Flight to Freedom Re-Enactment

History comes alive at Fort Mose in February when the Fort Mose Historical Society presents its annual Flight to Freedom event. The event is open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday, February 20 - 22, 2025. School and group tours are available on these days as well. The park opens at 8:00 a.m. Activities include historical demonstrations and guided walks along the park's Freedom Trail, representing the journey that slaves took to escape from coastal Carolina to Spanish Florida.

You can experience a capsule of what life was like for the hundreds of slaves who traveled the Underground Railroad's southern route to Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose (Fort Mose). It's 1738, and you're walking along a wooded trail and encountering escaped slaves seeking freedom, helpful natives, compassionate friars, and slave catchers determined to catch them all. A boatman leads the travelers to safety and takes them to Fort Mose, North America's first legally sanctioned black community.

Activities include historical demonstrations and guided walks along the park's Freedom Trail, representing the journey that slaves took to escape from coastal Carolina to Spanish Florida.

The Annual Flight to Freedom Heritage Event is sponsored by Fort Mose Historic State Park and the Fort Mose Historical Society, with the support of volunteers from the Fort Mose Militia and other historical re-enactment groups.

Tours along the park's freedom trail will start every 15 minutes between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. and again from noon to 3:00 p.m. Visitors will also be entertained by African drumming from 11:00 a.m. to noon.

For more information, call (904) 823-2232 or visit the Fort Mose website.

Admission: Free admission to the park grounds and the event. Tours are limited to 25 people and you can book one online, here.

Admission to the museum inside the visitor center is $2.00 for all over six. Donations to the Fort Mose Historical Society and membership enrollment are appreciated.

When: Thursday, February 20 through Saturday, February 22, 2025. Tours leave every 15 minutes from 9:00 to 10:45 a.m. and 12:15 to 3:00 p.m. The park is open until 4:00 p.m. 

Where: Fort Mose at 15 Fort Mose Trail, St. Augustine, Florida 32084.

Parking: Parking at Fort Mose is available on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, the lot is designated for those who need accessible parking. Others have free general parking at the County Health Department, 200 San Sebastian View. There is a free shuttle service only on Saturday beginning at 8:30 a.m. The final shuttle departs for the parking lot at 4:00 p.m.