1800s. Finally in 1924, it was recognized as a National Monument and the Congress renamed the fort as Castillo de San Marcos. The Castillo holds a prime example of the bastion system and has a unique architecture including the star shaped design. The coquina is popularly known as the stone that saved the Spanish Florida.
Visit and indulge yourself in a dose of war time history and cultural diversity. Witness the canon firing demonstration and the live reenactment, send your kid on a field trip to learn the history of the place or simply walk around the Castillo and let your imagination take its steps through the past. Make sure you come early, as that would give you plenty of time to stroll lazily and wander about the castle observing the strategic construction and hang around and look over the beautiful bay. Let your kids enter in the Junior Ranger Program and spend some time alone in order to make the most out of your trip as well.