Fort Christiansvaern

Interesting historical fort that was in use from the 1700s up to 1952! Some great info and stories. The facility is kept up by the parks department and looks great. Sweeping views of the bay and a large shaded yard for lunches or just watching the sea. 10 bucks for entry. I'd plan ahead and get them online if you can. Yes, you can go down into the dungeon!

Great historical site with wonderful views of the Christiansted harbor. Self and ranger guided tours are available and very helpful. It's a US National Park so if you have a pass, it's free; else $10 entry fee.

$10 entry fee. It was nice to learn some history about the island

This fort was soooo interesting. My husband and I who are in our 50’s turned into 10 year kids and spent 90 minutes here exploring. The fort looks to be in excellent shape to be so old and the powder magazine room was something that I hadn’t seen before in other forts. Not that they didn’t have one, but the one here was super cool. The cannons were still all lined up overlooking the gorgeous water. The restrooms are well kept. The grounds were kept nicely as well. It was a very interesting way to spend little more than an hour.

This fort was a great place to spend an afternoon. You can stay as little or as long as you would like. From the dungeon to the artillery, there is a lot to see in a fairly small area. It was interesting to learn about the Dutch heritage of the island and its ties to Alexander Hamilton. The admission costs are as follows: $7 for each adult, and free for kids 15 and under. Admission is good for 3 days if you wish to come back.

Looking for something to do while in the town of Christiansted? Take a look at this fort. The National Park Service has done an incredible job keeping this fort in the condition it is in being so old. The signage throughout the fort is all easy to read and should be read. It is very interesting. We spent at least an hour there, but if you don’t have much time you can get through it quickly. Once up top take some time to absorb the beauty of your surroundings. The views of Gallows Bay to your right of the fort are beautiful and the views looking towards Christiansted harbor (to the left) are equally as beautiful! Have fun and enjoy!

Unfortunately part of the fort is closed for renovation. Nice, and glad we went…but not a lot to see. Lynn, the ranger, was awesome! Really enjoyed chatting with her.

Very interesting and generally well-preserved historic fort in Christiansted. Room near the entrance has a fascinating history of the USVI and the history of sugar production and past industrial ventures, with an interesting video of local residents. Free entrance on Sunday when we visited.

We stopped by this fort as part of a self-guided historic walking tour and walked through on our way to other points of interest. The views from the highest point of the fort are just beautiful. There are plenty of sign to guide you as you take in the many uses the fort once had. It's a national historic site and the oldest structure on St. Croix and It's a great way to absorb some of the island's history.

This is a must-do while in Christiansted. Run by the National Park Service, it's maintained to some degree and maintenance is continuing to preserve it. It's a good look back in time to get an appreciation of what life was like for soldiers over the years in Christiansted.

This is a small Danish colonial fort that is located on the Christiansted National Historic Site. It holds the distinction of being the oldest structure in Christiansted. It is open from 8:30 to 4:30 everyday and has its own private parking lot. The grounds that the fort is located on is very well maintained. You will find benches and picnic tables on the lawn out front. You cannot miss the big bright yellow brick structure with the huge gates and cannons pointing from every corner. The fort was constructed in 1749 enslaved Africans and had to be partially rebuilt in 1771 after it sustained heavy hurricane damage. It is considered to be the best preserved of the five remaining Danish-built forts in the Virgin Islands. It was built to protect the colony from pirates, hurricanes and slave revolts. It also housed Danish troops primarily responsible for the island's internal security. You will see a lot of cannons perched on top of the fort thats purpose was to defend the fort fro attacks by land and see. However, the fort's cannons and guns have never been fired in an armed conflict. After 1878, the fort served as an island courthouse and prison, in addition to being a place for religious worship. They fort is a self guided tour and there are lots of informational placards marking key areas to give you a good foundation for your tour. The fort is showing signs of degradation, wear and tear, but is still in decent shape. It appears that they are doing some renovations though, as some areas are blocked off. I spent about 30 to 40 minutes here. There is not a lot to see. It does however, give you some spectacular views of the Christiansted Harbor. I read that there was a small admission fee, but they were not collecting admission when I was there. I just walked right in like I owned the joint. This is a nice stop, especially for history or architectural buffs, even if they are charging a small fee. It is the feature attraction of the Christiansted National Historic Site. I enjoyed learning a bit about the Island's history durning my visit here.

It's worth walking through this Fort if you happen to be in Christiansted. Takes about 20 minutes to tour the interior. Maybe longer if you are reading all the signs. The fort is an interesting example of an old fort. Much smaller than the one in Puerto Rico. But, this one was built by the Danish and is a little different. Seems like it was built for defense and to punish/imprison. You will see an old dungeon and latrine inside. The latrine is somewhat interesting since they engineered it to have the waste go into the ocean. Views from the fort are nice. You'll get some cool pictures.

They let you park for free but a small sign says you have to remove the car by 5 pm. You guessed it, they towed it while we were eating and held it for ransom for $150. Better have cash, or no car. Extortion by the park service. Very pissed

This was a great quick stop. I would recommend bringing your annual national park pass (obviously if you have one). It is free if you have it. We brought our nice cameras and took some wonderful pictures. There is good history here and it won't take you more than 30 minutes. If you find yourself in Christiansted, I would highly recommend making a quick trip.

Christiansvaern is the old giant yellow fort along the water in Christiansted. It's only a few dollars of an entrance fee and is well worth your time, if you enjoy history or historical architecture. For history or museum buffs: There's a lot of placards inside, from a timeline of the history of St. Croix, to a room explaining the background of Alexander Hamilton (one of the more famous former residents of St. Croix). The fort still has the old kitchen up, soldier's quarters, privy, as well as the dungeons that imprisoned rebelling slaves. The placards seem mostly historically accurate, with only some minor fact or grammar errors, and they don't necessarily skimp on the poor realities women and African slaves faced back in colonial America. The top level of the fort still has the old cannons and cannonballs there, dating back to the late 1700s/early 1800s, but the explanation signs and placards are heavily damaged in these outdoor areas and are near illegible. For historical architecture interests: you can wander around pretty much everywhere in the fort, with beautiful views to the bay and understand the strategic significance of this site. You see the different levels and room utilizations, from the average soldier to the colonial officers. The clean lines, colonial structures, and yellow paint make Christiansvaern an architecturally beautiful site.