Built by the Spanish in St. Augustine to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States and interprets more than 450 years of cultu...
The Castillo de San Marcos is considered to be a "walk-in" park. The entrance fee applies to each individual. Tickets are not transferable and cannot be given to other guests. Adults (Age 16 and above) entrance is $15.00 and valid for 7 consecutive days. Children (age 15 and under) are admitted free of charge but must be accompanied by an adult.
Over the years, the historic seawall bordering the southern grounds of the Castillo de San Marcos has been weakened by hurricanes, high tides, and the simple crashing of waves. Concurrently, rainwater percolating down through the mowed grounds has undermined the wall as the water seeps out into the bay. These forces have helped destabilize the historic seawall and make its long-term future uncertain. In 2011 the National Park Service facilitated the construction of a livin
Across the upper half of the panel, against a blue background, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Saving the Seawall. Hurricanes, waves, and rain have weakened the fort's historic 1840s seawall. In 2011 the National Park Service created a living seawall using coquina boulders. Silt filling the space between the 2 walls will stabilize the historic seawall, preventing further erosion while allowing mangrove and marsh grasses to grow. In addition, the outer wall will create a natural habitat for marine life such as oysters, crabs, shrimp, and fish.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />On the panels lower half, a color photo of the fort and the 2 seawalls. In the distance is the fort's grey facade with tall green palm trees to the left and right and green grass in front. Along the right edge of the grass is the low grey historic 1840s seawall. To the right, pale blue water and a line of low, grey boulders, with water rising almost to its upper surface.<br /><br />Inset to the right, a rectangular color photo of green seagrass growing up to the edge of the grey boulders and the water. <br /><br />Below, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />In time, the living seawall will provide better erosion protection and a healthier habitat for young marine life.<br /><br />Beyond the panel, 2 low concrete walls, and the fort's low, wide stone wall. Beyond the wall, a view of the living seawall's line of boulders with seawater on either side. Ahead, in the distance, a view of the fort's grey facade. <br />
During times of siege, this room could have been used as a meeting place for the Spanish governor and his officers.
The Artillery Complex can be accessed from the courtyard. This audio description is from the courtyard entrance. The exhibits in this room focus on the preservation of the Castillo.<br /><br />Two wooden doors open inward to the room. Over the doors, there is a barred window with a wooden shutter that also opens inward. Barred windows flank the doorway. Two benches are against the left wall when entering.<br /> <br />An entrance to the three more artillery rooms is on the left, or north, wall. <br /><br />This room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 12 feet high. <br /><br />From standing at the entrance to this room, moving from left to right, the exhibits, in English and Spanish, include:<br /><br />George Brown. 1845 -1917. Text explains that, between 1885 and 1903 Brown gave tours to 1.8 million people. An illustration shows Brown sitting on the ledge of the stairs in the courtyard. He wears a cap with a short brim and braiding. His hair is dark and short. He has a narrow face with a large black mustache. He wears a dark blue jacket. Embroidered on the upper sleeve is a red star and a double "v". His light blue trousers have a dark blue stripe down the outer length of pant leg. He wears black boots.<br /><br />Preserving the Castillo 1924 to Present Exhibit. A black and white photo of a mechanical crane with a long metal arm, extended over the wall of the Castillo. A computer rendering showing a room in the Castillo in historic times, with a long table and about 10 chairs. Text explains that in 1884, Congress appropriated funds to the preservation of the Castillo. A black and white photo of a women. One puts money in a fee collection box. A color photo of a cannon firing on top of the Castillo. Fire is coming out of the barrel. Smoke billows from the back. Text explains that, today, the National Park Service continues to preserve and protect this unique place.<br /><br />Preserving the Past Exhibit. A vertical glass panel protects carvings and holes in the wall behind the exhibit. An illustration shows a red horizontal bar, with several alternating red and yellow half circles lining the top and bottom. A color photo shows a man chipping at a wall with a chisel and hammer. A black and white photo shows a man, on a scaffold, touching a wall. The text explains that the walls of the Castillo are covered with plaster followed by a coat of whitewash. This makes it an ideal surface on which to draw and carve.
The first room in this northeast corner was the artillery quarters during the Second Spanish Period (1784 to 1821). The next casemate was the ordinance supply room where tools and materials for serving the cannons were kept and issued. The small narrow room once housed a ladder to the gun deck to make transporting gunpowder quicker. The tiny doorway you see here is the entrance to the original gunpowder magazine. The Spanish realized soon after construction that the little room was too humid to store powder, so they used it for storage and as a trash pit during the 51 days of the 1702 Siege. Eventually, a new magazine was built in the northwest corner. When the Spanish renovated the Castillo in the mid-1700s, the old magazine and the ladder room were sealed, not to be opened again until 1833, when the U.S. Army was performing their own modifications. <br />
The second Artillery Complex room is accessed from the adjacent Artillery room. The exhibits in this room focus on the cannons at the Castillo.<br /><br />The room comes to a point at the north wall. There is a low door on the east wall that leads to the powder magazine.<br /><br />Moving from left to right from the entrance, the exhibits, in English and Spanish, include:<br /><br />Weapons at the Castillo Exhibit. An interactive pyramid of cannon balls sits on a wooden platform next to the exhibit panel. You can try to lift the balls. The text explains that cannons were the Castillo's defense against enemies. The cannon balls weighed anywhere from two and 40 pounds. Behind the exhibit panel is a rack with reproductions of long poles with attachments at the tips: Pads, scoops and scrapers.<br /><br />Other Projectiles and San Marco Cannon Exhibit. A tactile cannon sits at the base of this exhibit. It is a bronze cannon made in Spain around 1700. Above the cannon, a panel shows photos of different types of projectiles or shots that could be fired from a cannon to damage a ship's rigging and sails. Some start fires, destroy equipment, or decimate attacking infantry.<br /><br />Ignacio Daza. 1620 to 1672. Text explains that Daza, a military engineer and architect, selected the site for the fort and designed the plan for the fortress. An illustration shows Daza with shoulder length black hair and a tidy black mustache. He has a high forehead and a long nose. He wears a black jacket over a white collared shirt with lace on the edges. A wide blue sash crosses over his body from his left shoulder. He holds up a plan for the fort and points at it.<br /><br />Spanish Defense Network Exhibit. An aerial photo taken from above the fort. An illustrated section of the fort. A historic map of St. Augustine. An illustration of men firing a cannon from the top of a fort. The text explains that Spain created an elaborate system of defenses to protect its trade routes. For the Spanish colonists, the Castillo played a key role.
The Junior Ranger Program encourages children ages 6 through 12 to participate in their visit to Castillo de San Marcos, and is a fun way for young visitors and their families to get the most out of their visit. <br /><br />Ask a ranger for your workbook or download it <a href="https://www.nps.gov/casa/learn/kidsyouth/upload/CASA-Junior-Ranger-Book-September-2014.pdf">here</a> .<br /><br />Once you have your book make sure to view the <a href="https://youtu.be/l9KnEcbq6JM">video</a> , examine the exhibits, and take the self guided tour to get all of the answers<br />. <br />Allow about one hour to complete the Junior Ranger Program.
The timeline exhibit in this room gives general description of the important events in the Castillo's history and a timeline of key dates from the 1400s to 1898.
The Casement 4 timeline exhibit gives general description of the important events in the Castillo's history and a timeline of key dates from the 1400s to 1898.<br /><br />From left to right:<br /><br />Staking out Territory. 1492 to 1515.<br />News that Christopher Columbus has found new lands in 1492 sparks four centuries of Europeans holdings colonies in the Americas.<br /><br />1513. Historic map - Juan Ponce de Leon discovers the Gulf Stream.<br /><br />1562. Illustrated birds eye view of a triangular shaped fort - French Huguenots establish Fort Caroline in present day Jacksonville.<br /><br />Spain controls Florida. 1513 to 1670.<br />Spain mounts several unsuccessful attempts to colonize La Florida. Pedro Menendez lands at the site of St. Augustine, Spanish forces, helped by a storm that wrecked their enemy's fleet, drive the French out.<br /> <br />1565. A 1631 illustration depicting Admiral Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles directing the Spanish capture of Fort Caroline.<br /><br />1566 to 1706. A historic map of Florida. The Spanish attempt to establish a chain of missions and outposts, seeking to settle North America.<br /><br />1670. A map of the areas around St. Augustine, marked with dates of important events from 1660 to 1682. Great Britain gains control of the eastern seaboard.<br /><br />Fight of Possession. 1670 to 1740.<br />The expanding English threat in North America forces Spain to reinforce Florida, which includes the construction of the Castillo. Twice, in 1702 and 1740, British forces unsuccessfully besiege the Castillo.<br /><br />1739 to 1748. An illustration of two sailing ships engaged in battle. Britain and Spain fight the War of Jenkins' Ear from 1739 to 1748.<br /><br />1740. An illustration of soldiers carrying guns and supplies. British troops, under James Oglethorpe, launch an unsuccessful 28-day siege of the Castillo. <br /><br />1737 to 1763. An illustration of soldiers and citizens in gun battle. The Spanish offer freedom and citizenship to escaped slaves, angering English slaveholders.<br />Battle for the Colonies. 1700 to 1784.<br />After the Seven Years War Spain cedes Florida to Great Britain in exchange for Havana, Cuba. In 1784, after the Revolutionary War, Spain regains control of Florida in 1784.<br /> <br />1781. Soldiers in white jackets run over rubble and fallen soldiers. Spain sends supplies, money, and troops to fight Britain during the American Revolution.<br /><br />1812. A portrait of a man with thinning hair and a round face wearing a dark jacket and ruffled white shirt. John Houston McIntosh fails in a plan to seize Florida by force.<br /><br />United States takes Control. 1821 to 1865.<br />American settlers seeking new lands push south into Florida. Florida becomes a near lawless land. Spain sells Florida to the United States in 1821, and the Castillo is renamed Fort Marion in 1861. <br /><br />1817 to 1858. An illustration titled, Massacre of the Whites by the Indians and Blacks in Florida. Seminole Wars push thousands of American Indians out of Florida, which becomes a state in 1845.<br /><br />1862. A photo of the courtyard of the Castillo, with tidy piles of cannonballs. Federal soldiers hold Fort Marion from March 1862 until the end of Reconstruction.<br /><br />1898. A portrait of a soldier sitting on a bastion wall. American soldiers live in tents around the Castillo during the Spanish-America War, the last conflict in which it served as an active military post.
In this room you can learn about the special building materials that makes Castillo de San Marcos NM so unique.
