Sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston from naval invasion and known for the location of the Battle of Fort Sumter that began the American Civil War
General Information
Fort Sumter tours operate daily by ferry schedule
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day
Senior/Military Ferry Tour Ticket: Approximately $31
Children (4–11): Approximately $21
Children 3 and under: Free
How to Get There
From Charleston (0 mi): Travel to Liberty Square on Concord Street near the South Carolina Aquarium, check in at the Fort Sumter Visitor Center at 340 Concord Street, and board the authorized ferry for transportation to Fort Sumter National Monument.
Overview
Fort Sumter is a sea fort on an artificial island in Charleston Harbor, where the Civil War began. On April 12, 1861, South Carolina militia artillery opened fire on the Union garrison, and the fort surrendered the next day. A failed Union attempt to retake it in 1863 left it in rubble, and it stayed in Confederate hands until February 1865. The fort is part of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, run by the National Park Service.
Named for Revolutionary War hero General Thomas Sumter, it was built after the War of 1812 as part of the Third System of coastal defenses. Construction began in 1829 with 70,000 tons of New England granite, and the five-sided brick fort, with walls five feet thick, was designed for 650 men and 135 guns but never completed.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fort Sumter", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
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