Fountain Of Youth Archaeological Park
Fountain Of Youth Archaeological Park
Fountain Of Youth Archaeological Park
4
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Explore the 1565 Birthplace of St. Augustine and Colonial European America. Your History Starts here! Drink the legendary waters. See Stars in the Planetarium. Hear a Spanish Cannon roar. Visit the Timucua Indian Village. Learn the Archaeological History of the site. From Timucua Indians living at this site for 4,000 years to Spanish Explorers arriving in 1513 to Smithsonian institute Archaeological Digs starting in 1934, the history is amazing. Guests have been visiting this important site since 1871. Now you can too. Don't miss it!
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- lmno67Pocono Mountains Region, Pennsylvania58 contributionsA must see!A must see tourist stop! It was sort of costly considering what’s there to see but since we were vacationing we paid to do it, we sipped water from the fountain. Photos ops throughout. It was a beautiful day so it was nice to walk the grounds all the way out to the water. We enjoyed it,Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 31 October 2023
- Angelique LEscanaba, Michigan449 contributionsInteresting and well kept.Very nice park and historic site. It is quite large so wear walking shoes. There is a tower to climb to overlook the area and a boardwalk out into the water area. There are reenactments of musket shooting and a few other activities. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful especially the restaurant staff! There are beautiful peacocks everywhere! The giftshop has T-shirts that say, "I drank the water" which we found hilarious!Visited November 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 15 November 2023
- Vacationqueen1111Omaha, Nebraska258 contributionsNot Our FavoriteIf you are short on time I would skip this St Augustine activity. This was our least favorite stop during our trip. There are some interesting presentations but the site itself isn’t that impressive and the fountain of youth is no longer from an artesian well.Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 7 January 2024
- Ashley G33 contributionsSo much fun!What can I say? I love a good touristy spot, and this fit the bill! I loved drinking from the Fountain of Youth, the demonstrations, and all the exhibits. And the staff was just awesome. They were so friendly and really into their roles, they really “made” the experience and atmosphere. And the peacocks! So beautiful and a bonus to the whole thing. It’s just the kind of place that made me feel like I was really enjoying myself.We are so glad you enjoyed your visit! Our staff members love what they do, and we are happy their enthusiasm showed. We look forward to your next visit.Written 26 January 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 7 January 2024
- Batmancop201 contributionsFamily friendly locationInteresting that an entire park was built around the fountain of youth. We enjoyed the leisurely stroll around the park. The planetarium was interesting. Quite touristy, but at minimum, there's a photo op at the fountain.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 16 January 2024
- Kimberly B5 contributionsFUN, PEACEFUL, HISTORICAL ADVENTURE WITH LOTS OF PEACOCKS!This place is magical! There are 83 peacocks and they are simply beautiful! They are everywhere. I have never seen so many. You can even feed them. The park itself is so nice, the walk is easy and the history is great! I never thought we would have such a great time, but I would definitely go back. The food is good also!Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 11 February 2024
- LBReed68La Grange, Kentucky34 contributionsMore Than Just the SpringI wanted to drink from the Fountain of Youth so we checked out the park. There was much more than just the spring there. There is also a planetarium, you could skip that, a giant globe theater, cannon and weapons firings, Indian burial grounds, and more. Oh! And peacocks everywhere! We only alotted 2 hours for the visit, but could have spent more time there.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 27 February 2024
- Tom10 contributionsA true Florida Attraction GEMVisiting the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park was well worthwhile. There were a number of activities, many child friendly, although we are a "senior couple", we also greatly enjoyed the presentations. In spite of being a lifelong Florida resident, there was a wealth of historical information provided that I had never heard/learned. The Park has a great deal of space that separates the various displays/presentations that you can walk around and enjoy. We must mention that the Blacksmith, Geronimo, was an outstanding contributor to our experience. We got to witness a portion of his presentation that was primarily to a group of school children. His ability to interact and keep them engaged was wonderful. When we returned for a different "show time" our group was primarily adults, again his ability to communicate period specific historical information as well as engage and entertain the group made our day. We can't believe that after all these years in Florida that we have missed this Attraction GEM. If you have never visited this Park, do yourself a favor and put it on your list of things to see while visiting St Augustine.Wow!! Thank you for the wonderful words! We work diligently to provide an amazing guest experience, and we are so happy to hear your feedback. We will pass along the compliments to Geronimo....he is a wonderful person, craftsman, and educator, and truly loves sharing with our guests.Written 1 March 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 29 February 2024