The Castillo Construction Exhibit Room is accessed from the Flag Room and Casement 4. In this room you are introduced the materials used in building the Castillo. on display is the massive Sally Port door from the American Period, surrounded by clear plastic, is the centerpiece exhibit in the center of the room. Along the walls are several exhibits, in Spanish and in English. <br /><br />The room is about 25 feet square with an arched ceiling. There are square wooden pegs protruding from the walls at an 8 foot height. Two beams cross the room overhead, reinforcing the upright Sally Port Door. There is an entrance to Casement 4 on the right, or north, wall.<br /><br />Standing at the entrance to the room, the description of exhibits, moving from left to right, includes:<br /><br />The Sally Port Door Exhibit. The Castillo's wooden planked door frame can be viewed from all sides. It is about 12 feet wide, 30 feet tall, and 12 inches thick. A black and white photo shows a soldier in white, patrolling on the drawbridge in front of the Sally Port Door. Text explains that the door is constructed of cypress. The frame contains two large swinging doors. Within one door is a smaller inset door.<br /><br />Building the Castillo Exhibit. Two illustrations and a plan show construction. An illustration shows how a room looked in historic times. Spanish workers broke ground for the Castillo in 1672. By 1695, its stone battlements and wooden interior were completed. By 1756, all rooms and walls were completed.<br /><br />Building Blocks: Coquina Exhibit. A tactile block of a coquina shell stone and the stone cutting tool that was used to shape it. Text describes the material.<br /><br />Mortar and Tabby Exhibit. An illustration shows tabby-a thick liquid-being poured into a wooden form. Text explains that the Castillo's coquina blocks are cemented together by mortar. The gun deck was formed by pouring a mixture called tabby over layers of rubble and sand. <br /><br />Natural Construction Exhibit. Text explains that the fort could only be constructed out of natural materials available locally, starting with burning shells to create lime. Photos show the materials: Oyster shells, lime, sand, water and coquina shells. <br /><br />William Carr. ca. 1640 to ca. 1700. Text explains that an Englishman bound for Charleston was imprisoned by the Spanish. Carr was a skilled mason who proved his value by helping to build the Castillo. An illustration shows a mason shaping a stone. He is thin. His dark hair is shoulder length, held off of his face by a piece of fabric tied around his forehead. He wears a white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and blue pants, torn at the knees. He wears moccasins with ties around his ankles. He is using an ax to shape a block of coquina shell stone that sits on a wooden bench.<br /><br />Spanish Coat of Arms Exhibit. In a glass case is the Spanish Coat of Arms, carved out of a coquina shell stone block.<br />
A website address link to the Castillo de San Marcos Compendium. A collection of rules and regulations specific to Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.
A website address link to the Castillo de San Marcos Compendium. A collection of rules and regulations specific to Fort Matanzas National Monument.
This chapel was the scene of daily worship for hundreds of years. Religion guided all aspects of life in the 15th through 18th centuries. Roman Catholic Christianity was the common faith throughout the Spanish empire, maintaining a single culture and system of government. One of the most important reasons Spain spent so much treasure and blood founding an empire throughout the Americas, the Philippines, and Africa was to take Christian beliefs to lands where they were unknown. <br /><br />British Protestant ideas of Christianity differed yet upheld a similar, if opposing, empire. U.S. soldiers also used this chapel during the 19th century. In the 1870s and 1880s, it also became the center of Captain <br />Richard Pratt's efforts to assimilate Plains and Apache Indian prisoners into white society. Church services and lessons in Christianity were held here for the Native Americans.<br />
The Chapel is accessed from either the Second Spanish Room or the American Indian room. This room's exhibits, in English and Spanish, describe religion at the Castillo. This room is described as if entering from the Second Spanish room.<br /><br />The courtyard entrance has a wooden door that forms an arch and opens inward to the room. That door remains closed. Above the door is a window. <br /><br />The room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 17feet high. <br />In the center of the back wall, a 5 foot tall arched niche is recessed about one foot into the wall. A narrow four foot ledge runs the length of the back wall with a five foot long, 4 foot section in the center. All ledges have a wooden top and trim. The altar has 4 images of the chapel during different time periods.<br /><br />The entrance to the American Indian room is on the east wall.<br /><br />Standing at the Second Spanish Room entrance to the room, the description, moving from left to right, includes:<br /><br />Religion at the Castillo Exhibit. An illustration of a religious service with soldiers attending. Illustrations of the chapel. Text explains that this chapel was the scene of daily worship. Religion guided all aspects of colonial life. Roman Catholic Christianity was the common faith throughout the Spanish empire.<br /><br />López De Mendoza Grajales. 1530 - 1590. Text explains, in 1565, Father López De Mendoza Grajales celebrated the first mass in St. Augustine that would become the United States' oldest parish. The portrait shows an older priest standing behind a wooden table wearing a gray robe. He is partially bald, with a tidy, thin circle of hair around the bare crown of his head. The robe is long sleeved with a simple knotted white rope at the waist. He holds an embossed black book. A skull rests next to his arm on the table.<br /><br />What do the Walls Tell Us? Exhibit. A vertical glass panel protects an ornate arch inset in the wall. Below, a photo shows holes in the stone wall. The text explains that Catholics dip their fingers in Holy Water and make the sign of the cross before worship and prayer in the Castillo's chapel.<br /><br />On the south wall of the Chapel is a closed, inaccessible door to the courtyard.<br /><br />What do the Walls Tell Us? Exhibit. A vertical glass panel protects an ornate arch inset in the wall. Below, a photo of two men outside a wooden doorway with an arched top. The text explains that behind the glass are the remains of a plastered holy water font.
Farmers bring crops and food from their fields surrounding the town. Open for trade during the day, but locked up at night, the city gate is the entrance to early 1800s civilization. Here in st. Augustine, Spaniards on the frontier feel safe. The Spanish built this gate when they reconstructed the city's norther wall (the Cubo Line) in 1808, more than 100 years after the Castillo was completed. Having wrestled possession back from the British, the Spanish fortified the town
Filling the entire panel is a color illustration of carts, men, and animals on a dirt road leading to the entrance gate of the historic fortified town of St. Augustine with the Castillo de San Marcos to the left. On the left side of the road, a man in a white shirt and a tri corner hat sits on top of a blue, ox-drawn cart with large round wheels; a small tan dog sits behind him. Behind the cart, is a man in a knee-length red coat and blue trousers. He carries a large brown sack over his right shoulder and is flanked by 2 large dogs. <br /><br />On the right side of the road, a man wearing a knee-length brown coat trimmed in white, brown boots, and a wide brimmed hat walks next to a donkey with a large, beige sack strapped to its back. In front of them a man wearing a red, hip-length jacket over brown pants and a wide-brimmed dark hat approaches the entrance gate. <br /><br />On either side of the gate opening, are tall white rectangular towers, capped with red triangular roofs with round balls at the top. A wooden gate between the towers swings open. On the left and right side of the towers is a white wall with a brown wooden wall in front of it. 2 soldiers in white jackets and coats trimmed in red, stand at either side of the opening. Inside the gate's walls are houses with brown roofs; smoke rises from center chimneys. Above the roofs, the sun is on the horizon against a pink, blue, and purple sky.<br /><br />Below, on a light brown background, text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Safe Haven. Farmers bring crops and food from their fields surrounding the town. Open for trade during the day, but locked up at night, this city gate is the entrance to early 1800s civilization. Here in St. Augustine Spaniards on the frontier feel safe.<br /><br />The Spanish built this city gate when they reconstructed the city's northern wall (the Cubo Line) in 1808, more than 100 years after the Castillo was completed. Having wrestled possession back from the British, the Spanish fortified the town to keep the Americans out. The gate was a critical part of improvements to the city's fortified defense. Look on both sides of the gate to see restored sections of the wall that once surrounded St. Augustine.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />At the bottom right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is bright, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821, is bright; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763.<br /><br />Below the circle, black text in English and Spanish reads:<br />Second Spanish Military Era.<br /><br />To the left of the panel, is the wide gravel walkway which leads to the gated entrance; a low grey brick wall flanks the path. Ahead and on either side of the gate, are restored wall sections. Beyond and inside the gate, are 2-story buildings with wrap-around balconies.<br />
The central courtyard of the Castillo, which was originally all dirt, served a dual purpose. During peacetime, soldiers would assemble here to drill with their muskets. As the common soldier of the 18th century was illiterate, musket and cannon procedures had to be learned by repetitive drilling, not by reading instruction manuals. Once the men had their drills committed to muscle memory, they would not forget them during the heat of battle. It was also here that the citizens
The Plaza de Armas courtyard is accessed through the Sally Port room. <br /><br />The courtyard is a 100 foot square open area. The wall around the courtyard is about 40 feet tall. In the center of the courtyard is a 75 foot square grass lawn, that may be cordoned off by a rope, suspended from metal posts, about three feet high. A stone walkway surrounds the lawn. Most rooms in the lower level of the Castillo can be accessed from this courtyard. Thresholds into the rooms vary in style. Two steps to enter, and the rest are flush with the walkway. Most rooms have a barred window above the entrance and on either side. <br /><br />This audio description is of the view as if you have you walked about 10 feet out into the courtyard. The features, from left to right, include<br /><br />The Flag Room is slightly behind you, at 8 o'clock.<br /><br />A well is at 9 o'clock in the west corner of the courtyard. It has an 8 foot diameter circular cement wall that rises 2 feet high. It is covered with a circular planked wooden top. <br /><br />Along the left, or west, wall of the courtyard are:<br />Casement 4,<br />The Supply room,<br />The Siege room,<br />Two rooms with doors closed to the public, and<br />The Theater.<br /><br />Straight ahead, along the far, or north, wall are:<br />The British Room,<br />The Second Spanish Room,<br />At 12 o'clock, The Chapel, which has a stone framed arched entrance, with finials at each corner,<br />The American Indian Room<br />Room 16, and<br />The Treasury Room.<br /><br />There is a cannon on display at the northeast corner of the grassy area roped off with cable, strung between metal posts.<br /><br />Along the right, or east, wall are:<br />Two rooms with doors closed to the public,<br />The Artillery Complex, <br />Two rooms with doors closed to the public, and<br />The Restrooms.<br />To your right, on the wall behind you, at 4 o'clock, is a staircase leading up to the Gundeck, on top of the Castillo.
Castillo de San Marcos was built using coquina, a local limestone.
Against a beige background of the tiny shells that make up the coquina stone are 2 columns of white text: on the left, English; on the right, Spanish.<br /><br />Crumbing Coquina. Castillo de San Marcos was built using coquina, a local limestone. This porous limestone is made from millions of seashells pressed together for thousands of years. The Spanish coated the fort walls with plaster made from oyster shells to help waterproof the structure.<br /><br />You can help us preserve the fort for generations to come: touch this sample of coquina instead of the historic walls.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />In the center of the panel, between the 2 columns of text, a long rectangular inset container with touchable material. On the top half, light tan, coquina; on the lower half, greyish-white plaster.<br /><br />Beyond the panel is the deep moat and the rough stone walls of the fort. To the left of the panel, a walkway and a 4-foot wide by 4 ½ foot high by 2-foot deep, glossy brown trash receptacle. To the right of the panel, a stone walkway leading into the fort bordered by a sign of rules that states, " Tickets Required."<br /><br />[End of Message]<br />
The log wall at your right is a replica of the Cubo Line. The earth-and-palm-log embankment extended from the Castillo to the San Sebastian River a half-mile behind you. Two defensive walls enclosed the city: the Cubo and Rosario lines. The Cubo Line marks St. Augustine's northern edge.
