Encompassing 15 acres of lush Old Florida landscape, The Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park in St. Augustine is the perfect way to spend a day in the Nation’s Oldest City. It’s also considered the state’s oldest attraction and it commemorates the Florida landing of Ponce de Leon in 1513 and his quest for the legendary Fountain of Youth.
Encompassing 15 acres of lush Old Florida landscape, The Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park in St. Augustine is the perfect way to spend a day in the Nation’s Oldest City. It’s also considered the state’s oldest attraction and it commemorates the Florida landing of Ponce de Leon in 1513 and his quest for the legendary Fountain of Youth.
It is archaeologically significant as the original site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy for over 3,000 years and as the original site of Pedro Menendez de Aviles’ St. Augustine settlement in 1565. This site was established 55 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock and 42 years before the founding of Jamestown. It is also the location of the 1587 Mission Church of Nombre de Dios, the first Franciscan Mission Church in the United States, the 1565 location of the first documented Thanksgiving feast between Europeans and Native Americans, as well as the 1565 site of the First Muster of militiamen in the United States.
Overlooking the Matanzas River and St. Augustine Inlet, the park offers visitors the chance to relive the days of the conquistadors and discover many colorful facts about Ponce de Leon’s arrival to Florida. It also hosts a blend of stately oaks, blue cedars, sweet-smelling magnolias and dozens of beautiful peacocks along with other wildlife.
The Fountain of Youth – Where Legend Meets History!
Artifacts discovered in archaeological digs provide important documentation of the presence of past civilizations and people. At the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, interesting artifacts uncovered by archaeological digs led to some of the park’s most interesting outdoor exhibits.
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