# Fort Matanzas National Monument and Ferry > Place to go for families in the Jacksonville area (FL). Times are Eastern Time. - When: Park open daily 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ferry… - Where: Fort Matanzas National Monument Visitor Center, 8635 A1A South, Saint Augustine, FL 32080 - Ages: All ages; everyone riding the ferry needs a pass, including babies and children - Price: Free; free same-day ferry boarding passes - Schedule: Park open daily 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ferry Thursday–Monday at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.; no ferry on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. - Organizer: National Park Service — Fort Matanzas National Monument - Official page: https://www.nps.gov/foma/ - Last checked: Sat, Oct 24 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/activities/fort-matanzas-national-monument-and-ferry--listing-41203be3ad2374febf7d8091 ## About A small Spanish watchtower fort on Rattlesnake Island at Matanzas Inlet, reached by a free National Park Service passenger ferry from the visitor center dock. The round trip, including time at the fort, lasts about 45–55 minutes. Everyone, babies included, needs a free same-day boarding pass from the visitor center; passes are first come, first served and often run out before 11 a.m., so families should arrive early. No food or drink is allowed on the boat or at the fort (water is fine), and pets other than service animals are not allowed. A nature trail near the visitor center is open even when the ferry is not running; bring insect repellent. ## Similar picks in Jacksonville - [Fort Caroline National Memorial](https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/activities/fort-caroline-national-memorial--listing-5fed9fecbcafde95165263cd) — Grounds open Wednesday–Sunday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Ribault Monument Wed–Sun 9:00… · Fort Caroline National Memorial & Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. The visitor center for the whole Timucuan Preserve sits at Fort Caroline in Arlington, which memorializes the short-lived 1560s French colony on the St. Johns River: stories of… - [Fort Clinch State Park](https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/activities/fort-clinch-state-park--listing-caa21af168132171e5668222) — Park open 8 a.m. to sunset daily; fort 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily; visitor center 9 a.m.–4:30… · Fort Clinch State Park, Fernandina Beach · All ages · From $2 · checked Oct 24. A 1,400-acre state park at the north tip of Amelia Island built around a well-preserved 19th-century brick fort whose cannons face across the St. Marys River toward Georgia… - [Castillo de San Marcos National Monument](https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/activities/castillo-de-san-marcos-national-monument--listing-d7ebee56e56b9e61593215b0) — Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day; first admission 9:00 a.m., last… · Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Saint Augustine · All ages · With admission · checked Oct 24. The 17th-century Spanish stone fort on St. Augustine's bayfront, run by the National Park Service. Children can explore the fort's lower rooms and historic weapons, climb to the… - [Family Fall Fest at the Jacksonville Arboretum](https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/activities/family-fall-fest-at-the-jacksonville-arboretum--listing-49494760d08a85bee8527a15) — Sun, Oct 25 · 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM · Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens · All ages · From $3 · checked Oct 24. The Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens' new Family Fall Fest closes its first Biergarten & Fall Fest weekend with a late-afternoon festival for families among the… - [Fort Mose Historic State Park](https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/activities/fort-mose-historic-state-park--listing-0c987b4ec05849d79c12e348) — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year · Fort Mose Historic State Park, St. Augustine · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. A 40-acre waterfront historic site north of downtown St. Augustine marking Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what… ## More for families - [This weekend in Jacksonville](https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/this-weekend) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/this-weekend.md) - [Things to do with kids in Jacksonville](https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville.md)