On the top half of the panel is a color illustration of the Cubo Line, an earth and palm-log embankment used to defend the city of St. Augustine.<br /><br />At the left, elevated land leads down to cleared land and a 5-foot deep moat. To the right, just before the rising embankment, a vertical brown stick marks the palisade wall of pine stakes that stood in the moat. To the right, the 9-foot high embankment, made of reddish-brown dirt and palm logs hid soldiers from the invaders' view. Below, extending from the left side to the pine stake, a white, horizontal line and text in white: "Outside the Cubo line: countryside." To the right, just past the pine stake, a second white horizontal line and the text: "Inside: the protected city."<br /><br />Above the reddish-brown land, a pale blue sky. Along the top of the panel, at left and right, black text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Wall of Defense. The log wall at your left is a replica of the Cubo Line. The earth-and-palm-log embankment extended from the Castillo to the San Sebastian River a half-mile behind you. 2 defensive walls enclosed the city: the Cubo and Rosario lines. The Cubo Line marks St. Augustine's northern edge<br /><br /> End of Text<br /><br />At the bottom, left side of the panel, a small rectangular map of the city of St. Augustine. At the top left of the map, northwestern corner, the Castillo de San Marcos. Along the city's top, horizontal eastern edge, in blue, the Mantanzas River. At the left, a dotted yellow line follows the vertical, northern edge; the Cubo Line. Along the bottom, horizontal western edge, a second yellow dotted line with 8 small triangles pointing downward represent redoubts; the Rosario line. Below the city map, in the center of the Rosario Line, a white vertical line connects to the text: "Redoubts."<br /><br />On either side of the map, white text in English and Spanish, reads: <br />A series of enclosed gun platforms, called redoubts, connected by palm log and earth walls formed the fortified town walls critical to St. Augustine's land-based defense.<br />Today, you can see the rebuilt Santo Domingo/Tolomato Redoubt near the corner of Cordova Street, one of 3 defensive positions along the Cubo Line.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />At the bottom right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is bright, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821, is bright; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763.<br /><br />Below the circle, black text in English and Spanish reads: <br />Second Spanish Military Era.<br /><br />To the left of the panel is the Cubo Line replica wall which extends toward the fort. 5 light-colored round logs are stacked 4-feet high, one on top of each other. To the left of the wall, a higher grassy area. To the right of the panel, a well-worn earthen path, with grass on either side. Beyond the panel, is the fort.<br />
The Spanish built the star-shaped Castillo de San Marcos in the late-1600s. The star design responded to the advent of a deadly new weapon: the cannon. The fort's complex shape meant a battery of cannons on the gun deck could create interlocking fields of fire.<br /><br />Low and flat on the landscape, star-shaped forts used an obstacle course of defenses. Diamond-shaped protruding corners called bastions created crossfire to repel the enemy. From the bastions and curtain wall, cannon fire could deter or engage an advancing army. A wide ditch at the base of the fort lacked cover for invaders, allowing musket fire to rain down from above. Thick fort walls and a rising slope deflected incoming cannonballs. The fort design has stood the test of time: despite attacks, the Castillo was never conquered.<br />
Across the upper horizontal section of the panel, a color illustration: against a light brown and gold background, 3 parts of the Castillo de San Marcos, two bastions and a curtain wall, are shown in pale grey. Cut into its upper wall are 10 cannon positions. More than 2 dozen soldiers in blue uniforms, and tri-cornered hats, some with muskets, are stationed along the cannon positions. Criss-crossing long, thin yellow lines emanate from the barrels of the soldiers' muskets to represent bullet trajectories and wider gold areas emanating from the cannon show their field of fire.<br /><br />To the left of the illustration, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />No attackers ever made it through the outer defenses to reach this final crossfire. <br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />To the right of the illustration, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br />Cannon from 2 bastions and the curtain wall could strike enemy troops beyond the town in an interlocking field of fire.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />Below, against a brown background, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Deadly Crossfire. The Spanish built the star-shaped Castillo de San Marcos in the late-1600s. The star design responded to the advent of a deadly new weapon: the cannon. The fort's complex shape meant a battery of cannons on the gun deck could create interlocking fields of fire.<br /><br />Low and flat on the landscape, star-shaped forts used an obstacle course of defenses. Diamond-shaped protruding corners called bastions created crossfire to repel the enemy. From the bastions and curtain wall, cannon fire could deter or engage an advancing army. A wide ditch at the base of the fort lacked cover for invaders, allowing musket fire to rain down from above. Thick fort walls and a rising slope deflected incoming cannonballs. The fort design has stood the test of time: despite attacks, the Castillo was never conquered.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />At the right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is full color, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763, in full color.<br /><br />Below the circle, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br />First Spanish Military Era.<br /><br />Beyond the panel are views of the dry moat; the fort's inner first wall of defense. Beyond that, views of the bastion, covered way, and glacis; beyond that the surrounding road and St. Augustine.<br /><br />To the left of the panel, and attached to the wall, a 2-step cement platform.<br /><br />[End of Message]<br />
Enemy troops would have encountered an obstacle course of rising slopes, low walls,and ditches before reaching the Castillo's walls. The Spanish built this extensive defensive system to help protect the fort. The ravelin, a wedge-shaped structure, shields the entrance. The moat and covered way enable soldiers to move around the fort, protected from enemy fire. The glacis limits how much of the fort the enemy can see or strike
At the top left and right corners of the panel, blue text against a tan background in English and green text against a blue background in Spanish reads: Defense in Depth.<br /><br />Below and filling the upper half of the panel, a color illustration shows a cutaway section of the fort's structure and defensive elements. At the left, brown lines mark the footprint of the fort's left side; to the right is a 3-dimensional view of the fort's right side. Around the illustration, text and thin black lines connect to and explain different parts of the fort and surrounding structural defenses.<br /><br />Clockwise from left, the text reads, in English and Spanish:<br /><br />Moat. The Castillo's moat was typically kept dry.<br />Ravelin. The ravelin protects the weakest part of the fort-the entrance.<br />Traverse. An earthen embankment to provide additional cover for soldiers in the covered way.<br />Covered Way. This area between the moat and the glacis provided cover from enemy fire for soldiers moving around the fort.<br />Glacis. The Spanish built this long slope to protect the fort's lower walls and moat from enemy cannon fire.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />The fort's interior walls have doors and windows that face a courtyard. Above, on the fort's top, flat gun deck, cannons are placed on the perimeter and face outward. On the right, exterior wall of the fort, a brown walkway extends out from the entranceway over a dry brown moat. The walkway connects to a wedge-like structure called a ravelin.<br /><br />Atop the ravelin are 5 figures with muskets. Below them are a dozen more figures. Beyond the ravelin is the moat, covered way, and glacis. <br /><br />A "You are Here" arrow, located at the bottom center of the illustration, points to an area just outside the fort's covered way.<br /><br />Below the illustration, on the lower portion of the panel, white text on a brown background in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Enemy troops would have encountered an obstacle course of rising slopes, low walls, and ditches before reaching the Castillo's walls. The Spanish built this extensive defensive system to help protect the fort.<br /><br />The ravelin, a wedge-shaped structure, shields the entrance. The moat and covered way enable soldiers to move around the fort, protected from enemy fire. The glacis limits how much of the fort the enemy can see or strike.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />Directly to the left and in front of the panel a low wall separates the upper level from the covered way below. Beyond the panel, views of the fort's wedge-shaped ravelin; to its left, the walkway over the dry moat which connects to the fort's entrance.<br /><br />To the right, a slightly raised concrete bridge which wraps around the fort's outer perimeter and the grassy glacis.<br />[End of message]<br />
Spanish soldiers watch in horror as English troops set fire to their homes. They are helpless. The drawbridges are up. The soldier-settlers and their families are sheltered within the crowded fortress. Except for a few rooms to house the guards on duty, the fort has no living quarters.<br /><br />During the nearly 2-month-long siege in 1702, the English failed to conquer the Castillo, but left St. Augustine in ashes. After the siege, the determined Spanish rebuilt their homes and added more defenses to protect their town.<br />
Filling the entire panel, a color illustration of dozens of men and soldiers atop the fort with red, orange, and yellow flames rising up against a deep purple sky as St. Augustine is ablaze in the distance. Some men hold long barreled muskets; some have swords tucked into their belts; others hold cannon tools, and some stand near cannons. The men are dressed in brown open jackets and trousers, blue and green jackets; some with white shirts open at the neck. Some of the men wear wide brimmed black or brown hats; some with red feathers. <br /><br />In the top left and right corners of the panel, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Engulfed in Flames. Spanish soldiers watch in horror as English troops set fire to their homes. They are helpless. The drawbridges are up. The soldier-settlers and their families are sheltered within the crowded fortress. Except for a few rooms to house the guards on duty, the fort has no living quarters.<br /><br />During the nearly 2-month-long siege in 1702, the English failed to conquer the Castillo, but left St. Augustine in ashes. After the siege, the determined Spanish rebuilt their homes and added more defenses to protect their town.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />At the bottom right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is bright, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763, is bright.<br /><br />Below the circle, black text in English and Spanish reads:<br />First Spanish Military Era.<br /><br />Directly in front of the panel, the fort's stone wall and a cut-out gun position. Beyond, views of remaining portions of the lower walls of defense and then a grassy area with scattered trees. Beyond the grassy area is a road which separates the fort grounds and the town of St. Augustine.<br /><br />[End of Message]<br />
At the park entrance, credit cards are preferred for payment. You can also <a href="https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/2620">purchase your pass in advance</a> , which saves time at the entrance station. Eighty percent of your entrance fees help fund projects that improve your experience here. We appreciate your support!
The fee booth, is located at the entrance to the Castillo, at the southeast corner.<br />It is a single-story cabin-style wooden building with a peaked roof. It has dark brown planked wood siding. There are several windows.<br />The south wall has an information bulletin board that reads,<br />Welcome. <br />Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.<br />Hours: 8:45 am to 5:15 pm (last entry at 5 pm). <br />Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.<br />Fees: Adults: $15. <br />15 and Under: Free.<br />A rounded triangle with a white circle with the National Park Service logo, described in more detail later. The words U.S. Fee Area is below the emblem.<br />Text to the right of the triangle reads,<br />Closure.<br />Unmanned Aircraft.<br />Launching, landing or operating an unmanned aircraft (This term includes All types of Devices e.g. Model Airplanes, Quadcopters, Drones, etc.) from or on Lands and Waters Administered by the National Park Service Within the Boundaries of the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is PROHIBITED.<br />Additional text reads,<br />Your fee dollars at work!<br />Your fee dollars support historic preservation and visitor experience at Castillo e San Marcos National Monument. Some projects include:<br />Ranger Programs.<br />Junior Ranger Activities.<br />Entrance Station Improvements.<br />Castillo Floor Repairs.<br />Covered Way Wall Preservation.<br />Restroom Improvements.<br />Cannon Firing Demonstrations.<br />Text at the bottom of the bulletin reads,<br />Find Your Park <br />A circular logo shows a lake in a grassy area, with three figures near some trees, against a golden sky, with the words, "Every Kid in a Park." <br />The west wall has three windows that slide open, where visitors can pay the entrance fee. Posted on the top center frame is a yellow sign that can slide to read either "open" or "closed". The glass on the windows has a no smoking sign and signs indicating accepted credit cards, which are VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. There is a metal ledge at the base of each window. Flanking the center window are Fee Information signs. <br />The U.S. Fee Area logo is posted on the wall, to the left of the windows.<br />The north wall has an information bulletin board, an entry door with a sign that reads "do not block," and a round temperature gauge above the door.<br />The National Park Service logo is shaped like a brown arrowhead, pointed downward. Inside the arrowhead are the words in white lettering, "National Park Service" with a green sequoia tree shape to its left. Near the bottom of the arrowhead is a white buffalo silhouette set against a green meadow, with a white lake and snowcapped mountain behind it.
