Kingsley Plantation at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
The Kingsley Plantation House, the oldest plantation house still standing in Florida, is open on weekends from 10 AM to 12 PM and from 1 PM to 4 PM. It is closed at lunch time. Rangers are inside to answer any questions. The grounds of the plantation are open Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 AM to 5 PM, except for when the plantation is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The grounds include the slave quarters, a barn, a kitchen house, and a garden. An audio tour is available to listen to on your cell phone. Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.
Your first stop should be at the Kingsley Plantation Visitor Center. This is mainly a book and souvenir store, but you can also get brochures and other information about the plantation. Restrooms are also located here.
Kingsley Plantation Visitor Center at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
The Visitor Center is a little hard to find. When arriving from the parking area you will see two buildings connected by a walkway (kitchen house and plantation house). Enter the walkway and then exit out of the other side. A pathway leads around the corner to the Visitor Center. This building is from the 1920s and was built by the investors who purchased Fort George Island in 1923 to build a private resort club for military officers, the Army Navy Club. The plantation house was used for the clubhouse until the new building was ready. These investors were the same ones who eventually built the Ribault Club.
Former Army Navy Club building is now the Kingsley Plantation Visitor Center
The Kingsley Plantation came into government hands back in 1955 when the state of Florida purchased the property. It was transferred to the National Park Service soon after the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve was created in 1988. The National Park Service was drawn to the plantation for its unique take on slavery. The Kingsley Plantation was run by owner Zephaniah Kingsley’s wife, Anna Madgigine Jai, a black woman from Senegal who was one of his former slaves. Anna eventually had her own property and her own slaves.
When I visited in mid-March there were a lot of gnats (aka no-see-ums), so be sure to wear long pants, as that eliminates a large area of skin for them to bite—bug repellent does not seem to have much affect on them. For some reason they prefer legs instead of arms, maybe because they have learned that it is harder for people to whack them when they stay down around the ankles. You will find them mostly in the morning and evening, and they tend to like the open, grassy areas. You won’t see as many in the forest where the plantation’s slave cabins are located. I am told the gnats will eventually be replaced by flies and mosquitoes, so it seems that it is miserable all year round except maybe during the dead of winter.
Picnicking is allowed on the grounds of Kingsley Plantation. There are no tables, so you must bring your own blanket. The house sits right along the Fort George River, and the grassy front yard would be the best place to eat.
Grounds of the Kingsley Plantation border the Fort George River
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Last updated on April 15, 2022