- browncondo2102Kitchener, Canada1,783 contributionsWas it ever really foundThe Fountain of Youth was a way of getting Ponce De Leon to go back to St Augustine once he was in Puerto Rico. Silly boy! Once you go through the arched entry there is a metal statue of him at the entrance to the park. Lots of history and stories told here.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 10 March 2024
- Barbara MGrove City, Ohio93 contributionsCheesy? Maybe, but worthy of a visitOn my bucket list was to see Ponce De Leon's Fountain of Youth and I did. I little cheesy perhaps but that is how things happen. The fountain aside, the park was an interesting visit as we were able to learn about the indigenous peoples who lived there. There were also some demonstrations and plenty to see. If you have never seen peacocks or peahens in nature, they have a large flock of them!Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 11 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
2,949 reviews
Excellent
1,382
Very good
878
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468
Poor
149
Terrible
72
Jeff S
38 contributions
Feb 2020
Park admission seemed high, and there wasn't a lot to see. Several exhibits on early Indian and Spanish settlements on the site with historic interest, but none were outstanding. It looks like they're setup for craft demo's, etc. which may make this more interesting (weekends?), but none of this was going when we visited on a Wednesday. The Ponce de Leon "fountain of youth" can be visited, but it's a nonevent based more on legend than historical reality. You can drink water from an underground aquifer, but sulphur content seemed high ... Smelled unpleasant like the well water at my grandparents farm when I was a kid. This was overhyped and (at least the day we visited) wasn't worth the price of admission. Disappointing.
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
K Wills
5 contributions
Jun 2020
Tickets were discounted if you purchased with Trolly Tour tickets. At discounted price was $17 per person, park was interesting but not worth the price you paid. Workers giving demonstrations were knowledable about the history. However there were not enough demonstratons. The view of the bay from the look out tower was awesome.
Written 22 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We do not discount tickets with Trolley tickets; rather, you could have purchased a discounted ticket to our Park from Old Town Trolleys . Perhaps you used a coupon from the Trolley Saver magazine? This would give you a $1 discount off each adult ticket. This is our standard discount.
We have a springhouse, planetarium. a two story Globe show, a Native American burial ground exhibit, Native American village with interpreters, Mission church with interpreters, a working blacksmith, two different areas where costumed reenactors demonstrate black powder weapons, a boathouse, a period correct full size boat replica, a 600 foot dock , a 35 foot watchtower....that is a lot to do for $17. In fact, most people spend 2.5 hours or more! We hope you can visit again when you have more time to spend truly seeing all that our other reviewers enjoyed.
Written 7 July 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lynn R
100 contributions
Oct 2020
I thought that the $18 price tag to get into the park was a bit much for what you get. It is a beautiful park, but there wasn’t a lot of activity going on even though there were lots of visitors. Absolutely, do not drink the water from the fountain. I saw another post that said it is great, however it is not. I too grew up on well water but this water has a horrible taste. I only took a sip and immediately had a stomach ache. The other person in my party actually spit it out. It’s bad! The peacocks on the property are beautiful and you can buy feed to give them.
Written 27 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are sorry you did not spend more time with us to take in the many,many shows, demonstrations, exhibits, presentations, and reenactments we offer every hour from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. , at many areas of our 15 acre Park.
Our water, like anything offered to the public for consumption, is tested regularly and is perfectly safe. Perhaps lukewarm water just isn't as tasty as bottled water.
We hope you will return when you have more time to spend.