The flags in the first room represent the different nations the Castillo has served: Hapsburg and Bourbon Spain, Great Britain, the United States of America, and the Confederate States of America. Though the fort has changed hands between countries many times, every transfer was negotiated through treaty and agreement, not battle.
The Flag Room can be accessed from the courtyard. <br /><br />The room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 17 feet high. The walls are built from rough shell stone blocks and mortar, are covered with smooth plaster. The room has several exhibits, in English and Spanish.<br /><br />There is a closed doorway on the east wall at 11 o'clock. At 1 o'clock there is a 4 foot by 7 foot doorway to additional fort interpretive exhibits.<br /><br />If standing at the entrance to the room, the description, moving from left to right, includes:<br /><br />On the wall straight ahead, a Flag Room Timeline Exhibit showing key events, dating from 1500 to today. A separate audio description is available for this exhibit. On the far end of the wall is a locked door. <br /><br />On the right wall is a tactile exhibit titled, <br /><br />Fort City. A hand-drawn map of St. Augustine and the fort. Text explains that Spanish engineer Mariano de la Rocque created a 1788 map of St. Augustine. This map has helped researchers study the city's layout and structures, including the fort. A tactile bronze model representing the fort sits on top of a four foot high base. The right and left sides of the exhibit have tactile keys of the tactile parts of the model and text and braille describing those parts. Below the model, on the front of the base is a wooden white square lattice pattern similar to the door in the Sally Port space.<br /><br />To the right of the model is another exhibit, titled, <br /><br />Enduring Monument, 1672-present. A historic black and white photograph shows a bird's eye view of the fort in the early 20th century. Text explains that the Castillo de San Marcos is North America's oldest masonry fortification. Spanish Floridians began the fortress in 1672, more than 100 years before the United States became a country. A computer rendering shows a room of the Castillo, filled with muskets. Text explains that this room may have been an arsenal for storing muskets and other handheld weapons. A photo of a historic handwritten document that describes the Spanish governor digging the first trench for the Castillo. A photograph of a ranger talking with visitors. The text explains that the National Park Service preserves and interprets Castillo de San Marcos as a national monument.
A monument not only of stone and mortar but of human determination and endurance, the Castillo de San Marcos symbolizes the clash between cultures which ultimately resulted in our uniquely unified nation. Still resonant with the struggles of an earlier time, these original walls provide tangible evidence of America's grim but remarkable history.
This sign once stood on next to the sidewalk that led to the park entrance. It has since been removed. It is an interpretive exhibit that briefly describes the fort's story, but the name of the site and sign title is Fort Marion National Monumnet.
The Spanish built the Castillo de San Marcos along the winding, shallow channel of the Matanzas River. Any ships entering the inlet faced the fort head on, unable to deploy their guns broadside. The strategic location kept marauding pirates and attacking British warships at bay. During the 1740 British siege, ships from Cuba used the inlet at the southern end of Anastasia Island to resupply the town. After the siege, knowing enemies could also use the inlet, the Spanish built
Along the top half of the slanted panel, against a light blue background, black text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Guarding the Back Door. The Spanish built the Castillo de San Marcos along the winding, shallow channel of the Matanzas River. Any ships entering the inlet faced the fort head on, unable to deploy their guns broadside. The strategic location kept marauding pirates and attacking British warships at bay. During the 1740 British siege, ships from Cuba used the inlet at the southern end of Anastasia Island to resupply the town. After the siege, knowing enemies could also use the inlet, the Spanish built Fort Matanzas to protect St. Augustine's back door.<br /><br />End of Text <br /><br />In the center between the 2 columns of text, 2 square color photos: on the left, the Castillo de San Marcos. The brown wedge-shaped stone walls of the fort and tower at the front right corner, face the green, water battery below. A grey stone seawall separates this area from the Matanzas River. Beyond the fort and to the right, are 5 palm trees.<br /><br />Below, black text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Castillo de San Marcos secured Florida for Spain and protected St. Augustine from attack.<br />End of Text<br /><br />In the color photo at the right, Fort Matanzas: a beige L-shaped stone structure with a lower section at the left, connected to a taller rectangular section at the right. 3 horizontal cannons poke out over the fort's left wall; a small stone tower at the left corner. On the right, behind the cannons, a wooden staircase rises half-way up the side of the taller, rectangular section. On top of the rectangular section of the fort, flies a Spanish flag from its first military era. The fort sits on a grassy area, lined with brown boulders overlooking water.<br /><br />Below, black text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Fort Matanzas protected the southern approach to St. Augustine.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />Below, on the lower half of the panel, a horizontal, bronze touchable map. Along the top, the Atlantic Ocean and winding water passages run through the landmass below. <br /><br />At the lower left, just below a wide water passage, a small raised metal square marks the Castillo De San Marcos; to its right, an arrow with "You are Here" in tan text. At the far, right side of the panel, encircled by water, is Fort Matanzas.<br /><br />Above the left corner of the touchable map, black text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />The shifting sands of barrier islands have changed the landscape since these forts were built.<br /><br /><br />Directly in front of the panel, the fort's low, light grey stone wall with views of the Matanzas River beyond the lower outer wall; along the far shore of Anastasia Island, views of houses and tree tops. To the left of the panel, several low wooden platforms, some with artillery set on blocks of wood.<br /><br />[End of Message]<br />
Welcome to the gun deck! The Castillo de San Marcos is one of the tallest buildings in town, which means it's a great place from which to view the skyline of the Ancient City. Take time to stroll clockwise around the gun deck and learn about some of our local landmarks.
After marching through miles of wilderness, the Castillo is within sight, seemingly close. But can it be taken? A treacherous obstacle course of rising slopes (glacis), low walls (covered way), and a moat, all protected by Spanish soldiers and cannons await anyone any foolish enough to attack.<br /><br />The massive, high walls of the fort provide its defenders with a perfect view of enemy movements. The cannons within the star-shaped fort are positioned to catch attackers in a deadly crossfire. In 1702 and 1740, attackers tried long sieges rather than attempt a direct assault on this fortress.<br />
On the upper half of the slanted panel, a color illustration of the fort. To the left, light tan and grey lines highlight the fort's left section. On the right is the inner courtyard with doorways and windows. To the right on the flat roof gun deck are cannon positions and the wedge-shaped ravelin. Immediately outside the fort's high walls, shaded in light green is the dry moat. Beyond the moat, tiny soldiers in blue uniforms stand in the covered way holding their muskets. A wall surrounds the covered way. At the high level of the wall is the grassy slope of the glacis. <br /><br />Below, the illustration, black text against a light tan background, in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Invincible Defenses. After marching through miles of wilderness, the Castillo is within sight, seemingly close. But can it be taken? A treacherous obstacle course of rising slopes (glacis), low walls (covered way), and a moat, all protected by Spanish soldiers and cannons await anyone any foolish enough to attack.<br /><br />The massive, high walls of the fort provide its defenders with a perfect view of enemy movements. The cannons within the star-shaped fort are positioned to catch attackers in a deadly crossfire. In 1702 and 1740, attackers tried long sieges rather than attempt a direct assault on this fortress.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />At the bottom right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is bright, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763, is bright.<br /><br />Below the circle, light grey text in English and Spanish reads:<br />First Spanish Military Era.<br /><br />Beyond the panel a view of a wide grassy area that gently slopes upward toward the fort. Just below the fort and to the right, a view of the replica Cubo Line; the low wall of defense.<br /><br />
After days of watching the British prepare, bursts of smoke signal their attack from Anastasia Island. The sentry in the San Carlos watchtower in front of you yells and rings the bell. His quick action alerts the garrison that the British are firing at the Castillo. Soldiers surge to their posts or run for cover.<br /><br />This marked the beginning of a 38-day siege in 1740. In the end, cannon fire partially damaged the eastern outer wall and the bombardment killed 2 townspeople.<br />
A full color illustration fills the entire panel. At the left, a tall white rounded belltower with a bell hanging from a wooden beam under a red roof is on the corner of the fort. Beyond the tower is a blue-grey and muted orange sky and next to the fort is the pale blue shore of a river. Inside the tower, a soldier in a blue uniform leans out of one of the high rounded vertical window openings; his left arm and hand extends outward towards soldiers below.<br /><br />Below, to the right 5 soldiers in blue uniforms with red trim at the neck and wrists and black tri cornered hats actively respond to the soldier in the tower. 2 soldiers move forward with long brown muskets; a third soldier holds a long brown cannon ram rod and leans toward a cannon set on a low, 4-wheeled cart. The fifth soldier points toward enemy ships. To the right of the cannon a man in a white shirt and blue breeches adjusts the cannon and looks out towards the water. In the distance, smoke appears from points on Anastasia Island and four, 2-masted ships with white sails <br /><br />At the upper center and right of the panel, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />It Begins. After days of watching the British prepare, bursts of smoke signal their attack from Anastasia Island. The sentry in the San Carlos watchtower in front of you yells and rings the bell. His quick action alerts the garrison that the British are firing at the Castillo. Soldiers surge to their posts or run for cover.<br /><br />This marked the beginning of a 38-day siege in 1740. In the end, cannon fire partially damaged the eastern outer wall and the bombardment killed 2 townspeople.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />At the bottom right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is bright, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763, is bright.<br /><br />Below the circle, light grey text in English and Spanish reads:<br />First Spanish Military Era.<br /><br />Immediately to the left of the panel, a low stone wall extends ahead toward the fort's v-shaped corner and its rounded, 2-story bell tower. On this level, is a rectangular doorway; above on all 4 sides, tall, rounded openings. Ahead and to the right of the bell tower is a wooden platform with three reproduction cannons.<br /><br />Beyond the walls, views of the Matanzas River and the tops of palm trees.<br /><br />[End of Message]<br />
The moat is a protective feature around Castillo de San Marcos. Like other features of Castillo, this one has had different uses throughout history.
