The Fort Matanzas National Monument

Fort Matanzas is a 1740 Spanish fort that was given National Monument status in 1924 and is run by the National Park Service. This monument consists of the fort, 100 acres of marsh, and barrier islands all along the Matanzas River on the Atlantic coast of Florida. The area of the Matanzas inlet was the scene of several important events in Spanish colonial history. In 1565, the massacre of French soldiers took place, which was Spain’s opening move in establishing a colony in Florida. Spain’s last effort to ward off the British was the construction of Fort Matanzas in 1740-1742. In 1819 the United States took control of Florida, and the fort in St. Augustine was no longer used, causing it to quickly become a ruin. Restoration of this now popular St. Augustine attraction began in 1916 and by 1924 the National Monument status was proclaimed. Under the park service, Fort Matanzas was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

Fort Matanzas is only accessible by guided boat tours. This National Monument in St. Augustine Florida is open every day of the year except for December 25. At the Fort Matanzas National Monument, a ferry service leaves from the dock behind the visitor center every hour at half past the hour between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm. This free guided tour lasts approximately 45-50 minutes.