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Kingsley Plantation
11676 Palmetto Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32226, United States
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Th
Review №1

This National Park preserve is very educational and the plantation is well maintained. Beautiful location on the river with good facilities.

J
Review №2

Really beautiful place, took a bike ride through the park and visited the house. Learned a lot, but currently there was no staff and no tours of the house. Still enjoyed walking around the property. Will probably visit again once everything is back up and running.

Ca
Review №3

It was an interesting visit. Stepping back in time, looking at the main house from the stable. Imagining how the days events unfolded in the 1800’s.There was much to see, and there is a gift shop.We also noticed the trees, wondering how many are centuries old. Plus, you can see clearly in some of the pictures there is a mighty oak hugging and protecting a pine tree. That was absolutely beautiful.

Ju
Review №4

All of the buildings besides the barn, as you enter, are not open. People really enjoy the open air spaces, very serene, a rich history if you read all the signs or use the audio feed. Imagine how interesting it would be if a tour guide could take people inside, wearing masks, of course. P.S. Fort Caroline, next door, is open.

Pa
Review №5

Beautiful interesting place. Will be better when the buildings are open again.

Ch
Review №6

Beautiful spot rich with American history, specifically slave history. Worth the stop. Road is a bit rough to get back their but its worth it.

Li
Review №7

Interesting plantation and story. I had not realized that there was a difference in slavery practised by Spanish vs British. You can do audio tour via phone. The road in is a bit bumpy but beautiful.

An
Review №8

FascinatingGreat experience walking around. Seeing the grandeur of the main house vs the tiny, awful slave quartersAn important relic of the old South

Da
Review №9

Interesting place and history. Wish we had been there on a day with bookstore and house open.....but.....alas, not now.

Bo
Review №10

Kingsley plantation is so beautiful I like going back in time. I hope in a near future theyll have tours of the home. The roads are potholes dangerous to small vehicles.

Mi
Review №11

It was so informative, beautiful, Im looking forward to going again in October and or February. When they will be doing more activities of the times. The children and adults learned so much. It was a hot and rainy day. Summer in Florida.

Ka
Review №12

Beautiful area! We were able to walk around ourselves and read the plaques. The Park Service only does tours on the weekends, by reservation. Great for free family entertainment.

Vi
Review №13

A bit out of the way from the historic downtown area but its worth a trip out here to experience some of the most important parts of our history and countrys identity that we should never forget and learn from. The entire experience is built just for this process. The information is all provided on large easy to read information panels and the free audio guide is a great way to supplement your information. The artifacts are spread with quite some space apart but they offer convenient parking options if you dont want to walk.

Le
Review №14

Interesting. Sad history of slavery. But important that we remember what happened. It is back a very long, unpaved road through the preserve. Quiet and contemplative memorial. It is on beautiful grounds. Apparently of you go right at the Y, there is a wedding venue club. We did not go there.

Sa
Review №15

Important but tragic part of history. The grounds are well preserved. The house is only open on weekends but the rest is open daily. The visitor center is near the water kind hard to see until you get past the kitchen building. Junior ranger programs and badges made our homeschool trip double educational! Grounds are grass and mulch and shells so closed toed shoes recommended.

Ri
Review №16

This was a great place to visit with a very interesting story and history. I recommend the tour and the at your own pace audio walkthrough. The road coming in for about two miles is very narrow, bumpy, and its a dirt road, so drive slow and careful. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The view and the whole plantation really takes you back in time to get a small glimpse into how things were during slavery. Its a great history lesson for anyone with the thirst for knowledge.

Ma
Review №17

Its a must see. Oldest standing plantation building in Florida. Largest number of extant partial slave cabins. Made of tabby as excellent material for cool in summer and warm in winter. Shells removed from Timucuan Indian mounds crushed and molded into blocks. Over 200 years old. The best thing about this site is that the enslaved are finally being lauded for their contributions to the economy and the cruelty is visually documented. A wonderful historic site. Maib house dates from 1798 built by John McQueen.

Di
Review №18

One of the best historical places I’ve visited.Very clean grounds. With they had kayak rentals

Ad
Review №19

First visit. Nice place to spend the day to learn some historical facts. They also allow you to go fishing in the back of the facility.