At the left and right sides of the panel, against a color illustration of light blue sky with pale pink clouds, black text in English and Spanish reads:.<br /><br />Multi-Use Moat. It smells and sounds like a farmyard. Mooing cows, clucking chickens, and snorting pigs are penned in the moat.<br /><br />The 1702 British siege made staying in town dangerous. Townspeople moved into the fort for protection, bringing their livestock with them. Farmers brought their recent harvest to extend the storeroom rations. For more than a month, nearly 1500 people crowded into the fort, relying on these provisions until the siege ended.<br /><br />This wide, dry ditch made the Castillo less vulnerable to infantry attacks. Combined with other defenses, the moat protected the fort's lower walls from cannon fire. The uncovered expanse also exposed would-be attackers to soldiers firing from the fort's gun deck. <br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />Between the English and Spanish text, a wall of the white, wedge-shaped fort bastion recedes back into the distance. The ends of several cannons poke out of square-shaped cut outs called embrasures along the upper portion of the fort's wall. <br />Below the fort is a muddy area where 5 cows, 3 with horns; 6 brown and black pigs; and 13 chickens meander. A man in a blue shirt, white pants, and cap sticks a pitchfork into the back of a straw-filled blue cart. Chickens peck on the straw that is already on the ground.<br /><br />On the left, on top of the coquina stone wall a man in a knee-length brown coat, knee-high brown boots, and black hat leans against a long brown musket. <br /><br />To the right, white text caption in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />The moat was filled with water from 1938 until 1996, when the National Park Service drained it to reflect its original appearance.<br /><br />At the bottom right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is bright, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763, is bright.<br /><br />Below the circle, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br />First Spanish Military Era.<br /><br />Beyond the panel, a grassy area in between the 6-foot high stone wall to the left, and the fort's 30-foot high grey stone wall to the right is the moat. Ahead, a brown wooden walkway set on 6 ½ to 4-foot high stone pylons that run from the wall at the left to the fort's entranceway at the right.<br /><br />[End of message]<br />
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument bookstore run by our partner, Eastern National. You can find a variety of books covering various periods of Castillo's history. You can also get your NPS Passport stamped here.
The Museum store entrance is in the Sally Port space, on the west side, across from the visitor desk. To enter the bookstore you ascend a gentle slope that is carpeted. <br /><br />On your left, as you enter the store, is a cashier's counter that has small gift items.<br /><br />Along the walls are tall bookcases filled with a variety of books, souvenirs and other sale items.<br /><br />Above the shelves are various framed posters for purchase.<br /><br />The passport book stamping station can be found to the right of the entrance. <br />
Several different and widely varying Indian cultures have left their mark on Florida history, some indigenous, some displaced, and some forcibly moved to the area. Each has a unique and fascinating story to tell. <br /><br />
The American Indian Room can be accessed from the courtyard, the Chapel or Room 16. This audio description is from the courtyard entrance. <br /><br />Double wooden doors open into the room. Above and flanking the door are windows with iron bars and wooden shutters that also open inwards.<br /><br />The room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 17feet high. <br /><br />An entrance to the Chapel is on the west wall. The entrance to Room 16 is on the east wall.<br /><br />Moving from left to right from the entrance, the exhibits, in English and Spanish, include:<br /><br />Osceola. 1804 - 1838. The text explains that Osceola resisted the United States' policy of forced American Indian removal. He urged Florida Seminoles to fight for their lands. Over his black hair, he wears a burgundy turban, with a large gray feather at the back. He has an angular face. He has a black piece of cloth loosely tied around his neck. Over a long blue patterned shirt, he wears a wide pink scarf with a flower print. He wears an open blue jacket with silver cuffs and ribbons tied at the wrists. Around his waist is a multicolored woven belt. He wears several beaded necklaces, and one with three large silver crescent shaped medallions. He has bag strapped across his chest. His legs are covered with red socks with wide beaded bands, tied at the calves. He holds the barrel of a musket in his hand. <br /><br />Kiowa Sun Dance Exhibit. A vertical glass panel protects a diagram of circles with arrows, carved into the wall by the Kiowa Indians. Text describes symbolism connected to the Kiowa sun dance.<br /><br />Captain Richard Henry Pratt. 1875 - 1878. Text explains that Captain Pratt was assigned to guard the 74 American Indians prisoners at the Castillo and created a program of assimilation for them. An illustration shows him with short brown hair with a large, straight nose, pointy mustache, and goatee (a beard only on the tip of his chin). He wears a blue uniform with gold trim, epaulets, and belt. His pants have a yellow stripe down the outer side. In one hand, he holds an ornate helmet with gold trim and cascade of golden fluffy material at the top. The other hand rests at his side, on the hilt of his sword.<br /><br />A Coquina Canvas Exhibit. A vertical glass panel protects an outline of an Apache Fire Spirit carved into the wall. Text and photos explain symbolism.<br /><br />United States Takes Over Exhibit. An illustration shows Spanish and American soldiers. A photo shows captured American Indians. The text explains that in the 1800s, Indian wars in both Florida and the west saw the U.S. government locking up American Indian prisoners here. <br />
The tiny doorway you see here is the entrance to the original gunpowder magazine. The Spanish realized soon after construction that the little room was too humid to store powder, so they used it for storage and as a trash pit during the 51 days of the 1702 Siege. Eventually, a new magazine was built in the northwest corner. When the Spanish renovated the Castillo in the mid-1700s, the old magazine and the ladder room were sealed, not to be opened again until 1833, when the U.S. Army was performing their own modifications. <br />
The Powder Magazine rooms are accessed through the Artillery Complex. The entrance to the Power Magazine area is on the northeast wall of the interior room of the Artillery Complex, to the right of the Ignacio Daza portrait. This entry way is 6 feet 5 inches tall and three feet wide. <br /><br />The first room is long and narrow stretching off to your left. The entrance to the Powder Magazine Room is straight ahead. In this first room, to the left, an exhibit blocks off part of the room. On the exhibit, in English and Spanish, reads,<br /><br />The Powder Room Exhibit. An illustration shows a section cut through the magazine room. It shows a narrow opening up through the roof, to the gun deck level of the Castillo. The text reads, <br /><br />"You can enter the former powder magazine through this doorway. Built in 1675, it is one of the oldest rooms in the fort. It was originally built to store gunpowder but soon proved too damp. During the 1702 siege, the room was used as a trash pit and then sealed closed. When reopened over 100 years later, animal bones found inside inspired many local myths, one claiming the bones belonged to lovers buried alive inside the Castillo."<br /><br />On the wall, to right of the exhibit, you can enter the next room by crawling through a metal, 3 foot deep, entry tunnel. The tunnel is 3 feet high and 2 feet wide. Once you have knelt down, there is a metal handrail that curves up from the ground at 12 inches on your right. The handrail continues through the tunnel. The top of the tunnel is padded, but please watch your head.<br /><br />Once you have passed through the tunnel, you can stand up. This is the Powder Magazine room. It is 20 feet by 20 feet with an arched ceiling, about 7 feet high. The room is empty. The floor is uneven with loose crunchy pebbles. <br /><br />To exit the room, you must return through the metal tunnel as there are no other exits.<br />
Here is a selection of videos to help expand on your visit.<br /> <br />The park video plays on a continuous loop (approximately every 15 minutes) in our theater located to the far left of the courtyard as viewed from the entrance, or by tapping <a href="https://youtu.be/l9KnEcbq6JM">HERE</a> .<br />
The Theater is accessed from the courtyard and the threshold has a slight upward slope. This audio description is from the entrance to the theater. <br /><br />The room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 17 feet high. In front of the back wall is a wooden paneled wall, with a video screen, speakers, and a framed rectangular glass panel. The wooden wall reaches almost to the ceiling.<br /><br />Two sets of long benches are angled inward to face the presentation area, creating a "V" with a six-foot-wide aisle running down the center. There are five benches on each side of that aisle. Overhead, a frame of wooden beams has lights that light the ceiling.
This small cell acted as the town jail for the Spanish and as a military jail under British occupation. During the American Revolution, South Carolina statesman and patriot Christopher Gadsden was held in solitary confinement here for 42 weeks.
The carcel or prison is visible through small windows in a locked door on the east wall of the Spanish Guard Room. The 6 foot tall, wood paneled door is white, with black metal bolts, and a sliding metal locking bar. In the center, near the top and bottom of the door are two openings about 5 inches wide by 8 inches tall. The upper opening, at a 5 foot height, has a metal screen. The lower opening, at a 3 foot height, is unscreened. A metal plaque on the door reads, <br /><br />Carcel-Prison<br /><br />The view of the carcel, as seen through the door openings, shows a room 10 feet wide, 12 feet deep, and 10 feet tall, with an arched ceiling, and an uneven dirt floor. The shell stone block walls are partially covered with smooth plaster. Carvings are seen on both the plaster and the stone blocks. The room has no windows but is lit for visitor viewing. <br /><br />The carcel door has an exhibit on either side, both in English and Spanish. The exhibit on the left is titled,<br /><br />Prison Carcel: The text reads, <br /><br />This small cell acted as the town jail for the Spanish and as a military jail under British occupation. During the American Revolution, South Carolina statesman and patriot Christopher Gadsden was held in solitary confinement here for 42 weeks.<br /><br />The exhibit on the right is titled,<br /><br />Juan O'Donovan. ca. 1760 to ca. 1820. A portrait shows a lieutenant in the Spanish Hibernia Irish Regiment, described in detail later. Text explains that this man fell in love with a governor's daughter and eloped. Because the governor disapproved of the match, O'Donovan was arrested and sent to Havana, Cuba. After two years, the governor relented, and O'Donovan returned to be re-joined with his bride. <br /><br />In the portrait, O'Donovan seems to be bowing slightly. He has rosy cheeks, a high forehead, brown eyes, and a rounded nose. He wears a white wig that has a circular curl at ear level. He is wearing a red jacket, vest, and breeches that reach just below the knee. His shirt has a high white collar that covers most of his neck. Two inches of ruffled white lace show above the vest and wrists. A gold and black sash is worn across his jacket, from his right shoulder to his left hip. A sword, with a hilt with a gold tassel, is worn at his left hip with the tip of the sheath protruding beyond the tail of his jacket. He wears tall white knee socks, with black shoes that have a wide gold bucket on the top. In his right hand, he holds a black hat that curves up in three corners, to make a triangular shape. His left hand rests on the sash across his chest, near his heart. <br />
Every Spanish bronze cannon and mortar has its own story. Each was individually cast, so by examining the engraved lettering and scrollwork, you can discover its origins and the Castillo's ties to Spain. Read other bronze guns as you explore the fort.
The restrooms are along the east wall in the courtyard, under a tall stone curved arch, underneath the Gundeck stairs. <br /><br />If you are facing the curved arch, the description, from left to right is:<br /><br />On the left side wall is a water bottle filling station, a wheelchair accessible water fountain, and an adult water fountain.<br /><br />On the back wall, on the far left side, is the entrance to the women's restroom. To access it, walk through the 4 foot wide opening into a recessed alcove, and the restroom doorway is straight ahead. <br /><br />To the right of the women's entrance is a trash container, a free standing information bulletin board, and a recycling container.<br /><br />The men's restroom entry is at the right side of the back wall. To access it, walk through the 4 foot wide opening into a recessed alcove, and the restroom doorway is to the left, at about 11 o'clock.
Throughout the years there have been many different uses of Castillo's rooms. Although there are no displays in this room, we do use it frequently for giving different programs about Castillo's story.