Written 3 November 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
jtg1961
Ocala, FL190 contributions
Jan 2020
If you have to choose one tourist trap in Saint Augustine, choose this one. We skipped the pirate museum, Ripley's and the wax museum to save our money for this and we're glad we did. It's a great park to roam around on its own, but they provide so many exhibits to keep your entertained and educated on American history. You can spend hours here learning everything you didn't know about American history outside of the British version of history of Jamestown and the Pilgrims. Expect to spend half a day here to get the full experience.
Written 15 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
R W
Inverness, FL103 contributions
Feb 2020
For our many trips to St. Augustine, I had never seriously considered visiting "The Fountain of Youth," because I had it in mind that it would be kind of hokey. This time, aspects of St. Augustine history caught my eye in some of the tourist brochures and in that way, the Fountain of Youth Park also came into consideration as a stop.
What a wonderful part of our trip to St. Augustine! I found out that explorer Ponce de Leon was never "searching for the Fountain of Youth." I found out that the spring water flowing in the so-called Fountain of Youth is the same spring water flowing under much of Florida, so in that sense, our Florida kitchen tap water flows with the waters of the Fountain of Youth!
The staff are friendly and uniformly eager to answer questions. One docent enthusiastically walked us through the various structures of the native American village, and I learned that all these buildings were but "rooms" in one extended family's "house." The gentlemen demonstrating the crossbow and the cannon were very knowledgeable and, again, so glad to take the time to answer questions with as much detail as we wanted!
None of it was "hokey" (per my old misconception) at all. I felt like I was at a professionally run operation, entirely comparable to a well maintained State Park or National Park. I learned some history and gained some appreciation for the earliest part of our national history (Native Americans and European explorers and settlers)and just had a great time doing so.
We spent about 3+1/2 hours at this park.
What a wonderful part of our trip to St. Augustine! I found out that explorer Ponce de Leon was never "searching for the Fountain of Youth." I found out that the spring water flowing in the so-called Fountain of Youth is the same spring water flowing under much of Florida, so in that sense, our Florida kitchen tap water flows with the waters of the Fountain of Youth!
The staff are friendly and uniformly eager to answer questions. One docent enthusiastically walked us through the various structures of the native American village, and I learned that all these buildings were but "rooms" in one extended family's "house." The gentlemen demonstrating the crossbow and the cannon were very knowledgeable and, again, so glad to take the time to answer questions with as much detail as we wanted!
None of it was "hokey" (per my old misconception) at all. I felt like I was at a professionally run operation, entirely comparable to a well maintained State Park or National Park. I learned some history and gained some appreciation for the earliest part of our national history (Native Americans and European explorers and settlers)and just had a great time doing so.
We spent about 3+1/2 hours at this park.
Written 5 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind words! We are glad you took a chance on us, and were pleasantly surprised. Our staff members truly enjoy sharing our history with guests, and we will share your praise with them.
We look forward to your next visit!
Written 10 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kelly B
Iowa5,507 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
It’s definitely not cheap: for our family of five (four adults and one teen), it cost almost $100, and that was after using a coupon I found in our hotel lobby.
BUT, it is such an iconic part of St. Augustine history. Parts of it are kitschy, but that just adds to the charm.
My favorite part was probably the actual fountain (yes, you can drink out of it), and the flowers and peacocks.
It took us a little bit longer than an hour to get through it all. We probably would have stayed longer, but it was only 40 degrees out and windy.
We didn’t watch any of the presentations: none of them started until a little bit later (10 was the earliest). Being it was so cold, we didn’t want to wait around until a demonstration happened.
BUT, it is such an iconic part of St. Augustine history. Parts of it are kitschy, but that just adds to the charm.
My favorite part was probably the actual fountain (yes, you can drink out of it), and the flowers and peacocks.
It took us a little bit longer than an hour to get through it all. We probably would have stayed longer, but it was only 40 degrees out and windy.
We didn’t watch any of the presentations: none of them started until a little bit later (10 was the earliest). Being it was so cold, we didn’t want to wait around until a demonstration happened.
