Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
St. George Street & Orange Street Intersection
The City Gate was once the only entrance to St. Augustine from the north. As part of the Cubo Defense Line, it served as the northern border of the “walled city” from the Castillo de San Marcos to the San Sebastian River. The City Gate and this portion of the Cubo Defense Line were reconstructed in the early 1800s.
The Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. From 1672 to 1695, Spaniards, African-Americans, Native Americans and others worked to construct this fort out of coquina. The Castillo has protected St. Augustine during the Spanish, British, and American periods and was used as a prison for Native Americans throughout the 19th century.
St. George Street Public Archaeology Program
14 Cordova Street 15 St. George Street
This is the oldest surviving planned cemetery in Florida. Residents of Catholic faith, including Spanish, Menorcans, and Africans, were buried on these grounds until 1884. A number of historical figures rest here, such as Haitian independence hero General Jorge Biassou and Menorcan Father Pedro Camps. With 450 years of continuous settlement, St. Augustine has the richest archeological deposits in the nation. Each layer of settlement and every artifact helps archaeologists reconstruct the past of the Nation’s Oldest City. Visit this excavation, sponsored by the Fraser Family Trust, and learn firsthand how archaeologists decipher the history.
St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum
33 St. George Street 12 S. Castillo Drive
Days & Hours:
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Daily
Admission:
Adults – $11.99
Youth – $5.99
Explore the St. Augustine settlement from its founding in 1565 through the 18th century under Spanish and British rule. Experience three centuries of colonial St. Augustine through the Historic Adventure Tour with attractions like the 17th century watchtower replica, interactive blacksmith shops, and live weaponry demonstrations. This museum features the world’s largest
collection of authentic pirate artifacts on the historic site of a pirate raid in St. Augustine. Pirate attacks by Sir Francis Drake and Robert Searles shaped the history of St. Augustine.
Plaza de la Constitución
48 King Street
A government building has stood on this site since 1598. Colonial governors and officials appointed by the Crowns of Spain and Britain, as well as American officials, served the public from this residence. The building has also been a courthouse, post office and customs house. Currently, The First Colony: Our Spanish Origins exhibition is on display.
St. George Street & King Street Intersection
The Plaza was laid out in 1573 according to a Royal Decree by the Spanish Crown that all settlements have a plaza in sight of the water. A number of significant monuments and structures have been built here, including the Spanish Constitution Monument, Foot Soldiers Monument, and Confederate Monument.
Spanish Constitution Monument
Aviles Street
Plaza de la Constitución
The first Spanish Constitution was created in 1812 at a national gathering in Cádiz, Spain. The document allowed for the right to vote and freedom of the press, among other rights. Citizens within Spanish settlements around the world were ordered to build monuments to honor the document. The monument built in St. Augustine still stands today.
Aviles Street is the oldest street in the United States. The street is found on maps dating back to the early 1570s. It was originally named Hospital Street because a colonial military hospital was located on this street. Currently, the street is home to restaurants, galleries, museums, and shops.
Spanish Military Hospital Museum
3 Aviles Street
Days & Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission:
Adults – $7
Seniors – $5
Travel back in time to the Spanish Military Hospital Museum, where the doctor is always in. Fully guided tours take you back to the Colonial Spanish days of medicine with both surgical and apothecary demonstrations. The museum is a reconstruction of the original hospital built on the original foundation.
20 Aviles Street
Built circa 1798, this building originally housed Andres Ximenez and his Menorcan wife, Juana
Pellicer, and their general store. In the late 1820s, the building became a boarding house for soldiers and visitors to St. Augustine. The property is owned and operated by The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Florida.
Father Miguel O’Reilly House Museum
32 Aviles Street
Circa 1691, the O’Reilly House was built, making it one of the few surviving buildings from the First Spanish Period. The Museum is home to the Catholic Diocese archives, the oldest collection of colonial period documents in America. Operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph, items on display interpret the continuous occupation of St. Augustine.
El Galeón at St. Augustine Marina
111 Avenida Menendez
At St. Augustine’s Municipal Marina, visitors can board an authentic 17th century Spanish galleon. This ship represents St. Augustine’s maritime heritage as America’s Oldest Seaport. Spanish sailors on the ship assist visitors in the interpretation of life on the sea as well as the unique use of such a grand, historic ship.
167 San Marco Avenue
This building was created in 1883 out of poured concrete and crushed coquina shells, a new form of construction at the time. It was built to replicate a section of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. It was originally the winter home of Franklin Smith and has been a museum since 1933 featuring a 98% original art and antique collection. St. Augustine’s Queen Anne Victorian-style jail was built by Henry Flagler in 1891. It was often confused for a hotel by tourists. In reality, the mostly African-American convicts survived under the harshest living conditions. Up at dawn to work on roads, leased prisoners worked 12 hours a day in the Florida sun and were hauled back to their cramped cells in the late evening.
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