We had booked this tour not knowing if it was truly reopened yet. It had been closed since the devastating back to back hurricanes (Irma & Maria) that damaged the property back in 2017. I was so happy to see Courtenay's review confirming that it's open. Thanks Courtenay! So, as you've probably read, it's really a historical Danish watchtower called the Skytsborg. It dates back to 1679. The legend is that Blackbeard (Edward Teach) once used this tower. There may be no evidence to prove it... but who are we to say that it never happened? It all comes together after watching the live reenactment and telling of the life of Blackbeard. It was an awesome presentation!! We had some time in between the story telling and the tour of Government Hill. There are many options to include rum tasting, shopping, dipping in the pool, and getting something to eat & drink at the bar. We decided to climb up to the top of the tower for the view. It was a cool experience! It's a beautiful view, but it took us a while to get down the stairs because no one was counting the number of people at the bottom. I counted 14 people and there were still 2 more that had to back out of the stairway to let us get down. That kind of ate up some of our time getting to the other experiences. However, we did get to walk around to see the sculptures. Overall, we had a great time! I'm mostly happy that they're open again. I'm sure it took a lot of money and work to restore it. It's still a work in progress. There will be more to come in the future. Glad we got to experience it. read more

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This was the best part of our Royal Caribbean tour in St. Thomas! Tony was an incredible recreator of Blackbeard. We liked the statues in the yard, and going to the top of the tower. The view is spectacular. Only 8 can go up at a time. Get a picture in the stocks, if you can. The rum tasting was also a treat. All varieties were good, but coconut was our favorite. The proprietors were friendly and helpful. It's a short walk to the 99 steps nearby, and down is definitely easier than up! read more

Blackbeard's Castle - Tony was a wonderful reenactor - Historical Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

What a surprise! Came up here for the historical value - didn't realize what a great lounge location and view it would turn out to be. $15 entry to the historical tower PLUS amazing view (!!), rocking chairs, rum punch and pool access included?! Such. A. Deal. Fun way to spend a few hours! Make sure to spend time with Jack and Amelia read more

Blackbeard's Castle - View from Blackbeard's Castle - Historical Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

Black Beards castle is open and a great place to visit. Views of Charolette Amelia are beautiful. Pool are is nice and open for swimming. Tower provides better views. Bar area is nice and a good breeze keeps it cool. Definitely recommend. Have to enter from upper (North) area. Construction happening on lower (South side) So when get to top of 99 steps little further up. We walked up the alley on the West side. Walk down East side is doable and can see the 3 queen's statue. Overall definitely recommend and could make a day of it with pool area, concessions and rum shop. read more

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as amazing as it was when first went there if not better. Love the tower and the statues and the way they changed the place is awesom.

Black beards castle was cool to see, but it's the rumporium that all should visit! There are at least 100 rums that you can sample. The ticket was $15/pp and we walked through part of the castle (the tour is self guided and costs another $15/pp we did not do that). It was cool but nothing too exciting. Bub did our rum tasting and he was amazing! Very knowledgeable and let us keep trying everything! So much fun! So much rum! read more

Blackbeard's Castle - View was amazing! - Historical Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

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We managed to do the trek up to Blackbeard's Castle on our last day in St. Thomas. I really wanted to do the steps and see the tower because it's kind of a famous landmark for the island, but I figured we would skip the $14 "ticket" that gets you into the historic houses that are along the way to the tower. It was nice to get a little exercise and see some sights. First, you should know that while it's called the 99 Steps, you will walk up many many more than that from town up to the tower. First, you have steps from the shopping area to the actual "99 steps". The 99 Steps are actually more like 102 steps and once you get to the top of them, there are more flights of steps to get to the tower/hotel. What I'm saying, is plan for a lot of steps. Which aren't bad, but it's freaking hot and humid there! Luckily at the top there is a bar called the Salty Dog that sells cold drinks! The bartender while we were there was very friendly, which was nice. Along the 99 steps there are historic homes. With the exception of the first one where they try to sell you the ticket and which is a gift shop, you need a wristband to go into the historic homes that are open. Once you get to the top, in addition to the tower and the bar, you'll also find a cute little pirate store (with excellent AC!!!), a bunch of pirate statues and other pirate related photo ops. You also get a really beautiful view of the harbors from up there. It's worth doing, especially if you're looking for something to do in St. Thomas/.Charlotte Amalie when you don't have a lot of time... like if you're on a cruise ship! I'm really glad we did it even though I was sooo sweaty afterwards! I did find out that it's possible to get to the tower even if you are unable to walk up the steps. There are roads that go up to the tower because it is also part of a hotel. The tricky part is that it's hard to find and once you get there, parking can be a real challenge if you aren't staying at the hotel (maybe even if you are!). So it's possible, but might be tricky. read more

