Safety requirement: Due to safety regulations, visiting groups with grades K-12 must have a minimum of 1 group leader for every 10 students, while university groups must have at least 1 professor tending the group.
Identification requirement: Students must come in uniforms or have visible identification.
Reservation requirement: As of the 2019-2020 Academic Year, all visiting groups (ranger-guided, self-guided or company-led) will be required to make a reservation prior to visiting Castillo San Felipe del Morro or San Cristóbal.
The reservation must be submitted at least 3 weeks in advance for a successful review and approval of the reservation. Groups that do not book on time will be invited to visit and enjoy the rest of the park's facilities including: El Morro Esplanade (green areas), the Nature Trails, Paseo del Morro, the San Juan Gate, as well as the city's bastions.
Once the reservation is submitted, changes or updates to it will not be accepted, so interested groups should have all the crucial and final information at hand when booking.
Reservations are not accepted by phone. Once you have reviewed all the information contained in this page, follow the instructions under 'Application Process' below.
On the day of the visit, any group with confirmation arriving 15 minutes or later will lose their reservation and must explore the facilities on their own.
Each Ranger-guided Program has a maximum capacity. See below for current available programs and related details:
Location: Castillo San Cristóbal
Historiography of Puerto Rico - The history of the history of Puerto Rico. An overview of the main authors who defined the narrative and tone of Puerto Rican history. From soldiers, explorers, and clergymen, their chronicles and drawings managed to describe what was new to their eyes. Program aimed at grades: 9th-12th, University. Maximum capacity: 20 students and their group leaders. Only offered on Thursdays at 10:30 AM.
Exploring the San Cristóbal Tunnels - Distinguish first-hand the myths and realities of the Fort’s tunnel system, and learn about their crucial role within San Cristóbal’s defensive system. Program aimed at grades: 6th-12th, University. Maximum capacity: 20 students and their group leaders.
Junior Ranger Program - Through the historical information contained in the educational activities of the Junior Ranger Program booklet, participants can connect with their sense of care, protection, and pride in their national and World Heritage Site, the San Juan Forts. They will learn about the caretakers of the forts throughout history, about the valuable work of preserving these historical structures, and what it means to be a World Heritage Site. Program aimed at grades: K-5th. Maximum capacity: 40 students and their group leaders.
Location: Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Junior Ranger Program - Similar to San Cristóbal's program, through the historical information contained in the educational activities of the Junior Ranger Program booklet, participants can connect with their sense of care, protection, and pride in their national and World Heritage Site, the San Juan Forts. They will learn about the caretakers of the forts throughout history, about the valuable work of preserving these historical structures, and what it means to be a World Heritage Site. Program aimed at grades: K-5th. Maximum capacity: 40 students and their group leaders.
The Scars of El Morro - Just as our scars tell part of our personal history, the scars and marks that we find in the Castillo San Felipe del Morro uncover more about what happened in it. Program aimed at grades: 6th-12th, University. Maximum capacity: 40 students and their group leaders.
Preservation of Cannons in El Polvorín de Santa Elena - Visitors will understand what information was printed on the cannons, the materials that were used and the process for making them. Additionally, they will learn how environmental and human factors have affected and damaged the cannons, and how El Morro and San Cristóbal had to change to adapt to new war technologies. They will understand why the cannons had to withdraw when the National Park Service took over. Program aimed at grades: 9th-12th, University. Maximum capacity: 20 students and their group leaders. Program starts in October and will only be offered on Fridays at 10:30 AM.
Some special Ranger-Guided programs may be offered on other schedules. The corresponding information will be properly shared and informed via the park website or social media outlets.
Special monthly Educational Programs may be scheduled during the semester to complement the educational services provided, pending on staff and resources availability.
Educational Program themes may change on a semester basis.
Review and select the available preffered dates according to our Educational Visits Calendar (available mid-February 2020)
Download the Educational Visit Request from here. You can fill it digitally using Adobe Acrobat on a computer, or on a smart phone using applications such as Adobe Fill and Sign. Similarly, you can directly print, fill, and scan back along with related documentation.
Your educational visit may be eligible for an Academic Fee Waiver. Read below for guidance on how to apply for this benefit, and if applicable, submit the necessary documentation along with your application. Send your request and supporting material by email to saju_education@nps.gov at least 3 weeks in advance.
Once the reservation request is submitted on time, the park's educational team will process and schedule the visit, if the information is complete. If needed, park staff might contact for additional details.
Once approved, an email will be sent to the group leader with the Request confirmed, at least one week before the requested date.
The visit will be added to the online calendar 'Educational Visits Calendar'.
