Readers can comment on Castillo fee increase

Superintendent Gordon J. Wilson invites Historic City News readers to participate in a public survey to gauge support for proposed changes to entrance fees charged to visitors at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.

If approved, adult entry fees would increase from $7.00 to $10.00 under this proposal. Children ages 15 and under are admitted free of charge and that will not change. The average cost for a family of four to attend local attractions is more than $36.00. The Castillo would still only be $20.00 for a family of four, even with the three dollar increase.

“The National Park Service allows us to keep 77% of the money we collect from entrance fees,” Wilson told local reporters. “At the Castillo, we use this revenue for a variety of historic preservation, repair, and maintenance projects. This revenue also helps subsidize our interpretive and historic weapon firing programs, as well as the ferry operation at Fort Matanzas National Monument.”

Your comments, in support or objection, are welcome via email to CASA_TEL@NPS.GOV by December 12, 2014.

The Castillo is part of the National Park Service-wide increase of rate structure to take place across the nation. The proposed increases in entry fees will allow us to increase visitor service levels as well as enhance visitor facilities as we approach our centennial anniversary in 2016.

Owners of valid Federal passes such as the Senior Pass, Access Pass and other America the Beautiful annual passes are admitted free of charge under the established guidelines for those passes. These passes will continue to be available and honored at the park.

This additional revenue will not only enable us to keep pace with inflation and other rising costs, but it will continue to fund the many critical historic preservation and public service programs that give the Castillo and Fort Matanzas one of the highest visitor satisfaction ratings in the National Park System.