Day Trippin' › Florida › From Jacksonville › Best history spots
Our picks for the best history spots within 3 hours of Jacksonville: 43 places, 7 under an hour away, 16 between 1 and 2 hours and 20 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 32202.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Kingsley Plantation, 39 min northeast of Jacksonville.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Lvklock, CC BY-SA 3.0
#1 · Historic site · 2 hr 5 min north
Stroll 22 leafy squares, old homes and church spires in one of America's best walking cities.
Heads-up: Summer is hot and humid. Street parking is metered.
Photo: Schwerdf, CC BY 4.0
#2 · Historic site · 45 min southeast
The oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S., guarding St. Augustine's bay since the 1600s.
Heads-up: Crowded on weekends and holidays. Little shade on the walls.
Photo: Jud McCranie, Public domain
#3 · Island · 1 hr 14 min north
A state-owned island with beaches, a historic club district, bike paths and a sea turtle hospital.
Heads-up: The fee is paid at the gate on the causeway.
Photo: Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0
#4 · Museum · 2 hr 19 min southeast
See the Space Shuttle Atlantis, a Saturn V rocket and launch pads. A must for space fans.
Heads-up: Online ticket sales were down; buy at the gate.
Photo: Original uploader was Emanuel Kingsley at en.wikipedia, Public domain
#5 · Historic site · 39 min northeast
The oldest plantation house in Florida and rows of tabby slave cabins on Fort George Island. A sobering, important stop.
Heads-up: Long dirt road to the site.
Photo: Intergalacticz9 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
#6 · Historic site · 58 min southeast
Take a short free ferry to a small Spanish fort on a marsh island. Nice nature trail at the visitor center too.
Heads-up: Free boarding passes go fast, often by 11 am. Ferry runs weather permitting.
Photo: HAL333, CC BY-SA 4.0
#7 · National park · 1 hr 22 min north
Ruins of a 1730s British colonial town under live oaks on St. Simons.
Heads-up: Mosquitoes in warm months.
Photo: John Muir, Public domain
#8 · Historic site · 2 hr 12 min north
A hauntingly beautiful old cemetery with moss-draped oaks and carved statues on the river.
Heads-up: Respect graves and funerals in progress.
Photo: Operator 16, CC0
#9 · Bike trail · 2 hr 35 min west
A flat, paved rail trail about 16 miles from Tallahassee to the riverside town of St. Marks. Great for an easy bike ride.
Heads-up: Little shade in places; bring water. Three trailheads.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
#10 · Historic site · 42 min southeast
Site of the first legally free Black settlement in what is now the U.S. A boardwalk crosses the marsh.
Heads-up: Tours at 10 am and 1 pm.
Photo: “Jon Zander(digon3)”, CC BY-SA 3.0
#11 · Historic site · 48 min southeast
Climb 219 steps up a black and white striped lighthouse for big views of the old city and the ocean.
Heads-up: Free parking. Climb has height limits for kids.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
#12 · Historic site · 51 min northeast
A well-kept Civil War era brick fort with living history weekends, plus beach and trails on Amelia Island.
Heads-up: Fort tickets sold at the visitor center.
Photo: Bubba73 (Jud McCranie), CC BY-SA 3.0
#13 · Historic site · 1 hr 8 min north
A rice plantation site with a museum and marsh views near Brunswick.
Heads-up: Bring bug spray.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
#14 · Historic site · 1 hr 10 min west
A museum and carillon tower honoring the songwriter of the Suwannee River song, with craft shops and river trails.
Heads-up: Festival of Lights runs in December. Museum days posted differently.
Photo: Bubba73 (Jud McCranie), CC BY-SA 3.0
#15 · Historic site · 1 hr 16 min north
A rebuilt early British frontier fort on the river in Darien.
Heads-up: Pair with shrimp in Darien.
Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park (43 min), Marineland Dolphin Adventure (1 hr 1 min), St. Simons Lighthouse Museum (1 hr 16 min), Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park (1 hr 18 min), Florida Museum of Natural History (1 hr 25 min), Museum of Arts and Sciences (1 hr 29 min), Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park (1 hr 30 min), Dudley Farm Historic State Park (1 hr 37 min), Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse (1 hr 46 min), Juniper Springs Recreation Area (1 hr 53 min), Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum (1 hr 58 min), Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing (2 hr), American Space Museum (2 hr 3 min), Telfair Museums (2 hr 5 min), Fort McAllister State Park (2 hr 6 min), Orlando Science Center (2 hr 8 min), Wormsloe (2 hr 8 min), Crystal River Archaeological State Park (2 hr 22 min), Fort Pulaski National Monument (2 hr 23 min), Tybee Island Light Station (2 hr 28 min), Georgia Museum of Agriculture (2 hr 30 min), Florida Historic Capitol Museum (2 hr 31 min), Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park (2 hr 32 min), Mission San Luis (2 hr 34 min), Tallahassee Museum (2 hr 37 min), Pebble Hill Plantation (2 hr 40 min), St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (2 hr 49 min), Jefferson Davis Memorial (2 hr 51 min)
Our top picks are Savannah Historic District (2 hr 5 min), Castillo de San Marcos (45 min), Jekyll Island (1 hr 14 min), Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (2 hr 19 min) and Kingsley Plantation (39 min). The page lists 43 places in all.
43: 7 under an hour away, 16 between 1 and 2 hours and 20 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 32202.
Kingsley Plantation, about 39 min northeast of Jacksonville.
6 need no pass or fee, including Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, Fort Matanzas and Kingsley Plantation. Fees change, so check each place.
12 of the 43 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.