Hidden Gem · Southbank
Treaty Oak
A 250-year-old Southern live oak in Jessie Ball duPont Park — older than the city itself, free to visit, and one of Jacksonville's true quiet spots.
One of Jacksonville’s most surprising natural landmarks doesn’t require a hike or admission fee — it’s rooted right in the city. Treaty Oak is a massive Southern live oak estimated to be around 250 years old, making it older than the city itself. It stands in Jessie Ball duPont Park on the Southbank of Downtown, casting vast shade with its sprawling limbs.
The Name
The name Treaty Oak comes from a story printed in the 1930s by a local journalist who fabricated a tale that peace treaties between indigenous peoples and early settlers were signed under its branches — but this was part of a grassroots effort to save the tree from development, not documented historical fact. Before that, it was simply known as the “Giant Oak.”
What It’s Like Today
The site is a small, serene urban park where locals and visitors alike pause for lunch breaks, picnics, photos, or quiet moments beneath the canopy. The park is free to visit and often less crowded than other green spaces in town.
Jessie Ball duPont Park is located at 1123 Prudential Dr on the Southbank.