Ma
Review №20

First off all in order to get to Kingsley Plantation to drive through a beautiful kid of forest, magnificent trees and other vegetation.The plantation is pretty big and organized in a very informative manner that allowed me to learn a lot. In addition there is a ranger station with a nice selection of items related to the region and I was impressive how much I learnt taking to the oonbe of the rangers there. Thank you.Finally make sure to spend some time at the river back relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view.

Ch
Review №21

An outstanding (but sad) example of pre-Civil War slave-based capitalism. The story of Kingsley and his African wife is extremely interesting.

Di
Review №22

Words cannot adequately express one’s emotions while visiting Kingsley Plantation..right at the entrance to the Plantation are the Slaves Quarters..I can’t even begin to imagine. Definitely take bug spray. The mosquitos are relentless there. Definitely a must see/experience place. I would go back when it was cooler weather.

As
Review №23

A very fun place that me and my family enjoyed our venture out there

Ma
Review №24

The Kingsley Plantation is part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve like Fort Caroline. Its a bit off of the beaten path and visitors should be warned about the condition of the dirt road that leads to it; the road is rough with considerable potholes - if you drive a vehicle with low clearance, youll want to take it slow and be careful. (If the road was better, Id easily give it 5 stars). The historic site itself is most interesting. The first thing you see as you drive through the gate are the Plantations Slave Cabins, one of which is restored. You then come to the barn, Kitchen House, and then the Plantation House, which sits near the St. Johns River and is currently undergoing repairs and restoration. It can be toured twice a day by reservation (instructions on its website). The Plantation has a fascinating history with fascinating personalities and tells the story of both the owners and the slaves. Its well worth visiting to learn about what island plantations were like.

Gi
Review №25

Absolutely wonderful home tour with the very knowledgeable Park Ranger Tim Donald. Incredibly interesting learning more about Free blacks and Spanish Florida as well as the manufacture of Indigo. The plantation and slave homes are in very good shape for the age and coastal region. There are tall Palmettos on the property that were planted by Anta Kingsley and her daughter Sarah. The water here was the bluest Ive seen in northeast Florida. The drive in and out to the tip of St George Island is an opportunity to gaze upon Florida without human influence. Stunning nature surrounds you. Well worth the drive and free admission. Be sure to call a few days ahead to reserve your spot on the home tour which fills up quickly as they only allow ten people per tour and the tours are only held on Saturday and Sunday at 11 and 3, to preserve the home. Great for kids that can calmly listen to storytellers. Highly recommend.

Pe
Review №26

Very historic park with a well restored plantation house. There are also great hiking trails surrounding the park.

He
Review №27

Very great and clean place and also fun.

Ta
Review №28

I most definitely enjoyed touring the plantation and learning of its history. I will definitely be back!

Mi
Review №29

In all my travels Ive never seen an original display of the pain and suffering of which African Americans (Black people) endured, we always get the watered down version, but today i tell you this plantation brought tears for the people of that era sadness for the people of our era and joy for the people of the future....Please be good stuarts of the past and the future. May all those souls rest in Peace.

Da
Review №30

Great educational experience and is very well maintained. Not a lot to really see though.

Ge
Review №31

I love anything to do with history.

Le
Review №32

Terrific place to step back in history and spend a great afternoon with good friends.

An
Review №33

The Kingsley Plantation is a nice place to visit. It is not very crowded (my wife and I were the only visitors for most of our visit) and you can take your time. It is beautiful and relaxing. There was no staff there during our visit other than the gift shop attendant. You are able to check out a player that automatically plays the narrative for each location on the tour by use of an RFID code. The tour is very informative about the Kingsley Plantation and its use of slaves. The site includes the original plantation house (only accessible on very select days) the remains of the slave cabins, the barn, an office and kitchen building and the gift shop. It’s a pleasant, self guided tour that doesn’t take long. Was expecting a bit more but it was still nice. BEWARE—- the road into the site is not maintained well (dirt/gravel) and has some pretty good pot-holes. It’s passable but take your time driving it.

AT
Review №34

I was brought here as a child & last week I continued the tradition with my daughter whos 10 and old enough to take all the historic lessons in. Nice cool day hand full of others including the main house staff. Worth the trip and take it slow driving in if you have a car its a dirt road for about 1.5 miles to get back there to the gate!