Kind of campy but a lot of fun with some interesting things to see and some rum to sample. It is not a can't miss attraction but definitely worth doing for some quiet fun. I did take a lot of photos which usually means I had a good time. read more

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What a fun tour! We have been meaning to do this each time we visit St. Thomas and I'm glad we finally did it. Tickets are $12.50 per adult, make sure to check that they are open before you go because the sign looked like they were only open km cruise ship days. Starting at the top, a guide gives you a brief, yet very entertaining history of the infamous bloody pirate (yes he goes into detail about some of battles so be mindful about small children). You then get to go up a tiny spiral staircase in the tower to the top. WOW, talk about a killer view, no wonder Blackbeard chose this location. After leaving the castle, you descend down and have the option of doing self guided tours through multiple historical homes. There are tour guides in every room who can answer any questions, very friendly and knowledgeable. Overall we spent about an hour and a half here. Lots of fun photo ops, but don't forget to wear comfy shoes! Once you get to the bottom last house....you have to do the 99 steps + some hills to get back to the top where you park. read more

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We were on a Christmas cruise to St Thomas and took an island tour. They told us that the castle was closed from hurricane damage. It was an impressive view and I'm glad we got to see it. Too bad no visit inside. read more

My wife and I absolutely loved seeing Blackbeard's Castle on our last cruise to St. Thomas. We came upon it by accident after walking up the famous "99 steps". What a treat - definitely worth the money. Insider Tip: This is a very easy walk from the pier, but wear comfortable shoes. Highly recommend! Be sure to pay for a full priced ticket (~$15 per person) to have the opportunity to see the historic homes on the property, too. read more

I wanted to see a castle ... I wanted rum ... we were headed to St. Thomas on a cruise. Why not? It was worth the money and was a part of our tour stops ... we learned about Blackbeard, we learned how to make rum and got to take amazing photographs from a top of the mountain. Reasonably priced and a must stop if you are into pirates/rum/beautiful scenery. I really don't know why the other people are giving this place such low reviews. read more

I wish I could give this place ZERO stars! On my honeymoon, I convinced my husband to go to Blackbeard's Castle when our cruise ship docked in St. Thomas. After a crammed taxi ride through the island at morning rush hour - we arrived at Blackbeard's Castle only to find out we were an hour early for their opening. I thought we were in the clear when we found an ex-pat worker on his way in to start his shift. How nice he was... he escorted us to the bar (because it's also a hotel too), and told us to get a coffee and wait. Then my dreams were quickly shattered. After sitting down, we were immediately questioned by the "bartender" who demanded our room number. When I confessed we were just waiting for the site to open - he quickly escorted us out! He wouldn't even sell me a cup of coffee! Even though Blackbeard's Castle sounds like a fun and interesting place - it's a SCAM and TOURIST TRAP! If you've seen pictures of Blackbeard's Castle, you've seen it all. Even if your kids beg you to go there, just take them to the beautiful beaches of St. Thomas and enjoy the true island culture. read more

We were told it was 14$ each by a guide downstairs to do everything in the complex, but then when we got to the entrance we were told that it was free, but if you wanted to go into the historic houses it would be 14$. We opted for the free experience, which included the blackbeard tower, amber museum, gardens, pools. Very nice views from the top of the tower, but only 8 people are allowed in at once so if there are cruise ships in town you might have a wait. read more

