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San Juan National Historic SiteEl Morro Main Plaza
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A World Heritage Site

Designated in 1983, San Juan NHS includes Castillo San Cristóbal, Castillo San Felipe del Morro, and Fortin San Juan de la Cruz known locally as El Cañuelo, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the city wall surrounding.  These magnificent fortifications were built by the Spanish beginning in 1539 with a tower at El Morro and La Fortaleza and took more than 250 years.
 

CHILDREN’S INTERNATIONAL DAY CELEBRATION

San Juan National Historic Site, jointly with the Museo del Niño de PR, will celebrate 2009 Children’s International Day on Sunday, November 22 under the slogan, Let’s go out to Play! This event will be held for the first time on shared stages as follows: grounds of Castillo San Felipe del Morro beginning at 10:00 a.m. and in the Museo del Niño at 11:00a.m.  Program activities aim to educate on infantile obesity and will include informative talks, artistic and dramatic presentations, games, martial arts demonstrations, volleyball and soccer clinics, handcrafts, and many other surprises. You are all invited to participate on this children’s celebration while combining your visit between El Morro and the Museo del Niño.

 
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Annual Kite Festival

Every year half a million people use the grounds of El Morro for picnics, sports and other activities. The National Park Service’s mission of preservation is challenged by damaging behavior of leaving literally tons of abandoned kites and food leftovers littering the historic grounds and walls. Through this event the NPS hopes to share and promote environmentally friendly ways to enjoy the park.
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Volunteer

Do you like new experiences? Would you like to use your knowledge and skills to help protect a national treasure? Be a volunteer at San Juan National Historic Site!
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Write to

San Juan NHS
501 Calle Norzagaray
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901

E-mail Us

Phone

Park Administration
(787) 729-6777

Fax

(787) 289-7972

Climate

Puerto Rico enjoys year round tropical climate. Winters are breeze and summers are mostly hot and humid. It rains all year long with a "dry" season in April. Temperatures range from 60's in the winter to 90's in the summer. The hurricane season starts in June and ends in November. On the longest day, June 22nd, the sun sets around 7:00pm. On the shortest day, December 22nd, the sun sets around 4:30pm.
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San Juan National Historic Site - El Morro Lighthuse  

Did You Know?
Three lighthouses have stood on El Morro's 6th level in its long history. The first one was built in 1846. A second one replaced it in 1876. It took a direct hit during the 1898 bombardment by Sampson's US fleet, but the brick foundation was salvaged in 1899 to erect the lighthouse in use today.

Last Updated: November 18, 2009 at 10:21 EST