As
Review №35

Absolutely love this place. I recommend doing the audio tour. You learn so much more than what the plaques and posters tell you.

Ti
Review №36

This national park has picturesque scenery with plant and animal life all around you. I visited this historic landmark on a school field trip with my sons 4th grade class. The trails are a bit rough, but the view from them is worth the trek. I would recommend visiting early morning or in the cooler months.

Wi
Review №37

What a great piece of history! I loved it. Beautiful grounds. The workers had us separate cotton from the seeds, not easy... Slave work expectations were listed, wow. Amazing how much work they did daily. I never knew about tabby as a building material. Takes 3 hours to do it 100%.

Da
Review №38

Very nice historical park. The Audio tour nicely done and educational. Staff at visitor center very friendly and helpful. Another stamp on my National Park Passport !

RO
Review №39

Nice place to visit but need to improved the road to get there to be 5 start

Da
Review №40

There is a lot of history there it is a great peaceful and calming place.

Dr
Review №41

This was an excellent experience during our visit to Florida last month, and is pretty close to the Jacksonville Navy base.We decided to visit this historic plantation that is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). After checking out their Google reviews I was able to find their address. It was very easy to navigate to with the use of a GPS device or with Google maps. The road up to the plantation is very bumpy dirt road, so I would recommend that you drive slowly. Upon arrival you will see the historic slave cabins first and there is a small parking lot. There is also a few signs that gives the history and the life of the slaves, that was forced into slavery on this plantation.As you continue farther you will come to the big white house and a big barn. The NPS is doing an excellent job with maintaining the structures and the grounds. The have free audio headsets that you can use, as you walk the grounds and read the signs. There was also a male and female restroom, which was nice considering we was on a long road trip.I would highly recommend it to friends and family members.

Hu
Review №42

If you have an RV, trailer, motorhome or fifth wheel: unhitch (sorry, no suggestions for where) and drive in! 2 miles of a NARROW, pothole-filled, slow road - and oddly very busy. Im 24 feet long, 10 feet high. Tolerable but miserable. Gel coat scratches on both sides :( Think of it as a decent logging road with insufficient pull-outs to allow oncoming vehicles to pass and overgrowth on both sides scratching your rig up. Height was ok - if over 12 feet you might lose your AC.There is a tour, but I called 4 hours before the tour and it was already booked full. The 1:00 tram tour holds 8 people and lasts a little over 1 hour.There are several miles of great walking trails.

Ba
Review №43

Great tour guide, informative, would definitely visit again.

Mi
Review №44

A step back in history. Beautiful place but also a sad place. To feel the suffering of slavery was overwhelming.

al
Review №45

The preserved history is amazing. What a beautiful place to walk around and explore.

Ja
Review №46

This was a nice out of the way place to visit, despite being a slave plantation.

Be
Review №47

Took my family here last weekend and had a blast. My daughter loved running around the plantation and it was beautiful by the water. The staff were excellent, and we enjoyed learning about the special kind of cotton they grew here. Need to come back when it’s warmer and walk around more.

Su
Review №48

Loved the simplicity of this plantation. Many slaves here lived free. The property and slave ownership went through many changes throughout the years. My heart went out to those who perished in the sea during their voyage to this land.

Ti
Review №49

Cool trip back in time.

Ja
Review №50

A beautifully restored example of an Old South plantation. A great place for exploring history with family. The park rangers are friendly and knowledgeable.

Bo
Review №51

This place was so informative and unique. Our Park Ranger, Tim, was very knowledgeable, funny, and respectful in the way he told the Kingsley stories. Kingsley has very well kept historical housing (plantation housing and slave residencies) and a beautiful view of the river that was once bustling. :) Though the National Park part is fairly small, its easy to appreciate the wealth of history that remains there and that they do well in preserving.

Jo
Review №52

Beautiful plantation, friendly staff and tons of knowledge built around the plantation.

ma
Review №53

Fascinating history of a female plantation owner comes alive at this site located just above Jacksonville FL, once known for cotton and indigo crops.Open from 9am to 5 pm daily, with free parking and admission. The house, sadly, is basically unfurnished. But you can choose a self guided audio tour of the grounds or a docent guided tour of the house given twice a day (by reservation). The rangers are very knowledgeable and friendly.A beautiful location to enjoy some quiet reflection.