Room 16 can be accessed from either the American Indian room or the courtyard. This audio description is the view a few steps in from the courtyard entrance. <br /><br />Double wooden doors with a metal latch on the outside lead into Room 16. Inside, above the door, is a beam that runs the length of the wall. Above the beam, near the outer edges of upper wall, are four, 6 inch diameter, holes. These have been filled in with concrete. There are three windows with metal bars and wooden shutters that open inward. One is above the ledge at the top of the arch, and the other two flank the door. <br /><br />The room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 17 feet high. <br />Visible on through the side walls, at a height of about 10 feet, are the tips of wooden beams, about 5" square, and spaced about 3 feet apart. At 8'o'clock is an opening to the American Indian room. The opening is 8 feet high and 4 feet wide. <br /><br />Two sets of long benches are angled inward to face the presentation area on the back wall. This layout creates a slight "V" shape, with a four-foot-wide aisle running down the center. There are four benches on each side of that aisle. Centered, in the front of the back wall, is a wooden table on two sawhorses.
This was the only way in or out of the Castillo. Here you can see the large drawbridge and the portcullis, the heavy sliding door. Between these two wooden barriers, the strength of the Castillo is apparent. The thickness of the outer walls varies from 14 to 19 feet thick at the base and tapers to 9 feet towards the top. Note the blocks of coquina stone that make up these walls and how they were set together. There are over 400,000 blocks of stone in the Castillo, all of it cut and set by hand.<br />
After crossing the drawbridge, the first part of the Castillo de San Marcos that people enter is the Sally Port space. <br /><br />This vaulted space is about 20 feet wide by 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling, about 17 feet high. The thick walls are made of blocks of shell stone. Shells are visible within the stone, but please do not touch the walls. On the upper parts of the wall and ceiling, the blocks and mortar are mostly covered with a smoother white plaster. The floor surface is smooth concrete, but slightly uneven.<br /><br />The description as you enter the room, going from left to right:<br /><br />The entrance to the Museum Store is at 9 o'clock. A wooden door frame is recessed into the wall 12 inches. The white door is built of thick wooden planks, with rounded dark metal bolts sticking out in a grid pattern.<br /><br />Directly across from the entrance at 12 o'clock is a 10 by 10 foot opening to the courtyard of the Castillo. On the right side of the opening is a four-foot-tall donation box with a cement base and a Plexiglas case with a hole on top. <br /><br />To the right of the courtyard opening, at 18 inches high, is a 15 inch deep ledge that runs the length of the wall.<br /><br />At 2 o'clock there is an information desk. The information desk is "L" shaped with the base of the "L" facing you. The first part of the desk is about 3 feet wide. On the left, the upright part of the "L" continues straight ahead for about another four feet. The desk has a Plexiglas top with maps and information underneath. <br /><br />At 3 o'clock there are two benches along the wall, side by side. They are about 3 feet long with slatted seats and backs.<br /><br />At 5 o'clock is a thick arched opening, about four feet wide, an accessible ramp leads you into the Spanish Guard Room. <br /><br />At 6 o'clock, when the Castillo is open, a large sliding wooden gate, called a portcullis is positioned to the right. It slides on rollers at the top in an overhead wooden beam and rollers on the floor. The white gate is a thick wooden frame grid, that creates a lattice with square openings about 5 by 5 inches. Hanging in the center of the door, at a 6 foot height is a 20 inch wide by 30 inch tall painting of the Castillo's drawbridge being lifted above the moat. A dark metal rod and locking mechanism is mounted to the door just below and to the left of the painting. <br />
The design of the fort consists of four diamond-shaped bastions and four connecting walls known as curtains. Cannon were mounted in the embrasures, the cut-outs in the parapet walls. These walls protected the cannon and their crews from incoming fire.
If viewed from a bird's eye, overhead, the Castillo is square in shape, with four diamond-shaped structures extending from each corner. The diamond shaped structures, called bastions, are connected by a path called a gundeck. The San Agustin Bastion is located on the southeast corner of the Castillo. <br /><br />The view from the San Agustin Bastion is of the St. Augustine Bay (or Bayfront). The entrance, fee booth, the sea wall, and the parking lot can be seen from this location. <br /><br />The east facing bastion walls are about one to two feet tall and the south facing walls are about 5 feet tall. Each side of the diamond-shaped structure is unique. Facing the bastion from the gundeck, going from left to right: <br /><br />At the southeast corner, is a cylindrically shaped structure with a domed top. You can walk to the structure through a 10-foot corridor. There is a low doorway, approximately 5 ½ feet tall. You may need to duck down. The interior is 8 feet high with three small square windows. <br /><br />The south wall has a two-step stone platform that runs along the wall, it turns the right corner and continues to the corner of the gundeck. There are also wooden platforms, about 7 to 8 inches, that extend out from the wall about 18 feet. <br /><br />Two ornate bronze cannons sit on top of wooden carriages which stand about 3 feet tall and have four wooden wheels wrapped with iron straps. They face out to the historic city though cutouts in the wall. <br /><br />To the right of those cannons is a pole flying the Spanish colonial flag, which is white with a ragged red "x" shape. <br /><br />The right corner of the diamond shape has two 4 foot wide cutouts in the wall before the bastion connects to the gundeck. <br /><br />
The design of the fort consists of four diamond-shaped bastions and four connecting walls known as curtains. Cannon were mounted in the embrasures, the cut-outs in the parapet walls. These walls protected the cannon and their crews from incoming fire. The east curtain, facing the water, originally had a parapet wall and embrasures like the other curtains. However, anticipating that most attacks would come from the ocean, the Spanish lowered the wall so that more cannon could
If viewed from a bird's eye, overhead, the Castillo is square in shape, with four diamond-shaped structures extending from each corner. The diamond shaped structures, called bastions, are connected by a path called a gundeck. The San Carlos Bastion is located on the northeast corner of the Castillo. <br /><br />The view includes the north grassy lawn of the Castillo, the moat, the U.S. Army-built Hot Shot furnace, the sea wall, and the Matanzas Bayfront. <br /><br />The bastion has low walls on the east side between 2 to 5 feet tall. Each side of the diamond-shaped structure is unique. Facing the bastion, and looking northeast, from the gundeck, going from left to right: <br /><br />The north and west facing walls are slightly taller than the east and south facing walls. As you enter from the courtyard, the west facing wall on the left. The west wall is 5 feet tall with two cutouts. <br /><br />The north facing wall has no cutouts. There is a wayside exhibit along the north facing wall, looking east towards the bell tower and the bay.<br /><br />A chimney, made of blocks with a capped vent, protrudes up from the floor near the north wall. <br /><br />A cylindrically shaped bell tower with a domed top is at the northeast corner of the bastion. You can walk into the tower. The interior is 37 feet tall, with two arched windows at 15 feet, providing a view through the tower. <br /><br />The east facing wall is significantly lower than the north and west facing walls. It has platforms, each about one foot sloping to 6 inches feet and extending out from the wall about 18 feet. Three cast iron cannons sit on top of wooden carriages, which stand about 3 feet tall and have four wooden wheels wrapped with iron straps. The cannons face out to the Bayfront over the low wall.<br /><br />The south facing wall is very low, about two feet high. It has no cutouts.
The design of the fort consists of four diamond-shaped bastions and four connecting walls known as curtains. Cannon were mounted in the embrasures, the cut-outs in the parapet walls. These walls protected the cannon and their crews from incoming fire.
When viewed from above, as from a bird's eye, the Castillo is square in shape, with four diamond-shaped battlements extending from each corner. These diamond shaped bastions are connected by the gundeck. The San Pablo Bastion is located on the northwest corner of the Castillo. <br /><br />The view from this bastion includes the moat, the north green of the Castillo, and the City's parking garage. The historic city can also be seen from this location. <br /><br />The bastion has low walls, about 5 feet tall. Each side of the diamond-shaped structure is unique. Facing the bastion from the gundeck, going from left to right: <br /><br />At the left corner is a two step platform that wraps around the corner. The walls have cutouts about three feet wide by three feet high, stopping at two feet height above the floor. There is a cutout in the south facing wall with a wayside exhibit in front of it and another cutout to the right of it. <br /><br />At the northwest corner is a sentry box-a cylindrical shaped structure, with a domed top. It is closed to the public by a wooden barricade.<br /><br />The west facing wall has one cutout. <br /><br />In the center of the bastion is a 9 foot square, low wooden platform. A rope stretches between metal posts at each corner. In the center of the platform is another wooden platform on which sits a 15-inch diameter bronze mortar. The bronze has weathered into a pale green patina color. The tube-shaped barrel of the mortar is tilted up into the air at about a 45-degree angle. Its base is connected, crossways, to a thick bronze rod. This rod is secured to the wooden platform by thick metal strips with rounded metal knobs. The front of the mortar platform has a raised wooded lip with metal strips securing it on each end. The mortar barrel has ornate bronze sculptures. At the center of the barrel is a coat of arms. At the top, are two curved handles in a dolphin shape.
The design of the fort consists of four diamond-shaped bastions and four connecting walls known as curtains. Cannon were mounted in the embrasures, the cut-outs in the parapet walls.
When viewed from above, as from a bird's eye, the Castillo is square in shape, with four diamond-shaped bastions extending from each corner. These diamond shaped bastions are connected by the gundeck. The San Pedro Bastion is located on the northwest corner of the Castillo. <br /><br />The view from this bastion includes the moat, the grassy area surrounding the Castillo, and the parking lot. The historic city and the original stone pillars that held the city gate can also be seen from this location. <br /><br />The bastion has low walls, about 5 feet tall. Each side of the diamond-shaped structure is unique. Facing the bastion from the gundeck, going from left to right: <br /><br />Along the east facing wall there are two cutouts in the wall, with a two-step platform between, each about 2 ½ feet tall and extending out from the wall about 4 feet. Between the platforms, the upper walls have cutouts about three feet wide by three feet high, stopping at the platform level. <br /><br />On the south facing wall there are three cutouts with two-step platforms between them. <br /><br />A cylindrical shaped sentry box with a domed top is at the southwest corner. It is closed to the public by a wooden barricade. <br /><br />The west facing wall no two-step platforms along this side, with one cutout at the north end of this wall. <br /><br />The north facing wall has one four foot wide cut out with no two-step platforms. <br /><br />In the center of the bastion is a 9 foot square, low wooden platform. A rope stretches between metal posts at each corner. In the center of the platform is another wooden platform with a 15-inch bronze cannon, called a mortar. The bronze has weathered into a pale green patina color. The tube-shaped mortar barrel is tilted up into the air at about a 45-degree angle. Its base is connected, crossways, to a thick bronze rod. This rod is secured to the wooden platform by thick metal strips with rounded metal knobs. The front of the mortar platform has a raised wooded lip with metal strips securing it on each end. The mortar barrel has ornate bronze sculptures. Near the base is a bearded face and the date 1724. At the center of the barrel is a coat of arms. At the top, are two curved handles in a dolphin shape. <br />
The Castillo was originally built to act not only as a refuge for the townspeople but also as a military warehouse. The Spanish used the western casemates for food storage, and they would have looked much like the supply room. Other casemates were filled with military supplies such as gunpowder, hardware, ship repair materials, and as many as 20,000 cannonballs. <br /><br />All of the stone casemates were constructed between 1738 and 1756, a time of almost constant warfare between Spain and England in the New World. The walls were raised to 35 feet during this remodeling, and these arched ceilings were constructed. Vaulted casemates disperse the weight of the structure throughout the supporting walls and foundation, so they are able to hold much more weight than a simple squared roof. This made these rooms "bomb proof" and allowed the Spanish to place more cannon on the gun deck above. When the casemates were finished, the Castillo was able to defend itself, the city, and all approaches to the city out to three and a half miles, the maximum range of the 16-, 18-, and 24-pounder cannon mounted along the fort's walls. <br />
The hot shot furnace was built in the 1840s to heat up cannon balls to fire a wooden ships.
