During the Change of Flags Ceremony, The National Park Service will reenact the change of flags between the Spanish and the British in 1763.  Join national park staff, volunteers, and the St. Augustine Garrison for this event that commemorates the 1763 transfer from Spanish control to British rule. Visitors will see the changing of the guard, the massing of the Spanish and British Troops, the exchange of the keys, and the changing of the flags. The event will be carried…

Tolomato Cemetery, in use from the 18th century until 1884, is the last resting place for some 1,000 St. Augustinians, including many important to the history of Florida and the United States. It's an evocative place about which there are many legends and tales, but which also reveals the real stories of the real people. Burials include those of people from Spain, Cuba, Ireland, Minorca, Italy, Greece, Africa, Haiti, France and the American South and Northeast - as well as…

A 16th century-style military encampment will take place at the Fountain of Youth Park and will play host to drills, demonstrations, and living history interpretation of old St. Agustin in 1586. On June 4th of that year, Sir Francis Drake approached the harbor of this Spanish colonial city with 2000 Englishmen under his command. Admission to the encampment is free with your paid admission to the Fountain of Youth. Later in the evening, at 7pm, the reenactment of the sacking…

On June 7, 2018, the first phase of a multi-year cannon preservation project will begin at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Through a partnership with Texas A&M University, 25 iron cannons will receive treatments to protect them from on-going corrosion from exposure to the elements. 14 iron cannons will be removed from the fort by barge and crane. Ultimately the cannons will be transported to the Conservation Research Laboratory at Texas A&M. For the safety of the public, the…

In the early morning hours of June 26, 1740, the village of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose (mo-SAY), the first, legally sanctioned free black settlement in the continental U.S., became the site of the bloodiest battle in Florida’s part in the War of Jenkins’ Ear. That day saw Florida’s Spanish soldiers, black militia, and native Yamassee auxiliaries locked in a “clash of empires” with invading English and Scottish troops from Georgia, a battle that culminated in desperate, hand-to-hand…

Join park staff, volunteers, and members of Florida Living History, Inc. to commemorate the founding of Castillo de San Marcos. Throughout the day, explore how this undefeated fortress was planned and constructed to protect this community and anchor the important trade route back to Europe. Activities will be ongoing from 9:00am-3:00pm. Normal park entry fees apply.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument will host a special evening tour Castillo by Candlelight "Taking the Plunge". Join us for a special look at soldier life in the Castillo during the First Spanish period (1565-1763). Discover if you have what it takes to be part of the garrison that successfully protected St. Augustine for almost 200 years. During the early years of the Spanish colony, much of the city of St. Augustine directly…

During the Colonial Night Watch Weekend, in honor of the British influence in St. Augustine from 1763-1784, the Castillo de San Marcos becomes Fort St. Marks for the weekend. In a partnership with the St. Augustine Garrison and Historic Florida Militia, step back in time to explore St. Augustine’s rich heritage with a glimpse into British and Spanish military life. The day’s activities will include musket and cannon firing programs. Regular entrance fees apply.