The 461st Anniversary Founder’s Day Celebration
Saturday, September 5, 2026
Admission
Overview
Join the annual commemoration of the founding of the city of St. Augustine. On September 8, 1565, Spanish Admiral Pedro Menendez and his fleet made landfall and were greeted by the indigenous Timucuan tribes. At 10 a.m. there will be a historical reenactment of the 1565 landing at Mission Nombre de Dios, followed by a celebration of Catholic Mass at the outdoor rustic altar. Admission is free.
At noon, guests to the Fountain of Youth Park are able to witness a reenactment of the first Thanksgiving meal. The Fountain of Youth is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission and St. Johns County resident prices are applicable. Mission Nombre de Dios, 27 Ocean Ave.; Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, 11 Magnolia Ave., St. Augustine. www.missionandshrine.org
This is the historical site of the first parish Mass and first shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the United States. The Mission Nombre de Dios traces its…
Visit America's First Colony. Founded by Pedro Menendez on THIS ACTUAL SITE 42 years before Jamestown and 55 years before Plymouth Rock, The Fountain of Youth is the first settlement…