Dog-Friendly St. Augustine Florida
Visiting The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park with Dexter The Dog
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, I will always offer my readers an unbiased and honest account of my experiences. Your trust is very appreciated, and never taken for granted. ~Tonya, Dexter and Angel Nutter
Dog-friendly vacations are the best when your dog can participate in tourist attractions. During my stay in the dog-friendly city of St. Augustine, Dexter enjoyed a lot of dog-friendly attractions, restaurants, and tours. I knew Dexter had to visit the world-famous Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.
As a dog-mom, I’m very proactive in Dexter’s natural-health-care routine, and when I heard dogs are welcome to drink out of the Fountain of Youth, I knew it was a must see.
Watch our Fountain of Youth video and don’t forget to subscribe!
The Fountain of Youth St. Augustine Dog-Friendly Attractions
The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is more than just the magical Fountain. It’s actually much more. Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is the original site of the Nation’s Oldest City and dates back to 1513. Colonial America started right in the park before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock.
The Fountain of Youth is the oldest attraction in Florida and is home to 15 waterfront acres full of history. Some of the dog-friendly attractions include the Discovery Globe, blacksmith exhibit, Timucuan burials and village, Nombre de Dios Mision, 1565 Menendez settlement, excavations, Spanish lookout, cannon firing, Founders’ Observation Riverwalk and of course, the Fountain in the Spring House. Not to mention the nearly 30 unforgettable Indian peafowl (peacocks) roaming around.
The exhibits were both indoors and outdoors, which made this dog-friendly attraction a win in our book. The day we visited, it was incredibly hot and humid, so being able to take Dexter inside to enjoy the indoor activities was a real treat and a great way to cool down.
Navigator’s Planetarium
Dexter and I enjoyed not only a cool-down in the planetarium, but we had a great educational experience. We learned how the early Spanish and Portuguese explorers of the 1400s navigated the world using the stars. It was really fascinating to learn how Juan Ponce de Leon used the night sky for navigation and landed at the Fountain of Youth. And the best part? The planetarium transformed to show us how the sky looked way back then!
Discovery Globe
This was another great dog-friendly indoor attraction. The Discovery Globe illustrated the routes of the early Spanish and Portuguese explorers to and from the New World. The impressive globe is 30 feet high and glows with such brilliance it was awe-inspiring. The show demonstrated the extent of the lands of La Florida and the settlements and cities that they founded.
The Spring House-Fountain of Youth
The highlight of my dog-friendly trip to St. Augustine was definitely having Dexter drink out of Juan Ponce de Leon’s Spring of Eternal Hope. The Fountain is the original spring that was recorded in a seventeenth century Spanish land grant. With signed guest books as far back as 1868. The spring comes directly from the Floridan aquifer, which lies below ground under most of North Florida. The Fountain water contains over 30 minerals.
Is the Fountain of Youth Real?
That’s for you to decide. Dexter certainly seemed to enjoy lapping up the water and even went for seconds. It’s pretty unusual for Dexter to want to drink during day trips, so I think there may be something to the mythical legend.
We spent a few hours visiting the different pet-friendly attractions, exhibits, and gift shop. If we had more time, we could have easily spent the entire day. Located inside the park is Smoked Southern BBQ which cooks only fresh and local sustainable food. If you are traveling with your dog in Florida, The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is a must-see.
Before you go, make sure you check out St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors & Convention Bureau for guides, maps, things to do, and much more.
Do you believe? Tell me in the comments.
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That’s great that they allow dogs into so many of the exhibits at the Fountain of Youth park. I visited St. Augustine several years ago!
We truly appreciated the inclusion. We want to go back, there was so much we didn’t have time to see.
I love when places advertise they’re dog-friendly! We like to take our pups whenever possible, and this is one of our pre-requisite’s when travel.
Me too. I find some of my favorite adventures by looking for fun things to do with Dexter. That’s how I found The Fountain of Youth. So cool!
We were just discussing a trip to Florida w/o our dog. Now I may want to re-think this idea after seeing this solution!
We have taken two trips to Florida with Dexter. Loads of dog-friendly activities, restaurants and accommodations. Take a peek around my blog for some ideas.
That’s so cool that this park is dog-friendly. I always enjoy seeing places that allow dogs, it makes me smile big. Dogs are so awesome and enjoy being with us as much as they can!
Yes, St. Augustine is very dog-friendly. I love when I see someone look at Dexter, then smile. Makes my day too.
Im not sure how much I believe in it but I think it would be fun to visit!
🙂 I figured, it won’t hurt. 😉
We love on the west coast and our favorite spot to take the dogs is Seaside, Oregon. It is such a dog-friendly strip of beach and town
That’s awesome. I hope to head West with Dexter in 2020
I love this! I just love when people start realizing how important are our animals. And I love that we can find more and more places animal-friendly!
Me too. They are family and tend to enjoy new adventures too. More people would travel and explore if pets were also welcome.
That is such a cool park! My beagles would love to mingle!
Beagles are great! The Fountain of Youth was such a great experience.
My family would really love a park like this nearby. You don’t see them enough!
Some cities you have to dig around.
What a nice place to spend a few hours! Dog friendly is even better!
Yes. It was such a great adventure.
I love St. Augustine. Now i know the next time I visit I can bring my pup so he can enjoy the sights too.
Such a great city! They have a ton of things that are dog-friendly.
I have heard that St. Augustine is awesome. I’d love to make the trip, it’s not that awful far. And hurrah that they are dog friendly too. 🙂
🙂 We were only there for the night and we need to go back. There were a ton of things that we didn’t have time to explore.
Well he looks like he had the perfect time in St Augustine! I wish we could take our dog on adventures but she gets too anxious. What a wonderful bonding experience.
Thanks, Athena. That’s too bad about your dog. My previous dog was also anxious. Sad.
I love your site! We love to travel with our Corgi and I’m always looking for dog-friendly places when we travel!
Thank you! Corgis are such great dogs. Those bums are just adorable. Glad you found my site. Check out the destinations link https://raisingyourpetsnaturally.com/travel-tips/destinations/ and feel free to subscribe to my YT I will be vlogging weekly on travel. https://www.youtube.com/c/Globaldogtraining
I travel alone most of the time so I always take my little dog along. I feel safer having him with me. I love places that are pet-friendly so he can tag along with me. This looks like a fun place to visit.
Hi Terri. It’s always nice to have a pup by your side for safety and comfort. You might enjoy this article I wrote about traveling alone with a dog-https://raisingyourpetsnaturally.com/solo-driving-with-dog-safety-tips/