On the day of the visit, the group leader must present a copy of the confirmed application, digital or printed, to park staff.
If the visit is to San Cristóbal: the buses must stop in Plaza Colón so that the students can exit safely. The group must walk up Norzagaray Street and wait at the plaza in front of the Fort, Plaza Norzagaray. Group cannot enter through the Visitor Center.
If the visit is to El Morro: the buses must stop at the temporary parking space in front of the Plaza del Quinto Centenario (Plaza del Tótem) so the students can exit safely. The group must walk towards the entrance of the Fort and the end of the walkway, then wait outside.
It is not permitted for buses to block the roads or the traffic flow. The park does not have parking for school buses.
For your safety and comfort, we recommend every group member to bring water, snacks (to eat outside of the facilities), a trash bag, sunscreen, hat, and comfortable shoes.
Upon arrival of a group to the fortification entrance, they will be encouraged to remain outside of the facilities while the group leader checks-in.
The group should not block the entrance flow while the check-in occurs.
The group leader will check-in with park staff at the cash register, who will initiate the group processing for entry. The group leader will then hand the Reservation Confirmation, and follow the instructions given by the staff on duty.
Group leaders will wait with their students outside the entrance of the fort while the staff assigned to the group arrives.
Upon entry to the facilities, the designated park staff will provide a brief Safety and Orientation Talk. Below we share a summary:
No food or drinks are allowed on the premises, only water.
Talk in a moderate tone while visiting the facilities so as not to alter the experience of other visitors.
For the safety of all, it is prohibited to run or climb the walls, the openings of the walls (embrasures) and the cannons.
Pack it in, pack it out! That includes your kite. Dispose of trash using available bins that are in the area, or take it for proper disposal in the future.
It is forbidden to gather in the fee desks (Visitor Center or Guard House of San Cristóbal, and main entrance of El Morro), in the tunnels or in the entrances that give access to the different areas of the facilities.
If entering park stores, students must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Do not feed or disturb animals found on the premises.
Help preserve and protect this World Heritage by informing park staff if someone is writing or scratching the walls of the Castles' surfaces, as it is a crime that, if incurred, could result in a fine of up to $ 1,000 or up to year in jail.
If the group’s behavior is not appropriate, park staff can remove the group from the facilities at any given time.
The regular entrance fee to the Forts is $10 dollars for any adult 16 years or older, while visitors 15 years old or younger are free.
However, the regulations of the National Park Service allow school groups and other approved national and international academic institutions to obtain a fee waiver to the park, provided that the visit is for educational or scientific purposes.
Academic Fee Waivers are not granted automatically. Applicants must demonstrate that they qualify for the waiver. There are three requirements that the group must meet to qualify for a waiver:
Eligibility
Educational Purpose
Relevance with park resources
The groups generally eligible for the Academic Fee Waiver are: public and private schools, universities, pre-kindergarten centers (2-5 years), and homeschooling groups under their regular educational schedule.
Organizations that are generally considered service, civic, or fraternal (for example, Scouting, Rotary, religious organizations, clubs, etc.) DO NOT qualify for the waiver unless they meet the aforementioned requirements.
Please note that academic institutions that visit with private tourism companies do not qualify for an Academic Fee Waiver.
If the visit is recreational, you will enter as an "organized non-commercial" group, as described in the National Park Service Recreation Rate Program. Therefore, visitors 15 years of age and under are exempt from the entrance fee, while visitors 16 years and older pay the fee of $ 10.00 per person.
The Academic Fee Waiver will cover entry for all students and companions, with a minimum of 10 companions per 1 student, up to a maximum of companions that does not exceed the total number of students.Additional group members who are not included in the initial reservation or who exceed the maximum number of visiting students will have to pay the regular park entrance fee.
Exceptions will only be made to the maximum number of group leaders for: groups visiting with Special Education students and Pre-K groups, in which the entrance to the necessary number of leaders to attend the group will be approved, regardless of the total number of students.
Download the Academic Fee Waiver Request and read its requirements in detail. If you wish to apply for the waiver, please fill out the document in its entirety and send along with the supporting documentation and Visit Request at least 3 weeks in advance.
Groups that do not yet meet these requirements can send a request for a special waiver directly to the Office of the Superintendent, at saju_superintendent@nps.gov.
Any further questions or guidance can be directly made to saju_education@nps.gov.
Last updated: March 4, 2020
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Contact Info
Mailing Address:
501 Norzagaray Street
San Juan,
PR
00901
Phone:
787 729-6777
x223
San Juan NHS
Headquarters
Superintendent's Office