On the left and right sides of the panel, on a dark grey background, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Sizzling Salvo. The furnace fire is blazing hot. A team of soldiers prepares hot shot to fire at wooden warships-heating cannonballs until they glow. During a naval attack, one soldier tends the coal fire and loads the cannonballs. After 30 minutes, other soldiers use tongs to remove the red-hot shot and carry it to guns along the seawall. <br /><br />The goal of hot shot was to set an enemy's ship on fire. Although soldiers here never fired hot shot in battle, they drilled for the possibility. The advent of ironclad ships during the Civil War made hot shot furnaces obsolete.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />In the center of the panel, between the 2 columns of text, a color cutaway illustration of an L-shaped, dark grey, hot shot furnace set in front of a grey stone wall. On the left, a white column of smoke rises up through the chimney in the vertical end of the furnace. Extending from left to right through the center of the furnace's horizontal section is a slanted channel filled with cannonballs. Recessed into the lower right end of the furnace below the channel are bright yellow and orange flames of a fire.<br /><br />Below and to the left of the furnace, a white number one in a red circle. At the left side of the furnace, a soldier in a blue uniform and blue cap, loads grey cannonballs from a pile on the ground into the channel. In the low, center of the furnace, a white number 2 in a red circle. Cannonballs heat up to about 1500 degrees Fahrenheit (or 815 degrees Celsius) and turn a bright orange as they move closer to and over the fire. To the right of the furnace, a white number 3 in a red circle. 2 solders in blue uniforms hold iron tongs to carry red-hot iron shot to nearby cannons.<br /><br />At the bottom right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is bright, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821; the United States: 1821-1900, is bright; and Spain: 1672-1763.<br /><br />Below the circle, white text in English and Spanish reads: <br />American Military Era.<br /><br />In front of the panel, surrounded by fine gravel, is a 4-foot high, beige stone furnace. At the left end of its 6-foot high peaked roof, a 4 ½-foot high by 3 ½-foot square chimney. <br /><br />[End of message]<br /><br />
Accessible only through the Sally Port are the Spanish guard rooms and a locked room that served as the town jail. During Spanish occupation, soldiers did not live inside the Castillo. They walked to work from their homes in town. The soldiers detailed to be on overnight guard duty would have used these rooms to rest, cook food and spend free time socializing and playing games. The room that is currently our bookstore, was once part of the officers' quarters.<br />
The Spanish Guard room can be accessed from the Sally Port space. The curved arch entryway is 5 feet wide and is accessed by a shallow ramp. <br /><br />This vaulted room is about 20 feet wide by 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling, about 12 feet high. In the room are two long platforms covered with blankets, a fireplace, a window, and an exhibit panel.<br /><br />If, after entering the room, you turn to face left, this describes the room, going from left to right:<br /><br />On the left, a large wooden platform runs the length of the wall. It is 15 feet by 6 feet. The side closest to the wall is slightly higher than the other side. About 6 sheets and rough woolen blankets are laid out in rows that run perpendicular to the wall. Above the platform is a long wooden shelf with a lantern, bowls, and hats. Blue and red uniform jackets and white shirts hang from pegs below the shelf.<br /><br />A rope at the far end block access to the back of the room.<br /><br />At the back wall is a wooden rack, with two muskets resting in it.<br /><br />Centered at the top of the back wall, is a 5 foot wide by 6 foot high window, with metal bars, and shutters that open inward. <br /><br />in the right corner of the back wall is a curved, stone block fireplace, with a smooth white chimney, shaped like a half cone. Inside the fireplace a kettle is hanging from a black metal tripod. Above the kettle hangs a bundle of fish. A hidden light makes the fireplace glow.<br /><br />In front of the fireplace is a wooden bench and table, set with a ceramic jug, loaves of bread, and vegetables in bowls. <br /><br />Along the right wall, just outside of the roped off area, is another long wooden platform and shelf, like those already described. On far end of the shelf are a jug, bowls, strands of dried vegetables, and other cooking supplies.<br /><br />Directly to the right is a door to the second Spanish Guard Room.<br /><br />On the wall to the behind and to the right, a display is tucked back in a corner that is behind you and to the right if you are looking into the Second Guard Room. The exhibit, in English and Spanish, titled,<br /><br />A Soldiers Life: A photo shows re-enactors, in uniform, posing as soldiers in this room. Text explains that the soldiers here experienced homesickness, loneliness and fear. In their downtime, they may have smoked or played games here. An illustration shows a guard room as it would have looked historically, with smooth white walls, a lit fire, bed, and table at meal time. The text explains that soldiers cooked and slept here before and after guard duty. A historic illustration of blacksmiths hammering a metal pole on an anvil in the 1700s. Text explains that soldiers needed second jobs to feed their families. An illustration shows a soldier reloading a musket in the 1700s. Text explains that soldiers spent most of their time with drills, repair work, and their second jobs.<br /><br /><br />
During Spanish occupation, soldiers did not live inside the Castillo. They walked to work from their homes in town. The soldiers detailed to be on guard duty would have used these rooms to rest, cook food, and spend free time socializing and playing games.
This second Spanish Guard room is accessed through the first Spanish Guard room. A white wooden door, with black bolts and a sliding metal locking bar, opens into the room. The room is about 20 feet wide by 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 12 feet high. The room has several illuminated glass panels that frame sections of the walls. It also has a window, fireplace, and several exhibits. All exhibits are in English and Spanish.<br /><br />If, after entering the room, you turn to face left, this describes the room, going from left to right:<br /><br />Along the left wall are three of the illuminated glass panels. In front of each is an exhibit relating to wall carvings behind the glass. A brief summary for each exhibit panel includes:<br /><br />A Spanish Fleet: A sketch of a sailing ship. Text explains that Spanish soldiers made the carvings of the fleets on the walls. <br /><br />American Flags on Foreign Ships: A sketch of a sailing ship with a striped flag mounted on the stern. Text explains that British ships like this are carved into this wall and the north wall. U.S. soldiers may have added American flags to the carvings. <br /><br />Etched, Burned, and Scrawled: Photos and sketches show letters of the alphabet are carved into the wall. Some are written backwards. Text explains that this wall contains 200 year old graffiti left by former soldiers. Soldiers of the 18th century were usually illiterate, so the artists may have just been learning to read and write.<br /><br />At the left corner of back wall is a curved block fireplace with a smooth top shaped like a half cone. The opening to the fireplace is protected by a clear plastic panel. At the top of the back wall is a 5 foot by 6 foot window, with metal bars, and shutters that open inward. <br /><br />Below the window is another illuminated glass panel and an exhibit, titled,<br /><br />British Ships: A line drawing shows a sailing ship with a large striped flag. The text explains that although we don't know who made the ship carvings, it could have been Spanish soldiers. They would often have seen British ships in battle. An American soldier probably added the U.S. flag.<br /><br />On the right wall is the entrance to the carcel, or prison. Exhibits on either side of that door are audio described separately.<br /><br />Behind you, on the back wall, is another exhibit panel, titled,<br /><br />A Mysterious Note: A diagram shows several, faded, handwritten words. Text explains that someone carved a message in old Spanish. Yet, so many letters have been worn off, that the message is illegible.<br /><br />The carcel or prison entrance is located on the east wall with exhibits on either side of the door that are audio described separately.
Castillo de San Marcos symbolizes Spain's vast New World Empire. Built between 1672 and 1695, the coquina fort replaced a series of wooden forts that had protected St. Augustine for more than 100 years. improvements in the mid-1700s helped the Castillo, with its soldiers and guns, keep pirates and the British at bay. Spain controlled Florida, and the Castillo helped keep their enemies away from the Gulf Stream shipping lanes. Spanish treasure fleets used these routes to carry sugar, tobacco, pearls, silver, and gold to Europe.
