St. Augustine Amphitheatre Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Construction

Address	1340C A1A South St. Augustine, FL 32080-5422
Location	Anastasia State Park
Owner	St. Johns County Parks & Recreation
Operator	SJC Cultural Events, Inc.
Capacity	4,700
Opened	June 27, 1965
Rebuilt	2001-07
Construction cost	$200,000 ($1.89 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect	Fred Halback and Les Thomas

The St. Augustine Amphitheatre, often called The Amp, is a large outdoor concert and event space in St. Augustine, Florida, USA. It's located on A1A. This cool venue can hold over 4,700 people! Since September 2023, it has been managed by SJC Cultural Events, Inc.

History of The Amp
Farmers Market at The Amp
Famous Performers at The Amp
Images for kids
See also

History of The Amp

How The Amp Was Built

The St. Augustine Amphitheatre was built in 1965. It was created to celebrate the 400th birthday of St. Augustine. When it first opened, it had 2,000 seats. The land where it stands was once part of Anastasia State Park. The amphitheatre was built inside old coquina quarries. These quarries were places where people dug up coquina, a type of rock, to build structures in St. Augustine, like the Castillo de San Marcos fort.

The Official State Play

A famous writer named Paul Green was asked to write a play for the amphitheatre. He had even won a special award called the Pulitzer Prize for his writing! He wrote a musical play called Cross and Sword: A Symphonic Drama of the Spanish Settlement of Florida. This play showed what the first years of St. Augustine were like. In 1973, the Florida government made Cross and Sword the official state play. It was performed for over 30 years, until 1996.

Modern Upgrades and Growth

After the play ended, the amphitheatre was not used very often. However, from 1997 to 2003, it hosted a free summer Shakespeare Festival. In 2002, St. Johns County took over the property. The next year, they started a big renovation project that cost $8.7 million. The improved amphitheatre reopened in August 2007. It now has a special fiberglass roof over the main stage.

In 2018, the seating area was made even bigger. They added 700 more seats, bringing the total capacity to 4,700 people. In 2019, the venue officially started calling itself "The Amp." That same year, a magazine called Pollstar ranked The Amp as the #2 amphitheatre in the United States. It was also ranked #3 worldwide for concert venues!

View of the stage from section 302 in 2019

Farmers Market at The Amp

Weekly Market Fun

The St. Augustine Amphitheatre hosts a fun Farmers' market every Saturday morning. It's open from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM all year long. You can find lots of cool things there! There's fresh produce and plants directly from farms. You can also buy fresh seafood, different kinds of cheeses, and yummy baked goods.

Food Trucks and Local Art

Many Saturdays, there are also Food trucks with tasty treats. Local artists and craftspeople sell their unique creations. Plus, there's often live entertainment to enjoy while you shop!

Evening Night Market

The Night Market is a special event held a few times a year. It happens on a Tuesday evening from 5 PM to 9 PM. This market has a full bar and live music. It's a great place to hang out in the evening, though it doesn't have the farmer's produce like the morning market.