This was my second visit to the Fort Moultrie Visitor Center and I'm glad we made time to stop again while exploring Sullivan's Island. Earlier in the day, we had visited nearby Fort Sumter, but instead of taking the ferry out to the fort itself, we stopped here to learn more about Charleston's harbor defenses and the area's fascinating history. The visitor center has several exhibits providing great context before (or after) exploring the historic sites. After spending some time inside, we crossed the street to walk around Fort Moultrie itself. Between the exhibits and the fort, it was an enjoyable way to spend an hour or so. Whether it's your first visit or your second, I'd recommend making a stop here. The staff was friendly (I love rangers), the exhibits were informative, and it's a nice complement to a visit to Fort Sumter or the rest of the Charleston area. read more

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Interesting place, but not my favorite coastal fort. For that you need to head south to Fort Pulaski. However, Fort Moultrie has its own story to tell and I highly recommend the short film in the visitor center. The rangers, as usual, are the highlight of these national monuments and they do incredible work. In particular, they have a great activity (sort of a scavenger hunt) for young visitors. I'm from the West Coast and most of our coastal forts are from the WWII era, and Fort Moultrie reminded me of home. If you make your way to the lower level of the fort, you will see the WWII era maps, radio displays, uniforms, etc. But, the glory days of the fort were its vigorous defense during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Highly recommend a visit if you are staying in Charleston and make sure you leave time to pay reverence at Toni Morrison's Bench on the Road monument nearby and also to explore Sullivan's Island. read more

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I have to admit I'm an easy mark for a place like this But I really found the price of admission and the information provided was absolutely worth it Small but informative museum, including a great Short documentary that provides all the information you need about the very important role This location played in the revolution. The tour of the Fort is self-directed and is interesting to see after going into the museum It's kept up well, but I actually found the museum more valuable than the fort itself glad I went! Didn't get to see Fort Sumter, which remains on the list, but this is also worthwhile and is both cheaper and less of a drag on time read more

Tickets to tour Fort Moultrie are ~$10. We started at the Visitor's Center, where there's a film you can watch to get some background as well as souvenirs for purchase. Then, we walked across to the fort and spent time exploring it. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Very nice national park with gave of Osceola adjacent. The park is an impressive layout of military defense that served well from the late 1700s when it was first built from Palmetto logs up into the 1800s when Ft Sumpter was built. I think appreciation of sites like this is improved when we imagine the men and women who had to endure the lifestyles and challenges of the time period. Definitely worth wandering through if you are in the area. read more

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If you like history, highly recommend that you go see this. They show a very dated yet, Educational movie in the welcome center, and the docents are very friendly and knowledgeable. Poke your nose into every open door and go up or down every staircase! You will not be disappointed! read more

Fort Moultrie - Looking across to Patriots Point. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Sullivan's Island, South Carolina

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We tried the Fort Moultrie national Park on Sullivan's Island. The experience begins in the visitor center, with pictures, artifacts, and explanations of the role of the fort in history, from the revolutionary war up through the end of WW2. We then crossed the street to a self guided walk through the actual fort, seeing how it has changed and expanded over almost 2 centuries and 5 wars. Tall people, watch your head! Also, lots of stairs, make without handrails, so wear good shoes for walking. read more

A nice little tour (and cheaper than going on the Fort Sumter tour). We were able to get in free with the national park pass. We did the walking tour (which was a little long at 30-45 minutes and several of the group eventually split off to do their own thing). There's a lot of history for the Fort for many of the war eras and easy access to the beach. 2024 #13 read more

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Several primary reasons for coming: * we did everything on our three day itinerary and ran out of things to see and do. * hubby wanted to collect another stamp for his National Park passbook. * we had our lifetime park pass on us so free admission. * great view of Fort Sumter from the beach. read more

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I'm sure many miss this site when in the Sumter area. Great site to visit. Please don't think this is a quick stop. I was here for about 3hrs taking in everything but mainly the beach. If you come in the summer walk with an umbrella and sunscreen because there's absolutely no place to find any shade on property read more

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We were looking for an activity and I found this place on Yelp nearby, so off we went. Lots of parking available, and admission was $10/adults. Since it is a National Park Service site, you an get free admission with an America the Beautiful pass. The gentleman who greeted us at the visitors center was welcoming and friendly. We watched the 22 minute video that gave some history about this site from the POV of someone who was there (reenactment). The visitors center has displays and memorabilia to give background about the war and the significance of this particular fort. Walking around the grounds is easy enough, there are signs guiding you on your tour and a map in case you need it. I thought the underground bunker with the radio room was cool, as were the array of cannons outside. My favorite part has to be the Toni Morrison dedication plaque at the end of the parking lot, near the bench (aptly titled A Bench By The Road). Not a huge history buff but this is a cool spot to spend a few hours. read more

