Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park


Two forts stand at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. Patriots inside a palmetto log fort, later named Fort Moultrie, defeated the Royal Navy in 1776. As Charleston blazed a path towards secession to preserve slavery, construction on a new fort, Fort Sumter, proceeded. The Confederacy fired on the US garrison of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 opening the Civil War, which redefined American freedom.

Fort Sumter is accessible by ferry boat. Boats depart at scheduled times from two sites. The primary departure point is the Fort Sumter Visitor Center, 340 Concord Street, Charleston. Boats depart from Patriots Point, 40 Patriots Point Boulevard, Mount Pleasant. There is a fee for the concession-operated ferry. Fort Moultrie is accessible by car at 1214 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island. A park entrance fee is charged for the park. Details at: https://www.nps.gov/fosu/planyourvisit/directions.

  • Astronomy
  • Stargazing
  • Boating
  • Boat Tour
  • Fishing
  • Saltwater Fishing
  • Food
  • Dining
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Boat Tour
  • Hands-On
  • Citizen Science
  • Living History
  • Reenactments
  • Historic Weapons Demonstration
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Wildlife Watching
  • Birdwatching
  • Park Film
  • Museum Exhibits
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store

  • Architecture and Building
  • African American Heritage
  • American Revolution
  • Archeology
  • Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite
  • Colonization and Settlement
  • Engineering
  • Enslavement
  • Farming and Agriculture
  • Plantations
  • Forts
  • Incarceration
  • Jails and Prisons
  • Immigration
  • Maritime
  • Coastal Defenses
  • Maritime - Military
  • Lighthouses
  • Piracy and Privateering
  • Medicine
  • Hospital
  • Military
  • Infantry and Militia
  • Artillery
  • US Army
  • US Navy
  • US Coast Guard
  • Indigenous and Native Warrior
  • Battlefields
  • Monuments and Memorials
  • Native American Heritage
  • Reconstruction
  • Schools and Education
  • Social Movements
  • Abolition Movement
  • Civil Rights
  • Wars and Conflicts
  • Tribal Conflicts
  • Colonial/European Contact Conflicts
  • American Revolutionary War
  • War of 1812
  • Civil War
  • Spanish-American War
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • Animals
  • Birds
  • Fish
  • Tortoises and Turtles
  • Night Sky
  • Astronomy
  • Scenic Views
  • Wetlands
  • Marshes
  • Swamps

Fort Moultrie

A row of cannon with Fort Moultrie in the background. A US flag is flying in the fort.

Fort Moultrie spans 171 years from 1776-1947

Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter with a US flag flying above the fort with dock in the foreground

Fort Sumter is located on an island in Charleston Harbor and is only accessible by boat.

Fort Sumter Cannon

Civil War cannon sitting on carriage pointing towards firing hole in brick wall

Fort Sumter cannon sitting on cannon carriage under a brick casemate

Inside Fort Moultrie Today

Center of image is round metal and glass signal light with grassy hills hills in background

Interior View of Fort Moultrie featuring the World War II signal light with grass hills and black concrete gun bateries

Fort Sumter Visitor Center

A three-story brick structure with a staircase in front and water in the background

The Fort Sumter Visitor Center is the primary departure point for the ferries to Fort Sumter.