St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in North America with a rich history. The Colonial quarter and the Fountain of Youth will tell you more about its history.
The Colonial Quarter
The Colonial Quarter is a two-acre attraction right into the historic district. It would be hard to miss it and ill-advised to not visit it.
The Colonial Quarter is divided in four sections showing four different eras the city went through: 16th Century Spanish first city, 17th Century Spanish Fortified Town, 18th Century Spanish Garrison town and 18th Century British 14th colony. With reenactors and replica buildings, you will witness live demonstrations: blacksmith, flintlock musket firing, and much more!
You can book your own tour (should last an hour - reserve by calling 904-819-1465) or explore it on your own.
Colonial Quarter: 33 St. George Street, St. Augustine FL 32084. (904) 342-2857
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth
Like the Colonial Quarter, Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth uses replica buildings and reenactors, but it is an actual archaeological Park located on the original location of the 1565 settlement of Pedro Menendez de Aviles. This is 42 years before Jamestown!
Amongst other things, you will see a replica of the First Mission (originally built in 1587), a watchtower, a planetarium that will tell you how navigator sailed with the help of the stars, a Timucua village (the natives Pedro Menendez first encountered), canon firing, etc.
But why is the park called Fountain of Youth? The main attraction is a spring with a recorded history that goes back to a seventeenth century Spanish land grant. It is the oldest attraction in Florida. Take a sip from Ponce de Leon’s Spring of Eternal Hope, where natives and settlers have drink for centuries!
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth: 11 Magnolia Avenue, St. Augustine, FL. (904) 829-3168