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Fort Moultrie is a National Park site on picturesque Sullivan's Island, overlooking Charleston Harbor.  Together with Fort Sumpter, Moultrie and its cannons defended Charleston before and during the American Civil War.  Decommissioned as a coastal defense in 1947, Moultrie sits today behind a sand redoubt and bears a silent witness to history going back to the American Revolution.  The history buff in me enjoyed seeing the fortifications, cannons, artifacts, and exhibits that tell Moultrie's story.  Views across Charleston Harbor from here are terrific. There's an admission fee to enter the fort; I used my NP Senior Pass. read more

Fort Moultrie - View from Harbor's Edge with Cannon and Flag Pole - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Sullivan's Island, South Carolina

Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't go on a melt-your-skin-off hot day. My stars are primarily for the very informative and full of information park rangers in the visitors center. I don't know a lot of the history of the fort and at the time we went, there wasn't a ranger talk at the fort site so we were left to explore on our own. For ME, I didn't find it too interesting but I'm sure if I had more background info provided I would have felt like I learned something so try to go when a ranger is there. read more

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This place is great! Much more to see and look at than Fort Sumter, and wayyyy cheaper! Definitely see both!

Came to Charleston for the history and this was honestly one of my favorite spots! I'm surprised it's not advertised more! Fort Moultrie Originally named Fort Sullivan, it was built of palmetto logs which inspired the flag and nickname of South Carolina, as "The Palmetto State". American Revolution: British Admiral Sir Peter Parker with 9 British warships attacked the fort on June 28, 1776. The soft palmetto logs did not crack under bombardment but rather absorbed the shot. William Moultrie and his 400 hundred men fought a 9hr battle that ended with the heavily damaged British ships retreating. The fort took the name Fort Moultrie in his honor. Charleston locals celebrate "Carolina Day" to commemorate this. The British eventually captured Fort Moultrie in 1780 and renamed it Fort Arbuthnot; nevertheless, the colonists still won the war. Early 1800s: For 50 years the Army detained Native American prisoners at Fort Moultrie. Seminole Indian fighter Osceola and some fellow Seminoles were captured in late 1837 and transferred to the fort. Osceola died of malaria in January 1838; the Army buried his corpse at the front gate of Fort Moultrie and thereafter maintained his grave. Civil War: On December 26, 1860, Union Major Robert Anderson moved his garrison from Fort Moultrie to the stronger Fort Sumter. In April 1861, Confederate troops shelled Fort Sumter into submission, and the American Civil War began. When the Confederate army evacuated the city in February 1865, Fort Sumter was little more than a pile of rubble and Fort Moultrie lay hidden under the band of sand that protected its walls from Federal shells. In 1960, the Department of Defense transferred Fort Moultrie to the National Park Service. NPS has interpreted the fort as a tour backward in time from its defenses from World War II to the original palmetto log fort constructed by William Moultrie. read more

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Enjoyed touring the fort. There was a lot of information to learn about the fort and why it was built at that location.

Historic site Fort Moultrie is situated at the southern end of Sullivan's Island. We went to Fort Moultrie thinking we could access Fort Sumter from here. We could see Fort Sumter from a distance but we'd have to catch the ferry in Mount Pleasant at Patriots Point to get to Fort Sumter. Fort Moultrie was closed due to COVID-19... damn this pandemic, full speed ahead! Wish the Visitor Center was open at the time, it would've been nice to get an overview of the history of this sacred ground. Fort Moultrie was our first naval victory against the British in the Revolutionary War. Fort Moultrie has been involved in the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and even the World Wars. We've studied Fort Sumter in high school but I can't recall studying about Fort Moultrie. We walked on the grounds outside and did a self-guided tour. The cannon row was cool. There is a sign that listed the description of each cannon displayed. The grounds was well kept by the National Park Services, very clean and nicely preserved. If I get another chance I'd love to come back to Sullivan Island and visit both Forts. Review #1848 read more

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2-3 hours to go through all the passageways and read all the material. Very in-depth and fun how the NPS has curated this site. I would recommend this before and over Fort Sumter. The observation area within the Fort gives an excellent perspective of its and fort Sumters strategic value in defending our nation. read more