Ch
Review №54

Very informative about Florida sea plantations. The docent was engaging with interesting facts about plantation life. Unfortunately the visitors center was closed for repairs.

Ge
Review №55

Fantastic history of this place .Ranger Geoff did a great job. I have been to dozens of National parks and this is as powerful a story as I have ever heard.

Ro
Review №56

Love this place. You you love history and got time stop by st. George Island and tame a self guided tour. If you are one those who tries to bury history, this is not for you.

Br
Review №57

Great place to bring the family, swim,

So
Review №58

Beautiful vista over the water. Great preservation of Tabby slave cabins. And a beautiful drive there.

cr
Review №59

Informative historic journeyThe long narrow dirt road with potholes that leads to the #KINGSLEYPLANTATION can be treacherous on tires. #PAVEMENTNEEDED

Al
Review №60

We went yesterday 1/19/20 and it was a nice day lots of history to be learned and my youngest son was sworn in as a junior ranger!! Got a badge and all he was so thrilled! The house was beautiful and the grounds are very peaceful.

Co
Review №61

An amazing place to explore. So much history beautifully preserved. Also Peacocks. ..a mating pair that just roams around.

Mi
Review №62

Beautiful historical site with trails and picnic tables. A wonderful place to spend the day outside and learn about part of Floridas history.

Ro
Review №63

A powerful experience coming here to this historical place. It is too bad that the main house of the plantation was empty except for one sparsely furnished room and no one was allowed upstairs, the bottom of the stairs roped off. This was a little disappointed to me, but I am sure there are good reasons why it was the way it was. But I am glad that this very old beautiful home is still standing and structurally sound considering it was built in 1798 and survived the heat and humidity and of the rain and the occasional hurricane throughout it’s many decades of existence.Walking through and exploring the ruins of the dozen or more slave cabins was a very powerful reminder of a dark, sad, and tragic time of the United States. Some are in better condition than others and one has been restored for people to see what they all looked like during the time of their use. In front of the slave cabins is a wooded area that once were grown and harvested crops long ago.There are excellent signs throughout the site explaining in great detail of the history and the goings on while this place was operating as a plantation. Along with the text there were good pictures and photos as well. Very interesting and educational. There is an audio tour of the plantation that is on an MP3 player you can get at the visitors center/gift shop which is highly recommended.Don’t forget to explore all the beautiful nature that surrounds the plantation. There’s a nice couple of trails east of the plantation to experience the wonderful natural beauty of Northeast Florida. And I must mention that there are gopher tortoise habitats in and around the plantation roped off for their protection. Beautiful scenery is all about this place with a river flowing in front of the main house where both fishermen and kayakers will enjoy.And one thing before I forget: the road entering and existing the plantation is a narrow rough dirt road that made me wish I had vehicle with high ground clearance! Occasionally I had to pull off a little bit on the side of the road to let another vehicle coming in the opposite direction to come through. But I did not mind too much, just made the trip there a little more adventurous!

Tr
Review №64

I love this beautiful quiet park. Great views of the marsh and a dark history that captivates the appallingness of slavery. Great educational place for homeschoolers, and the drive out here is beautiful. Check the hours before you come. They close earlier than expected.

Ma
Review №65

A beautiful and scenic place to visit with the family. Our children enjoyed participating in the junior ranger program.

Jo
Review №66

Greenery is well-kept. Maintenance with historic structures can be better..

ka
Review №67

Love this place,lots of history here,cool wildlife,if you are lucky enough to see it,and just a great place to visit

Ja
Review №68

Cool place to visit with an interesting history.

Ma
Review №69

Youll have a bumpy road getting there, but you will get the taste of Old Florida right from your car window. Very interesting old plantation, different history from others as Kingsley married African women at a time when society didnt approve.

Da
Review №70

No info when it will be open. Very disappointed

Li
Review №71

Very pretty place, good history exhibits. Great place to spend an afternoon if you like Florida history.

