2,000 U.S. Army Soldiers and Alabama militiamen, 1000 horses, and 70 wagons led by Brigadier General Abraham Eustis arrived at the location of Ft. Christmas on 25 December 1837.
[1][2] A fixed garrison of two companies would be maintained at the location until the fort was abandoned in 1845 with the conclusion of the Second Seminole War.
In addition to the life-size replica of the fort,[4] the park also features a growing number of restored "Florida Cracker" houses and farm buildings furnished with original and reproduction period pieces that show rural Florida life from the 1870s through the 1930s.
[5] Fort Christmas Park has picnic areas as well as facilities for baseball, basketball, tennis and a children's playground.
The park hosts a number of events each year, including the annual "Cracker Christmas" in December and a bluegrass music festival in late March.