Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is the place to go to see what life must have been like for the earliest inhabitants who lived along the salt water marshes of what is now St. Augustine. Artifacts uncovered by archaeological digs on park grounds shed light on the Timucua, Native Americans who occupied the region around 2400 B.C., and the first Spanish settlers who came ashore in 1565. These discoveries led to the installation of the park’s historically accurate, life-sized outdoor exhibits which tells their story.
Save 50 cents on regular Fountain of Youth tickets. Code: SAFOUNTAIN
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There’s a lot to see on a self-guided walk through the 15-acre waterfront park. Some exhibits are static displays – Archaeology Exhibit, Timucuan Dugout Canoe & Owl Totem and Menendez Settlement Field, the site of the first Spanish settlement. Others, the Blacksmith Exhibit, Cannon Firing, Historical Weapons Presentation and Chalupa & Boathouse exhibits, have interesting demonstrations at specific times throughout the day.
Highlight exhibits are self-guided experiences. Each has scheduled shows throughout the day. Check the park’s schedule for times.
Walk through the Timucuan Village of Seloy. On-site digs in the area have found evidence of the presence of the Timucua. The principal chief of the St. Augustine region in 1565, when the Spanish arrived, was Seloy. Artifacts and human remains found on-site point to the probability of Seloy’s village on the grounds. See replicas of Timucuan village structures. Step inside a circular palm-thatched dwelling. See a wide variety of implements and ornaments made of bone, shell, stone and wood.
Go inside the Mission Church, a reconstruction of the first mission in the continental U.S. The exact site of the original mission, constructed by Franciscan friars in 1587, is unknown. This archaeologically appropriate site was selected for the rustic church made of local cypress, has coquina shell floors and a palm thatch roof.
Climb the Watchtower to look out over the marshes all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The precursors of lighthouses, these wooden watchtowers where built by the Spanish along the coast for sighting incoming ships in order to provide advance warning of attacks.
Navigator’s Planetarium is the place to see how early Spanish and Portuguese explorers made it across the vast Atlantic Ocean without GPS. Understanding how they navigated by the stars using navigational tools such as the astrolabe and quadrant is fascinating.
The 30-foot high Discovery Globe lets you to visually travel the routes early Spanish and Portuguese explorers took on their journeys to and from the New World. It also shows the location of their settlements and cities.
A visit to Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park would not be complete without taking a drink of spring water from the legendary Fountain of Youth. The cool water that flows into the Spring House comes from the Florida Aquifer. Legend or real, the mineral-filled water is as refreshing now as it must have been for the explorers landing on Florida’s shores 500 years ago. After a long journey across the ocean, no wonder they thought it was the Fountain of Youth.
Save 50 cents on regular Fountain of Youth tickets. Code: SAFOUNTAIN
Save $5 on the Old Town Trolley Fountain of Youth Package Code: FOUNTAIN