The interior fort is currently closed due to pandemic restrictions. You can still park there, walk around the outside, and access the beach. This is less well known but easier to get a look at than nearby Fort Sumter. Besides its aesthetics, the space is also notable for still having open restrooms and a water bottle filling station, which are things that aren't that easy to find. Hopefully fort tours reopen sometime soon with safe policies, but for now it's a convenient place to stop. read more

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Fort Moultrie is a great place to visit if your in the area. My two sons 19 and 22 thought it was very interesting and educational. Amazing that it is one of the oldest still-standing forts along the Eastern Seaboard. Located right on the Atlantic Ocean and beaches all over. Amazing place to learn about US history. Located a the southern tip of Sullivan's Island, a short drive from downtown Charleston. There is lots of parking and a private lot and clean public restrooms. Inside museum as well. Outside there are cannons, ammunition rooms caves...lots of cool things to see. read more

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If you only have time for one fort and/or want to save some money, choosing Fort Moultrie is the way to go. The admission here is $3/person instead of the mandatory $20/person ferry ride to Fort Sumter! I would highly suggest skipping the 22-minute preview video because it was totally weird, and just spend your time wandering around the indoor exhibit to gain some background knowledge. Outside is extremely hot, but there are tons of places for really amazing pictures of the cannons, the ocean, and even Fort Sumter! Even though we didn't spend a long time here, it was a nice break from the beach! read more

Fort Moultrie - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Sullivan's Island, South Carolina

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We decided to visit Fort Moultrie while on vacation. Our kids were climbing on the cannons to the side of the fort. There was a sign beside the cannons advising you to not climb on them. I didn't see the sign at first, but made my kids get off as soon as I saw it. We then walked out to the beach and around the fort. About 15-20 minutes later we were then approached by a female park ranger. She stated that she saw us earlier on the cannons! She told us not to climb on the cannons or harm any of the other historical items! I apologized and told her I understood that and made my kids get off as soon as I saw the sign. She remained extremely rude! I don't feel this situation was handled correctly. The park ranger did not just inform us about the historical nature of the cannons, or let us know that we could have harmed them. She was extremely rude and seemed to be vindictive when she approached us like she had been waiting the 15-20 minutes for us to make it make it around to fuss at us. Unfortunately our visit to Fort Moultrie was ruined and we just left. read more

Super fun to see and stay for the video at the park station. We had a volunteer who told us more history than a college course. Lots of fun! read more

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Enjoyed the informative movie we watched in the visitor center. Not our favorite Fort, but we did visit Fort Pulaski the same day and it Fort Moultrie just didn't compare. Still a great place to go and see history for yourself. read more

I unfortunately didn't have a chance to visit Fort Sumter during my trip to the area, but really enjoyed my quick stop here. We didn't really have plans to visit this fort (more like stumbled upon it while driving through Sullivan's Island..), but our timing couldn't have been more perfect. We arrived just after 4 p.m., which is when the Fort no longer requires an admission fee! We had an hour to explore before they closed for the day, so the staff suggested we walk backwards in time (WWII to Civil War) since they were about to begin shuttering the exhibits. We headed across the street and into the WWII section, and it was so cool! They have all these little rooms set up with the idea of duplicating each era. They even have an observation area at one point. It was easy to learn quite a bit about the fort in a small time slot. Before we knew it, we had made it to the end! It was a really great historic Fort to check out. I'd highly recommend a visit. read more

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We visited on a sunny winter day. The museum is interesting, the early 20th Century fort is impressive, but what we liked most was walking on the beach just outside the fort. You're even with Fort Sumter and the island on the south side of Charleston Harbor. The container ships were transiting the channel and all was right with the world. The cost is $5.00 per family. It is the second best bargain in Charleston. The best is driving over the Ravenal Bridge en route to Fort Moultrie. read more

Fort Moultrie - On the beach at Ft Moultrie with Charleston and the Ravenal Bridge in the background. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Sullivan's Island, South Carolina

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Wasn't sure I was going to have time to see this, but managed to stop by. Amazing history. Every American should see this site!

This historic fort is such a cool place, and located in a really nice area that has restaurants, shops, and the beach. To make the most of your visit, you definitively need to take a tour with a guide, and the information imparted is amazing. Beautiful views of the harbor. read more

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Visit on 7/10/19. Check ahead for posted time on programming as we did not and there were a few things that would have been good to experience that we did not plan for. My son was in a wheelchair for our visit (leg injury) - if you come in a wheelchair then know that you won't be able to access all of the fort but you can see all of the visitors center. The video in the visitor center was informative and enjoyable to watch. It's was 22 min long and worth the time. read more

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Fort Moultrie is one of my favorite places to take family when they come to town. Located on Sullivan's Island, the fort has beautiful views and is steps from the beach. Tours are self-guided but Park Rangers do give tours as well (call for times). The vistor center offers lots of information about the fort, a small gift shop and restrooms. Admissions is $3 per adult, $1 per senior, free for kids or $5 a family. read more

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Interesting piece of American history in quaint Sullivan's Island. Lots of history. Battery Jasper. You can explore the gun deck. Coastal Defense. read more

Very nice self guided walking tour through the fort. Nice visitor center too. Friendly staff. The fort has many decades of use represented.

