One year after opening to the public, the full-scale reconstruction of the 1738 Fort Mose has become a powerful new landmark at Fort Mose Historic State Park, deepening the way visitors experience one of the most significant stories in American history.
The life-sized fort structure officially opened on May 9, 2025, offering visitors a more immersive way to connect with Fort Mose’s legacy as the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in what is now the United States. Since then, the reconstructed fort has welcomed visitors from around the world and transformed the park’s educational programs, living history demonstrations, reenactments, guided tours, and community events.
Developed through a partnership between the Florida State Parks Foundation, the Fort Mose Historical Society, and the Florida Park Service, the reconstructed fort stands 39 feet tall and features historically accurate landscaping, period-appropriate furnishings, battlements, and other details designed to reflect the original 1738 fort. Historians Dr. Kathleen Deagan and Dr. Jane Landers, who led the original discovery of the Fort Mose site in the 1980s, helped guide the design and construction to ensure historical accuracy.
“For years, we’ve dreamed of what it would be like to have a fort here. It turns out that the reality is even better than the dream,” said Charles Ellis, president of the Fort Mose Historical Society, in a press release issued by the Florida State Parks Foundation. “You can see it on the faces of every school group that visits for a field trip. Everyone is amazed when they see the fort for the first time.”
The reconstruction has also added new depth to the Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series, which takes place each year at Fort Mose Historic State Park. Originally created by SJC Cultural Events, Inc, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces the Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series, as a fundraiser for the Fort Mose Historical Society, the series brings world-renowned artists to the park for unforgettable evenings of music under the stars while helping raise awareness for the site’s profound history.
Earlier this year, the reconstructed fort served as a striking backdrop for the 2026 Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series, which featured performances by acclaimed artists including Gary Clark Jr. and Samara Joy.
“Fort Mose Historic State Park has always been a special place to host live music, but having the reconstructed fort on-site adds a new dimension to the experience,” said Ryan Hall, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for SJC Cultural Events, Inc. “It creates an even stronger connection between the music, the artists, and the history of the site—and you can feel that both on stage and in the audience.”
As Fort Mose Historic State Park celebrates this milestone, the reconstructed fort continues to serve as a monument to freedom, courage, and resilience — honoring the formerly enslaved men, women, and children who risked their lives to build a free community in Spanish Florida.
Visitors can experience the reconstructed Fort Mose through guided tours of the fort structure and self-guided tours along the nearby interpretive trail. The Fort Mose Historical Society’s signature reenactment of the Battle of Bloody Mose is scheduled for June 27.
To learn more about Fort Mose Historic State Park and upcoming events, visit the park and experience this remarkable chapter of history firsthand.