On the left, against a deep blue background, light blue and white text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Spanish Stronghold. Castillo de San Marcos symbolizes Spain's vast New World empire. Built between 1672 and 1695, the coquina fort replaced a series of wooden forts that had protected St. Augustine for more than 100 years. Improvements in the mid-1700s helped the Castillo, with its soldiers and guns, keep pirates and the British at bay. Spain controlled Florida, and the Castillo helped keep their enemies away from the Gulf Stream shipping lanes. Spanish treasure fleets used these routes to carry sugar, tobacco, pearls, silver, and gold to Europe.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />Below on the left, a small, rectangular map: a British flag marks the beige upper right, the eastern seaboard of the United States above the state of Florida. A French flag marks the off-white center part of North America. Below, a Spanish flag marks the light brown area that includes the rest of North America, Central America, Caribbean islands, and the northern coast of South America. To the right, against a light blue background, curving, red lines with black arrows above and below, mark shipping routes to and from Spain. Black dots mark city ports: La Habana, Santo Domingo, San Juan, Cartagena, Panama, Portobello, Veracruz, and Acapulco.<br /><br />Below, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Shipping routes, the major roadways of their day, connected continents and cultures.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />On the right side of the panel, against a blue sky is a dark brown wooden ship anchored facing the Castillo de San Marcos fort. Dozens of brown ropes run from the top of its 3 tall masts to the deck. Attached to a brown flagpole at the ship's high carved stern, or rear is a white first Spanish Military Era flag with 2 red crossing lines in the center. In the water, to the left of the ship are 2 small white boats with single masts and men in white shirts and pants with red sashes at the waist. <br /><br />At the bottom right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is bright, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763, is bright.<br /><br />Below the circle, black text in English and Spanish reads:<br />First Spanish Military Era.<br /><br />Directly beyond the panel, a low stone wall; to the left, a light grey field-stone walkway with low stone walls on either side. Ahead, and beyond the low walls, views of the Matanzas River.<br /><br />For additional information, turn to your left and move ahead to a park ranger station in a one-story brown wooden building.<br />
The Castillo was originally built to act not only as a refuge for the townspeople, but also as a military warehouse. The Spanish used the western casemates for food storage, and they would have looked much like the locked supply room. Other casemates were filled with military supplies such as gunpowder, hardware, ship repair materials and as many as 20,000 cannonballs.<br /> <br />All of the stone casemates were constructed between 1738 and 1756, a time of almost constant warfare between Spain and England in the New World. The walls were raised 35 feet during this remodeling and these curved ceilings were constructed. Vaulted casemates disperse the weight of the structure throughout the supporting walls and foundation, so they are able to hold much more weight than a simple squared roof. This made these rooms "bomb proof" and allowed the Spanish to place more cannon on the gun deck above. When the casemates were finished, the Castillo was able to defend itself, the city, and all approaches to the city out to three and a half miles, the maximum range of the 16-, 18-, and 24- pounder cannon mounted along the fort's walls.<br />
The Supply Room is accessed from the courtyard, there are two steps up and then a short step down to get into the room. The supply room shows how the Castillo's necessities were stored in barrels, boxes, and baskets.<br /><br />A wooden door, reinforced with thick iron bands, opens into the supply room. Above the door is a slight ledge. Above the ledge is a barred window with a wooden shutter that also opens inward. Barred windows are on either side of the door. There is a heavy wooden chest to the right and the left of the door.<br /><br />The room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 17 feet high, <br />There is a narrow window with 2 iron bars near the ceiling, on the back wall. The floors are slatted wood near the door, but packed earth on the far side of the room.<br /><br />Supplies and tools on the near side of the room are cordoned off by rope on the left, and a low fence across the center of the room. The artifacts include, wooden chests, leather pouches, stacks of wood, large barrels, boxes, baskets, and tools for loading, firing, and cleaning the cannons. <br /><br />An illustration of the construction of the Castillo sits on an easel on the right side of the gate. <br /><br />On another easel, along the right wall is another display, titled,<br /><br />Why Spain Built the Fort. An illustration the southeastern United States and Central America. and the gulf stream with important locations identified. <br /><br />
This room shows you how the British remodeled eight of the casemates during their occupation of Florida from 1763 to 1784. Divided into East and West, Florida remained loyal to Great Britain during the American Revolution. During the war, St. Augustine's population nearly doubled as loyalists from Georgia and the Carolinas headed south for safety. Over 500 British soldiers were housed inside the Castillo. Many more were placed in the homes of local citizens.<br />
The British Room is accessed from the courtyard or the Second Spanish Period room. This room shows how British soldiers remodeled the Castillo's rooms during their occupation. This room is described based on entering from the courtyard.<br /><br />A wooden door opens into the room. Above the door is a barred window with a wooden shutter that opens inward. Barred windows are on either side of the door. <br /><br />The room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long. A flat, wooden beamed loft is at a 10 foot height, the 17-foot arched ceiling is visible above the wooden second floor as you stand just inside the doorway. Wooden stairs along the back wall lead up to a loft. On the right is an entrance to the Second Spanish Room.<br /><br />Standing at the entrance to the room, moving from left to right, the exhibits, in English and Spanish, include:<br /><br />Inside a Casemate Exhibit. A bronze tactile model shows a cross section of how this casemate would have looked during the British Period.<br /><br />Sir Frederick Haldimand. 1718 - 1791. Text explains that a Swiss mercenary hired to fight for England became a colonel, and eventually, a knight. Haldimand was posted here from 1769 to 1770. In an illustration, he wears a black triangular hat with jaw length gray hair. He has thick black eyebrows, brown eyes, and a broad nose. He is wearing a red jacket with blue trim with a silver epaulet on the right shoulder. He wears a white vest with silver buttons and tan breeches. His white ruffled shirt has a black collar. Around his neck, he wears a flat, silver medallion, with an engraving of a coat of arms. Two inches of ruffled white lace shows at his wrists. A red sash is tied at his waist. He wears knee high black boots. He holds a silver sword with a gold tassel on the hilt. <br /><br />The living area is roped off. On the left, is a table with a checkers game and goblets. At the far right corner is a white wood bunk bed, with uniforms hanging on pegs. Nearby, there is a gray desk with a flip-down top, and a gray chair. Next to it, on a gray wooden stand, is a metal tub, with a rag hanging over the edge. <br /><br />Close Quarters Exhibit. The text explains that multiple bunk beds occupied each room. Four soldiers would have slept on a bunk bed. Two on each bunk of the bed. <br /><br />Great Britain Takes Control Exhibit. A photo shows re-enactors in this room, wearing red coat uniforms, with black triangular hats. An illustration shows a man in the same attire. A historic map of St. Augustine. A portrait of an older man, in a uniform with many badges and epaulets. The text explains that Great Britain takes over the Castillo in 1763. Within a few years, the Revolutionary War led the British to strengthen the fort's defenses. <br />
The most vulnerable part of the fort is its entrance in front of you. To protect it, the Spanish designed an elaborate set of defenses: a heavy grated gate called a "portcullis," 2 drawbridges, and the ravelin. The larger drawbridge took 3 soldiers 15 minutes to close and remained open except in times of danger. Soldiers closed the outer drawbridge at night when most of them returned to their homes in the town. The ravelin protected the fort's front door.
At the top left and center, white text against a blue background in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />The Last Defense. The most vulnerable part of the fort is its entrance in front of you. To protect it, the Spanish designed an elaborate set of defenses: a heavy grated gate called a "portcullis," 2 drawbridges, and the ravelin. The larger drawbridge took 3 soldiers 15 minutes to close and remained open except in times of danger. Soldiers closed the outer drawbridge at night when most of them returned to their homes in the town. The ravelin protected the fort's front door.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />Below, a color illustration of the fort and the drawbridge entrances; text and thin black lines connect to different structural elements.<br /><br />Cut into the left end of the fort's white wall, is the large drawbridge entranceway. 2 soldiers in white shirts and dark colored pants, face the portcullis, ready to roll it closed. To their right, 3 more soldiers work a hand-crank machine called a windlass. This moved counterweights attached to metal chains that lifted the large brown, 1800-pound wooden, rectangular drawbridge up and away from the connecting planked walkway. On the walkway stand 7 soldiers in blue uniforms, trimmed in red; on their heads, they wear black, 3-cornered hats. One soldier faces the drawbridge as it begins to lift upwards; 6 others stand in the scene, with one of these soldiers holding a tall pole weapon: a silver-colored horizontal axe blade with a spike, mounted on a long, brown staff. At the far-right end of the walkway, 2 men in white shirts and brown knee-length pants, raise a smaller, planked drawbridge. <br /><br />At the top right corner of the panel, a touchable, 10-inch square bronze plaque with raised Spanish coat of arms; below, raised letters and Braille.<br /><br />Below the plaque, black text in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />This simple version of the Spanish coat of arms above the entrance is very symbolic:<br />- Small cross and orb atop the crown shows the Spanish Empire's devotion to the Catholic faith.<br />- Castles and lions symbolize the kingdoms of Castile and Leon.<br />- The sheep represents the Order of the Golden Fleece, the highest ranking chivalric order given by the Spanish crown.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />At the bottom right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is bright, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763, is bright.<br /><br />Below the circle, white text in English and Spanish reads:<br />First Spanish Military Era.<br /><br />Directly in front of the panel is a brown wooden railing. To the right of the panel and ahead is the wide, wood planked walkway that connects to the fort's drawbridge entrance; directly above, 2 cannons poke out of artillery positions.<br /><br />Further to the right of the panel is the smaller, secondary drawbridge entrance.<br /><br />To enter the fort from here, turn to your right and then immediately to your left. Move ahead across the walkway and through the open entrance into the fort. Below, and on either side of the walkway, is the grassy moat area.<br /><br />[End of Message]<br />
After the Revolutionary War, St. Augustine, and Castillo de San Marcos became Spanish again. The Second Spanish period lasts from 1784 to 1821.
The Second Spanish Room can be accessed from the courtyard, the British room, or the Chapel. This audio description is from the courtyard entrance. This room shows exhibits, in English and Spanish, describing the Castillo at the time that the Spanish returned, in 1784.<br /><br />Two wooden doors open inward to the room. Above the door is a barred window with a wooden shutter that also opens inward. Barred windows flank the doorway. An entrance to the British room is on the left, wall and entrance to the Chapel is on the right.<br /><br />The room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 17 feet high. <br />To the left is a bench. There is a wooden table with a bench left corner of the back wall.<br /><br />Standing at the entrance to the room, moving from left to right, the exhibits include:<br /><br />Antonia Avero. 1717 to 1792. Text explains that, in Spanish Florida, property often passed from mother to daughter. Many women ran business and amassed large holdings in real estate. Avera left three houses behind when she fled to Cuba when the British took over. An illustration shows Avera with dark hair, reaching just below her ears and covered in a net. She wears dangling pearl earrings. She has an angular face with black eyebrows and dark set eyes. She wears a pearl choker around her neck. The top of her dress is white, with a square neck top, and full sleeves with long ruffled lace. There is a red ruffled ribbon design at the front. Below is a full yellow skirt with black trim and white lace at the hem.<br /><br />Along the back wall, and roped off, is a wooden desk with a banner suspended above it on a wooden dowel. Behind the desk is a wooden stool and chair. <br /><br />On the left, the banner reads, <br /><br />The King of Spain wants you to join the Spanish Army. Sign up here and collect your pay of one two escudo gold doubloon. <br /><br />And to the right it reads, <br />Presidio de San Augustin, Recruiting Station, Junior Ranger Program, Ages 15 & Under.<br /><br />A wooden box rests on a wooden stand at the right corner of the back wall.<br /><br />Spain Returns 1784 to 1821 Exhibit. The text explains that Florida was returned to Spain in 1784. Thousands of British residents left St. Augustine, but about 300 decided to stay, pledging their allegiance to Spain and the Catholic Church.
This colonial restroom had a twice-daily, natural flushing system. Incoming tides filled the pit with seawater, and outgoing tides flushed the waste out into the bay.
On the left side of the panel, white text against a dark brown background in English and Spanish reads:<br /><br />Tidal Toilet. This colonial restroom had a twice-daily, natural flushing system. Incoming tides filled the pit with seawater, and outgoing tides flushed the waste out into the bay.<br /><br />End of Text<br /><br />Below, an illustration of a horizontal stone-lined channel, or sewer, runs from the left side of the panel to the right where it connects to a plaster-lined pit. Grey, rectangular stones and dark brown earth surround the pit. Half-way up from the pit's bottom, is a wooden plank with 3 holes cut into it for seats. <br /><br />The panel sits just inside the stone opening to the fort's former toilet room. Large blocks of light grey, brown, and tan stone frame this opening. Beyond the panel, are views of the room's mottled grey plaster walls and dirt-covered floor.<br /><br />[End of message]<br />
This is a walking tour of all the Cannons and Mortars on display here at Castillo de San Marcos. It begins at the top of the stairs and next to the flagpole.
Exterior Exhibit: Self-Guided Tour
If Castillo de San Marcos is closed, check out these locations that are available to visit. This tour begins at the south end of the property, near the parking lot and ends at the City Gate, across the street from Castillo de San Marcos. Please remember to be careful and watch your step as this tour traverses uneven ground. And only use the designated crosswalks when walking across the street.
Interior Rooms: Self-Guided Tour
This tour takes you through the Castillo's interior rooms and gundeck. It walks you through a basic overview of the fort's near 350 years of history. The tour begins after you cross the moat and step inside the fortress. Enjoy!
Interior Wayside Exhibit - Self-Guided Tour
This guide walks you through some of the unique interior wayside exhibits at Castillo.