We just walked around the site but we found that the place is well maintained and also has access to the beach. However you can't swim at this beach Bottom line...the surroundings are great for a walk...either directly on the grounds or on the beach Pros Nice and safe place to take a walk with a view of the fort or waterway Close parking Multiple lots Cons Can't swim at the beach beach read more

Fort Moultrie - Fort Moultrie - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Sullivan's Island, South Carolina

I always bring visiting friends here to experience the past. The tiny museum is full of information and then being able to go into the fort is a cool experience. I've been here so many times, it's great to Star gaze !!! read more

After lunch, my colleagues and I headed to Sullivan's Island to visit Fort Moultrie. This would be our second fort tour of the day, as we had spent some time visiting Fort Sumter. Our tour leader made arrangements for us to get a guided tour from one of the park rangers on site. After waiting briefly for her to get ready, we walked across the street onto the fort property. Curiously, the tour was very minimal. We gathered in the front to hear some basic information about the fort. We then walked around to a grassy area at the north side of the building to hear more basic facts and figures. It was as if we were steeled away to be let in on a secret: the ranger, a historian by training, told us that Fort Moultrie had been sitting on some historical artifacts that had not been incorporated into the tour! The fanfare didn't last long. As there were historians in our group, the ranger fumbled through an explanation of enslaved Africans' treatment in pest houses and how the fort didn't count slave deaths. My colleagues jumped upon her inaccuracies and she got flustered. "I'm on your side!" she insisted, and I think that comment did more harm than good. It did lead to a startling revelation: Because local community members have complained about incorporating slave narratives into the tour, rangers have honored those requests. This is obviously very disconcerting. Just because someone hates to hear about the painful history of the country doesn't erase its existence in the first place. Put another way: hypocrisy. The tour pretty much dissolved after that. We were allowed to explore the property so long as we didn't go past gated or chained areas. I snapped a few pictures of the water and ran around the stairs, corridors, and underground passages like a kid. There's quite a bit of terrain to explore, so I imagine kids would enjoy playing around in there too. We concluded the tour by walking through the gift shop in the main building. Since there was another large group on the premises, I brushed past the displays and sought fresh air outside. I was still a little raw about the dust-up and I walked away, pained, knowing that some historical experiences just don't matter. Do better, Moultrie. read more

Fort Moultrie - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Sullivan's Island, South Carolina

I've been to several forts in several states. Each in its own right is packed with history, but of course some are just more interesting than others. Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine and Fort Pulaski in Savannah are amongst my favorites. I try to get them out of my mind when visiting other forts, but it is difficult not to compare new places to ones you've already visited and love. That being said, while Fort Moultrie isn't one of the most visually interesting of the 18th Century forts, it does have one of the more interesting pedigrees. Did you know Edgar Allen Poe was stationed here? Did you also know the start of the Civil War revolved around the two main Charleston SC forts - Moultrie and Sumter? Sumpter was the base of the Union army and was attacked into submission by the Confederate Army. However, a few years later the Union Army took control of Moultrie, which was originally designed to protect the harbor, but was extremely vulnerable to land attacks. The enormous sand & earth dunes that protected the walls of the fort from enemy shells were also easy to scale by enemy troops. It is also the ONLY fort where it's entire defensive history can be traced from the time it was built to the time it was decommissioned. Although Moultrie has a fair share of informational plaques, I would highly recommend taking a tour for more intimate details. The visitors center has great information, plus A/C making it worthy of taking a few moments to get out of the Charleston summer heat. We noticed several people ignored the signs, but the fort does have a small entry fee. FINAL THOUGHTS If you enjoy history, both Fort Sumpter and Fort Moultrie should be on your list of places to visit when in Charleston. Here is a really cool video of what Fort Moultrie used to look like back in its early days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20TeHBPopIg 2016/89 read more

