Things To Know Before You Come

Accessibility

The Castillo is primarily an outdoor park with no visitor center. The parking area, lower level of the fort, and restrooms are wheelchair accessible; the upper gundeck can only be reached by stairs.

The official park brochure is available in English and Spanish. Self-guided tour brochures are available in English; general history brochures are available in Chinese, German, Japanese, Russian, Dutch, Italian, French, and Portuguese. The park orientation video is in English with closed captioning.

Follow these links for more information on safety and accessibility.

Crowds

The Castillo is busiest on weekends, holidays, and during the spring school visitation months. View all National Park Service statistics.

For a more relaxed visit, plan on being here early in the day or on a weekday. Of course, most of the reenactments take place on the weekends, so you may just have to "bite the bullet". Don't forget, your tickets are valid for seven days!

Weather

Florida weather can be unpredictable! Check out our weather page for more information.

Getting Around

The Castillo, like most of downtown St. Augustine, is primarily a pedestrian area. Walking is the best way to visit the historic district, which is about one mile long by 1/2 mile wide.

Long term (all day) parking is available for a fee in the city parking garage just behind the Visitor Information Center, which is located on the corner of West Castillo and South Castillo Drive, across from the Castillo headquarters building.

Public Transportation

There is limited public transportation in St. Augustine. However, private companies operate tour trains, horse carriages, and bicycle and motor scooter rental stores.

Pets

Pets are not permitted inside the Castillo de San Marcos, but they are allowed on the grounds outside the fort. Pets must be kept on a leash at all times. Please be responsible and courteous of others when bringing any pets into the park. For more on visiting responsibly with pets, check out our BARK Ranger program!