"Start of the Civil War" Fort Sumter National Monument by grandmaR

Fort Sumter National Monument Travel Guide: 17 reviews and 67 photos

Flags flying over the fort - Fort Sumter National Monument
Flags flying over the fort

We see Fort Sumter from a distance whenever we cross Charleston Harbor on the ICW or go in or out of Charleston Harbor

From the NPS website:

The first engagement of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter on April 12 and 13, 1861. After 34 hours of fighting, the Union surrendered the fort to the Confederates. From 1863 to 1865, the Confederates at Fort Sumter withstood a 22 month siege by Union forces. During this time, most of the fort was reduced to brick rubble. Fort Sumter became a national monument in 1948.

Bob, our son and grandchildren on the ferry dock - Fort Sumter National Monument

Bob, our son and grandchildren on the ferry dock

Whenever we are in Charleston, we try to visit some of the local attractions. This spring, my husband and I took my son and grandson and granddaughter, and we took the trip out to Ft. Sumter.

Part of exhibit in the visitor's center in Charles - Fort Sumter National Monument

Part of exhibit in the visitor

For additional information on visiting the fort, see my Charleston tip.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:Historic
  • Cons:Only access by water
  • In a nutshell:Guards the entrance to Charleston Harbor
  • Last visit to Fort Sumter National Monument: Mar 2002
  • Intro Updated Aug 9, 2011
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Reviews (7)

Fort from the our boat as we left the harbor - Fort Sumter National Monument The First Shot and the Aftermath Favorites (1)

The first engagement of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter on April 12 and 13, 1861, and after a brief battle, the... more travel advice

From harbor with ferry approaching the fort - Fort Sumter National Monument Island in the Harbor Transportation (1)

You can only get to Ft. Sumter by boat. Oh I suppose you could charter a heliocopter and go that way, but really, the... more travel advice

Father and son looking at a cannon - Fort Sumter National Monument Appreciating the Fort History Things to Do (3)

When we got off the ferry, we walked around with a ranger for a short (10 minute) tour. After that we walked around on... more travel advice

The wake of the ferry - Fort Sumter National Monument Ferry to the Fort Things to Do (3)

The ferry to the fort is run by a private contractor. There are two different ferries running to the fort - from Liberty... more travel advice

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