My son and I spent two hours doing The Fountain of Youth Tour at the Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, Florida recently. We had a blast! We have lived in Jacksonville for over 10 years and I’m surprised we haven’t been yet. Located near Historic St. Augustine, families can enjoy learning about Ponce de Leon’s acquisition of “La Florida” in 1513 and the Timacuan Indians that were indigenous to this area.
St. Augustine is where the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed in his search for Florida. While there, legend has it that Ponce de Leon discovered the Fountain of Youth, a water spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks from it or bathes in its waters.
If you’re considering a tour of the Fountain of Youth park, below are a couple of things to keep in mind to get you ready for a fun and educational day.
Ticket Prices: Adults are $12.00 and children 12 and under are $8.00. If you live in St. John’s County however, the price is half-off.
Parking: Parking is free and right on property. When you arrive you’ll receive show schedules and map of the archaeological park. We didn’t bother with the map as there are plenty of sings to show us where to go next.
Activities: There is plenty to do in the park. All the activities in the park are free. Of our favorites were:
- Drinking from the Fountain of Youth.
- Visiting burials of the Timucua Indians that inhabited the land before the Spaniards.
- Seeing the reconstructed First Mission Church of Nombre de Dios.
- Walking 600 Riverwalk pier. My son loved watching the fish, crabs, and other water life from the pier.
- We watched a nine minute presentation called Discovery Globe that traced the routes of Ponce de Leon and other explorers to and from the New World, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Spain. Although informative, the Globe could definitely use some upgrading.
- Peacocks are all over the park. We spent some time watching and enjoying their presence.
- Cannon and weapons firing. They will actually fire a gun and a cannon. (See video.)
We had such a great time exploring the Fountain of Youth. We’ll definitely have to go again with the rest of the family.
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