Plaza de la Constitución

Laid out by Spanish Royal Ordinances in 1573, this downtown St. Augustine landmark functions as America's oldest public space and a National Historic Landmark. Shaded paths and benches provide a place to sit, read, or watch people amid historical markers, old cannons, a bandstand, and an early city well. The square hosts community events, summer concerts, and the annual Nights of Lights display, which illuminates the park with millions of tiny white lights from November through January. While well-maintained and popular for gatherings, the plaza can occasionally grow busy with tourists and transients, particularly around the old market pavilion.