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Forget Fort Sumter, if you want to see well preserved history for next to no cost Fort Moultrie is the place to go. On my previous visit to Charleston I was obsessed with going to Fort Sumter because of it's place in history. The pricy ferry ride, the limited time to tour, and the somewhat nasty weather on the day I went could not put a damper on my enthusiasm. What did put a damper on it was the sorry state of Fort Sumter itself. I knew the fort had been heavily damaged in the Civil War and expected to see evidence of that. What I hadn't expected was just how much of Fort Sumter is left buried in the ground, nor did I know about the ugly monstrosity of a building built over the top of Fort Sumter in the late 19th century. In any event I came away from the experience....disappointed. Fort Pulaski in Savannah is a much better preserved example of a major 19th century brick and masonry coastal fortification in my opinion. But enough about Sumter, or Pulaski, this review is about Fort Moultrie. My visit here was originally an after thought to me, something cheap to fill an afternoon's hours on a rainy day. It was so much more then that though. Fort Moultrie has an excellent visitor's center detailing the various era's of it's history, from the Revolution through the Civil War and on towards the late 19th century and even World War 2. There are some interesting artifacts, well made dioramas and a short film detailing Fort Moultrie's history. Admission to the fort is paid here and there are also snacks and bottled waters and other drinks. There is a small selection of relevant books for sale as well. Fort Moultrie itself is divided in to sections representing most of it's historic eras. There is a section that appears as it did during the Civil War, an 1870s section, an 1890s/World War I section, and a World War 2 section. Most of the sections have representative cannons and shell or powder magazines, and all are well marked. The World War 2 section is a coastal observation tower and it's support services structure and it is mercifully indoors and climate controlled (a welcome break on a hot September afternoon). From the ramparts of Fort Moultrie you have an excellent view of the Atlantic Ocean, Charleston Harbor, and Fort Sumter. Outside the fort itself there is another late 19th early 20th century seacoast battery and an array of cannons and shells lined up on display. As I mentioned, the first time I visited Fort Moultrie it was rainy grey and chilly. since I knew I would be on Sullivan's Island on my more recent visit, and since the weather was much nicer and more conducive to picture taking I decided to stop by a second time to enjoy this excellent artifact of history. It's a bargain at only $5 a head and well worth a few hours of exploration. If you are as fascinated by history as I am you should check it out. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Government shutdown! Go figure ! No bathrooms big deal ! Still a great place to check out! This place is a part of history! Don't make it out to be something else ! Just be happy! If you are so snooty you can't understand that, don't come here ! The problem with Sullivan island sometimes it attracts a group of people who are used to be catered too ! This place is not that ! This place is about sacrifice! People have died here ! People have sacrificed their time to keep this country safe ! Enjoy the history! Appreciate the sacrifices that were made ! Enjoy the view! And yeah Edgar Alan Poe slept here ! read more

Fort Moultrie is a hidden gem for those interested in history. You can easily access this by road, over on Sullivan's Island. There's a family discount, so be sure to mention if you are there with family. There's a short (22 minute) film that will give you a good overview of the fort's history - it is older than Sumter and is on its third incarnation after seeing action in the Revolutionary War and hurricanes! Fort Moultrie was still in action for World War II, and there is a fascinating section inside that illustrates this - an old airlocked bunker with radio equipment and a clean room - so cool! (It's also air conditioned, so if it's really hot, it's a nice break from the heat). In addition to the film, the visitor center also has a nice exhibit with artifacts and information from these various eras, as well as a really moving section about slavery. When you head across to the fort, there are several grave markers dedicated to some soldiers who died in the harbor and one for Oceala, who fought against the forced Native American removal for the Trail of Tears. He was apparently held in Moultrie for a period of time. General Moultrie, the fort's namesake, is also buried on the property - check the other side of the visitor center, near the parking lot. There are a varieties of cannons and features throughout the fort, and the path eventually leads you outside on the back side of it. This gives you the opportunity to utilize a path to the beach and also to check out features on the exterior of the fort. If you continue down this path, you can also go inside of Battery Jasper, which was an 1898 addition that held disappearing guns. This was a really fascinating place to visit - and I'm not exactly a military history person... it was just really well done. read more

Sometimes a historic landmark can surprise you. Fort Moultrie is a diversified piece of real estate. On one hand you are able to walk through the inside and underground canals of an original Civil War fortress. A true landmark of one of the most difficult periods in American history. With room maintained from its original days and its long illustrious history, the Fort is a treat for families and people of all ages. Right next to it, is one of the most magnificent sunsets you will ever see. Situated in a quiet beach area, this piece of land offers you a free sky show unlike any other each night. Bonus, there is a great chance of seeing some ocean life including dolphins. A must see if you are visiting or just live here. read more

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