Fort Christian

Parks and historic sites St. Thomas Charlotte AmalieLast verified October 31, 2026

Around Charlotte Amalie

Wooded Hassel Island across the turquoise water of St. Thomas Harbor, with a red boat at the waterfront below — St. Thomas Harbor, Charlotte Amalie

Pale yellow, red-roofed Legislature Building of the Virgin Islands on the Charlotte Amalie waterfront, seen across the harbor water — Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

Sailboats anchored in Long Bay below the hillside homes of Charlotte Amalie — Long Bay, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

Fort Christian, on the Charlotte Amalie waterfront, was completed in 1680 and is the oldest standing structure in the U.S. Virgin Islands. A National Historic Landmark, it has served as a fort, police headquarters and, from 1874 to 1983, the island's only prison. The Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) runs it as a museum, where visitors see former jail cells, the clock tower, the chapel and rooftop cannons that once guarded the harbor. As of October 2026, DPNR lists it as open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with admission of $10 per person and $5 per child, free for Virgin Islands students. Most of the fort is not air-conditioned, and some areas are not accessible to wheelchair users. DPNR is planning new exhibits, with no date set. Public Works reopened the Fort Christian parking lot in August 2025 and planned pay kiosks for it.

Services

Fort Christian Museum, run by DPNR
Admission $10 per person, $5 per child, Virgin Islands students free (October 2026)
Jail cells, clock tower, chapel and rooftop cannons
Public Fort Christian parking lot, run by Public Works

How we checked

Last verified on October 31, 2026. We checked it against the sources below.

Source: DPNR Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums, https://dpnr.vi.gov/libraries-archives-and-museums/ (Fort Christian phone, hours Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., admission $10 per person and $5 per child, USVI students free; page updated October 2025); St. Thomas Source, June 10, 2026, https://stthomassource.com/content/2026/06/10/dpnr-seeks-public-input-on-future-of-fort-christian-exhibits/ (oldest standing structure in the territory; clock tower, chapel and rooftop; mostly unconditioned; many areas not accessible to wheelchair users; exhibit redesign in its conceptual phase with no date set); USVI Department of Tourism, https://www.visitusvi.com/experience/best-things-to-do-in-charlotte-amalie-on-st-thomas/ (completed in 1680, National Historic Landmark, only prison on the island from 1874 to 1983, rooftop cannons) and https://www.visitusvi.com/experience/st-thomas-sightseeing-things-to-do/ (military fort, police headquarters and prison; former jail cells open to visitors); NPS NPGallery, National Register record for Fort Christian (NRIS 77001329, significant year 1680), https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/77001329; St. Thomas Source, July 30, 2025, https://stthomassource.com/content/2025/07/30/fort-christian-parking-lot-reopening/ (Public Works reopened the lot on August 1, 2025, with pay-on-foot kiosks due by the end of August); all accessed 2026-10-31. Map point: Fort Christian point (NRIS 77001329), NPS National Register of Historic Places locations, https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/cultural_resources/nrhp_locations/MapServer/0, accessed 2026-10-31.

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