Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
Tel:
(843) 883-3123
Hear the shots heard 'round the Union at the Fort Sumter National Monument near Charleston, South Carolina. The Fort Sumter National Monument, located in Charleston Harbor, is the site of the opening attack by secessionist South Carolina forces against Union forces at the start of the American Civil War in April 1861. Since then, it has been used as a military outpost in several wars and today offers tours of this remarkably important site.
On April 12, 1861, in what became the first battle of the American Civil War, Confederate artillery opened fire on the Union-held Fort Sumter and continued for 34 hours until Union forces surrendered. After the Civil War and until the Spanish-American War, Fort Sumter served as an unmanned lighthouse station, though the latter war helped renew interest in rebuilding facilities that had eroded over time. In World War I, a small garrison manned the installation, which became mostly a tourist attraction from the end of World War I until two antiaircraft guns were added during World War II. Since 1948, Fort Sumter has been a U.S. National Monument.
Today, the Fort Sumter National Monument offers extensive museum exhibits on the background of the Civil War at the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, an exhibit on the construction of the island and fort at Fort Sumter itself, and tours for visitors to the island. Also, the Fort Sumter National Monument is a great place to go for bird watching, fishing, kayaking, and nature walks. Visitors can get to the Fort Sumter National Monument either by private boat or by a half hour ferry ride. There is no food available at the Fort Sumter National Monument, though visitors can drive or take the Downtown Area Shuttle to downtown Charleston after their visit.
To get to the Fort Sumter National Monument, visitors can take the Meeting Street exit off of I-26 or US-17 South, pass the Charleston Visitor Center, turn left at Calhoun Street, and proceed straight to the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center; or the Calhoun Street exit off of US-17 North, merge with Lockwood Drive, turn left onto Calhoun Street, and again proceed straight to the visitor center. Get ready to see the history of the Civil War come to life!