Er
Review №72

The Plantation is a nice Little piece of history!!! If youre already in the area its a great place to check out!!! We just did a walk around but they also offer self guided audio tours that are proposed to take about an hour.... I couldnt see spending much more time than an hour so I wouldnt revolve my day around it. I suggest taking the paved entry road to the right, at the fork in the road, as the dirt one leading straight to the Plantation is nothing but deep potholes and very narrow.. At certain places admitting only one car to pass through at a time!

Jo
Review №73

A great learning experience

Sc
Review №74

Go check it out with the family, warm or cold weather its a FREE and fun spot!

ch
Review №75

A must see , a look back into a piece of untold history. Kingsley Plantation is well preserved. Also please be surr to take advantage of the audio tour , it is a great resource to utilize (pick up your equipment from the vistors center on the premises) and it is free!

Na
Review №76

Sad reminder of how cruel Humans can be to one another. ...We should never forget. Beautiful setting. Fun ride out.....

Ca
Review №77

Although we went today will be could it C inside the house the rest of the property was really beautiful. You got to see where boats could come in on the water and we even saw some water wildlife. They had great historical facts all around the property which I appreciated because I really enjoyed learning about history

Sh
Review №78

Awesome experience, unreal to think what all happened there...

Ra
Review №79

Magnificent place , abundant wildlife..

De
Review №80

Interesting locale with historical significance.

Na
Review №81

Best plantation tour ever !!well preserved plantation house and grounds as well as slave quarters. free admission with free audio self- guided tour which narrates the real life back then. I have been to several plantation tours but this one is the best!!thank you so much.

Om
Review №82

Great Family destination! Some of the perks:-Its Free-You can walk it in 30mins or less-Clean-Self GuideI would reccomend it for a fun weekend family activity!

Lo
Review №83

A very fun place that me and my family enjoyed our venture out there.But its too quite for me and I think that place have a ghost.

Ty
Review №84

Must do if in the area. Free house tours on the weekends

Da
Review №85

Interesting to see the plantation well worth the drive. My wife and I enjoyed a leisure walk around the grounds. It is well maintained and will give you an appreciation of that part of our history.

Al
Review №86

Great place to stop in.

St
Review №87

I learned more about the save trade and southern plantations. House was not open during the week. Nice walk around the plantation.

Sc
Review №88

Very historic. Background story was fascinating. Originally owner purchased the whole island, 600 acres for$7000, on the 1700s.

Mi
Review №89

Well-preserved memorial to a sad part of history. Exhibits are informative, and river scenery is peaceful.

Mi
Review №90

Zepaniah Kingsley was the one who really built the plantation up as a producer...quite a unique history and a beautiful area

ma
Review №91

Would have been much better if it wasnt under construction and over half of it was closed!!

Mi
Review №92

Worth a visit. Old southern plantation turned into a national park

Sa
Review №93

Grounds very well kept. Wish that there was more funding for continued effort to preserve the main house so that all may enjoy it!

Ch
Review №94

Nice place to visit for once. Not much crowded.

Wi
Review №95

Great learning place, main house open on weekends. Going to have to go back to see it.

Am
Review №96

Very nice place

Pa
Review №97

It was a fascinating place to walk around and see what a small plantation looked like

Sa
Review №98

The main building, grounds and location beside the sea are really beautiful. You can imagine what life was like on a plantation some 200 years ago and could easily picture Scarlett OHara sitting on the porch. But of course this was a real plantation with a very unromantic history of slavery & exploitation. The slave houses are well preserved and one of them is fully restored to how it would have looked back in the day.

De
Review №99

Lots to learn and share. Enjoyed every minute.

Ma
Review №100

I cant say that I liked it. But I will say that it stands as a reminder of the Times when men considered it just and their God given right to enslave others solely because of the color of there skin. It should remain so.

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.6 Rating
  • Address:11676 Palmetto Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32226, United States
  • Site:https://www.nps.gov/timu/learn/historyculture/kp_visiting.htm
  • Phone:+1 904-251-3537
Categories
  • Tourist attraction
  • Park
Working hours
  • Monday:Closed
  • Tuesday:9am–5pm
  • Wednesday:9am–5pm
  • Thursday:9am–5pm
  • Friday:9am–5pm
  • Saturday:9am–5pm
  • Sunday:Closed
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
Amenities
  • Good for kids:Yes
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