Yeah, it's not really a castle. It's an old lookout tower that was used by Blackbeard, but the pirate never owned it. Tour buses take people up there all the time. The history is nothing really too new, but the view of the island is pretty good. Just know that they only let eight people into the lookout tower they call "Blackbeard's Castle" at a time. So, if you are in a large group, you'll have to wait a while. The best part of this tour is going down the steps on the other side. There are a few stops on the way where you will encounter other, great history like the statue of the Three Queens of the Virgin Islands who organized the successful slave insurrection that led to better lives, and more prosperity for the many slaves in the region. The "castle" is the weakest of the attractions here. The beauty, and the interest is going down the backside of the hill, and, of course, just being in that beautiful part of the world. read more

Blackbeard's Castle is a great tourist attraction on St Thomas, USVI. It is engineered to make you shop while you enjoy the history of the area. Bring your walking shoes because you'll be walking up and/or down the entire hill as you make your way through the different levels. The "castle" is only a single tower (seen in the pix below) but the area is make up of gardens, vistas and houses belonging to historic individuals important to the history of the islands. It's more of a shopping trip than a history lesson but it is worth the day trip if you're in the area. They have "home made rum" for sale that is very very good. I suggest the frute flavored rums! VERY GOOD. They will wrap them for you to take home - but remember to pack them in your checked baggage as you canNOT take them on the plane with you. read more

My family just returned from St. Thomas. We rarely get to travel, so ours was a once in a lifetime kind of trip. We carefully researched things we wanted to do. Both my teenage sons looked forward to Black Beards Castle. After reading the reviews, and aside from playing at the beach and snorkeling, it was the ONLY thing they wanted to do. We went on Sunday, but they were closed. We quickly learned that if the cruise ships were not there-most businesses are closed. Okay...we understand. We noted they were open from 9am-2pm on Monday-Thursday. So, we woke up early, checked out of our hotel 3 hours early at 8am..., just so we could take the tour before heading to the airport. There's a cruise ship in the bay!!! Yay! We arrived at 8:50. A woman sat outside and told us they were closed-because one of the cruise ships cancelled their tour. Okay, but your sign says your open on Mondays from 9am-2pm...it's Monday. There are 4 paying customers standing outside the gate, who just want to take a look around, snap some pictures, and make some memories. No Luck! To say the boys were disappointed would be an understatement. My mom heart broke a little for them. It's true, we were the only ones there. We probably could have been in and out in 10-15 minutes-tops! The gates and fences were REALLY tall, so my son climbed on his brother's shoulders to try and snap a photo, and in the process, my son pulled on the door, and it swung open. Which made us all laugh...all that effort for a picture, and the gate was unlocked. We had NO intention of going in...just snap a photo from the doorway. A man came rushing over from inside and told us that the gate CANNOT be opened. First of all, opening the door was an accident. We just wanted to snap a photo from the open door. Second of all...you're here, at work, waiting around to tell people you're closed and to go away. You can make $60 in 15 minutes. NOPE! We were kind and respectful, hoping for an opportunity, but were totally shut down. For an economy that relies heavily on tourism, you'd think they'd extend some courtesy. The man was super unfriendly. He refused to let us take a photo and quickly shut the gate. Not the way we had hoped to end our vacation. I'd give it zero stars if I could. read more

Beware of the Lady Bartender at the 1st bar your encounter, she charge me $23.00 for a drink and a coke, off course once I turn around I saw the drink price list on the wall, the coke was $3.00 and the mixed drink was $10.00. Some how she made the "honest" mistake of charging me a extra $10.00, as soon as I told her what she had charge me she had that discussed look on her face and got my $10.00 out the register, shame on her because the man at the beginning of the tour does a great job sweating his a$$ off entertaining the group and the rest of the people along the 99 steps are pleasant and well manared, goes to show it only takes one crook to ruin a otherwise interesting and informative time. read more

Part of our self-guided walking beer tour of downtown. The hills are not so bad as everyone says, neither is the heat. Yeah you will sweat walking up there but it's not bad. The view is worth the walk, plus you get to walk the 99 steps( really 103). They are located just past Hotel 1829 which is now closed, leads you up to the castle for some good photos and a cold drink. read more

Climbing the 99 steps was the best part of the Blackbeard's caste tour. The castle itself (the tower mainly), was beautiful and it offered fantastic views of St. Thomas, but the many stops of the walking tour made it a complete experience, otherwise the Blackbeard's Castle alone, would not have been much to see and/or do. read more