Written 13 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clarissabj
Atlanta17 contributions
Apr 2021
I don't know what it cost because I purchased the ticket along with other attraction tickets however, I really could have skipped it. To say we were underwhelmed would probably be an accurate description. They use store mannequins as props and they pipe in water. Some good history about the natives and they admit they were there 3000 years before the Spanish which I appreciated. We saw the cannon firing presentation, walked out on the pier (lots of stranded jellyfish from when the tied went out).
Written 17 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We hope you will visit again when you have more time to spend with us! It does take at least 2 hours for a visit.
Mannequins? There is one in our planetarium lobby. Otherwise, we have some statuary representing Native Americans and Spanish soldiers in one exhibit...just as most any museum would use....
We do not "pipe in" water ;the artesian well from which the famous water flows has dropped over the years, as more and more people tap into the aquifer, so we must help get the water to ground level . This is clearly explained by our guides; we are sorry you did not have time to hear the information given .
We are sure that if you give your next visit to our historically significant site the time it needs, you will see what thousands of thrilled guests see every year. We look forward to seeing you again.
Written 17 April 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Curt K
New Castle, DE1,747 contributions
Jun 2021
While visiting St Augustine, the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park was a must-see. We ventured in and watched how the Spanish navigated their route by the stars in the planetarium, sampled the "Fountain of Youth", walked through the Indian village and observed how they lived. This park is very informative and I recommend it to all who visit St Augustine
Written 16 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fba5
Albany, NY707 contributions
Feb 2020
We enjoyed spending some time at this attraction, which explores the 1565 birthplace of St. Augustine (America's oldest city) & Colonial European America. We drank a little water from the alleged "Fountain Of Youth," Juan Ponce de Leon’s Spring of Eternal Hope. FYI, the water had a mineral taste. There were "free-roaming peacocks" walking around. We saw a historical firearms demonstration, spoke to a blacksmith. & viewed a reconstructed Timucuan (i.e., Native American) Village as well. Unfortunately, the Navigator's Planetarium was broken the day we visited. FYI, this place, Florida's oldest attraction, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Written 27 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carie M
Dallas, TX86 contributions
Jul 2021
Spend your time and money on the real historical sites in Saint Augustine. This is an over-priced tourist trap. There are so many high quality museums around the country to experience blacksmithing, Native American culture and early Spanish explorers... don't try it here.
Written 31 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so sorry to hear that misinformation would lead you to believe that there are other sites in St. Augustine that deserve to be called "real historic sites" , but that ours does not . We can assure you that there are volumes of archaeological data and academic research to support the historic value of our Park. Our site has been the focus of varied research programs, and the recipient of numerous awards and designations based on its historic value. We regret that we weren't your cup of tea, but are confident that the rest of our guests appreciate the history we share with them, as it is the history of America's First Colony, on the site where it began.
Written 7 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Are tickets only good for the specific date for which they are purchased or can you go any time if you buy a ticket?
Written 24 July 2021
Yes but be aware of the cannon shootings which tend to scare a lot of dogs!
Written 24 March 2021
Can you still taste water from the fountain?
Written 29 November 2020
Yes, we are open year round. The only day we are closed is Christmas Day.
Written 15 June 2020
We suggest 2.5 hours...many people stay longer...and you can see some shows in less time.
Written 7 September 2019
Can I buy little bottles to fill at the fountain as gifts or can I bring my own
Written 25 July 2019
FOYexplorer
St. Augustine, Florida
Hi Kathy! You can purchase filled bottles at our gift shop, or purchase their large bottles to fill at the Springhouse.
Written 26 July 2019
I am interested in visiting the Fountain of Youth only. Do I have to buy the ticket to get to see the Fountain?
Written 31 October 2018
FOYexplorer
St. Augustine, Florida
Yes, as the fountain is inside the park. The admission is $15 per adult ,$14 per senior ages 60 or over, and $9 per child ages 6 to 12.
Written 2 November 2018
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