Fort Sumter National Monument
Fort Sumter National Monument
Sullivans Island, SC 29482
Phone:843-883-3123
Fax:843-883-3910
Web: www.nps.gov/fosu/
Size: 200 acres.
Established: Authorized on April 28, 1948; accepted by the U.S. Department of the Interior from the Department of the Army on July 12, 1948.
Location:In Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The concession tour boats leave from Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, or the City Marina on Lockwood Blvd., just south of US 17 in Charleston.
Facilities:Rest rooms (é), visitor center (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail.
Activities:Concession boat tour, self-guided tour.
Special Features:The first engagement of the Civil War took place here on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on this Federal fort in Charleston Harbor. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. The park also embraces Fort Moultrie, scene of the patriot victory of June 28, 1776 -- one of the early defeats of the British in the Revolutionary War. Together the forts reflect 171 years of seacoast defense.
See other parks in South Carolina.