I took the ferry from Mount Pleasant. The Mount Pleasant ferry tickets are purchased online or next to the window for USS Yorktown tickets. The ferry itself is right across from USS Yorktown. (There is also a ferry from Charleston) I think this is definitely worth it. It's very interesting. We only got 60 minutes on the fort, 90 minutes would have been better. I'll have to go again. First we had an interesting 10 minutes talk from the self designated "Most Handsome Man" in the National Park Service. I forgot his name but he was very cool. The female ranger there was cool as well. Outside there are several plaques to read and they are definitely worth reading. Lots of cannons there. Great views. I took lots of pictures. There is a small indoor museum too with lots of info. There was only 15 minutes left by the time I got into the museum so I just videoed all I could to look at later. Lots to read in the museum as well. I ran out of time and didn't make it to the bookstore. I will go again. Hopefully next year. read more

​If you really want to hear about it, my dad, former FBI, gets a real charge out of all this Civil War stuff, he came down to visit me. Having lived in Charleston for over ten years back when I was married, I've seen about every phony tourist trap in the lowcountry, so I took him out to Fort Sumter. ​You have to take this ferry boat out into Charleston Harbor just to see the damn thing, which is built on this island made out of roughly 100,000 tons of granite rock. The ferry is full of tourists wearing ridiculous matching hats, but my dad was in heaven taking pictures of the brickwork and cannons. ​As far as history goes, it's where the whole mess started. Back on April 12, 1861, at 4:30 in the morning, the Blues started shelling Major Robert Anderson's Federal garrison inside the fort. Dad would know so much more but unfortunately he's since passed. They pounded the brick walls for 34 straight hours until the Greys guys finally surrendered. The crazy thing is, nobody even died during the actual bombardment, though a couple of guys got blown up later during a 100-gun surrender salute. I think that was the rumor I heard. ​The National Park Service guys running the tour try pretty hard, walking you around the area and telling you all about the 587-day Union siege that practically flattened the whole brick structure. It's actually pretty impressive if you don't mind standing around in the humid heat listening to retired guys talk about artillery calibers. It's worth the boat trip if you're stuck showing a history buff around town, even if the whole war thing isn't your cup of tea. read more

This was an amazing experience. I would suggest planning this out ahead of time. The Fort is free. You need to pay for the ferry that takes you there. Tickets can be bought online or at the visitor center. Small discount if you buy the tickets online. There are two spots for the ferry. One is in Charleston and the other is Patriot Point in Mt Pleasant. I left from Charleston. It's about a 30 minute ferry ride to the fort. You get to see views of the bridge and the USS Laffey on the way to the fort. I enjoyed my time there. I was on the last tour of the day. The last tour looks for volunteers to take the flag down for the day. I would suggest volunteering, it was very memorable. There was a lot of historical information that the rangers went over. It's self guided but you can talk to the rangers and ask questions. Ranger Chris was amazing. Very personable and full of knowledge. He definitely enjoyed what he does. He spoke for a portion of the ride back to give more information including places to eat in Charleston. I would visit again, but this time leave from Patriot Point to see the museum. read more

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We took the tour out to Fort Sumter. It was a nice ride out there but I can see how it could get treacherous with the water and currents around the fort. It was a very somber experience wandering around and looking at what this event were stationed here had to deal with. They did not have anyplace to run. It makes you wonder about those soldiers tht put their lives on the line. The place is maintained very well and it's a self guided tour with a brochure/map to help you understand. To see the cannons in the classmates and just imagine the noise and rumbling when they were fired. If you are into history it's a great place. read more

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The only way to get here is via boat by NPS (at least I think so), so you are on their timeline for the visit. It would be nice to have as much (or little) time as we wanted, but whatcha going to do? Onboarding/off boarding the boat can be done in a wheelchair, but I'm not sure if there's an elevator in board to get to the different levels. The fort, not surprisingly, is not handicap accessible. You can get to some of it, but not all. read more

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This is definable a must see! It's the start of the bloodiest war in American history. The boat ride out was nice, narrated and was a little time consuming. They allow you out there for a short time, but what you see out there, will be forever remembered. You can see old cannons, the old fort, and the flag pole marked how tall the fort used to be. Definitely worth the trip. Only bad thing about the place, they put a coastal defense building on ft Sumter for either Spanish American war or ww1. read more

Fort Sumter National Monument - Cannons - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

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Smaller than I expected but good info from the tour guide. My family participated in the morning flag raising (they ask for about 20 volunteers to help unfold the flag before its hoisted up). read more

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Very enjoyable experience visiting and learning about Ft. Sumter. Definitely a must-do if you're in Charleston and enjoy history. You get an hour at the fort to wonder around it freely. It'll cost about $37 per person, which includes the 30 minute ferry ride each way. The park rangers were friendly and informative about the fort's history. read more

Fort Sumter National Monument - Ft Sumter - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

This sounds silly but our primary purpose was to add a stamp to hubby's National Park passbook. We parked at a meter not knowing how long we'd be here. We entered and the ranger spotted the passbook in hubby's hand. Gift shop if you want a passbook stamp. It turned out there were several stamps. We barely walked around the visitor center. Of course our excuse was we just got off the red eye. The real reason - we spotted the USS Yorktown across the harbor. Let's go there instead of waiting to take the ferry to Fort Sumter. We missed the ferry and would have to wait more than an hour for the next ferry. You can barely make out Fort Sumter from the visitor center. You can see it much better at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan Island. So off we went to Patriot Point. read more

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The national park is everything I hoped and would expect. The problem is with the contracted ferry service. For the exorbitant fees collected for the mandatory monopoly on the boat service (plus parking), you get 60 minutes on-site. That's it. For the casual tourist that may be plenty of time. For someone who took the time and paid the fees to come here and actually experience it on the site, the time is woefully inadequate. You must leave with the same boat you arrived with so it's not like you can just catch the next boat back. read more

Reallllyyyy wanted to give this place 5 stars. The museum is kinda small. You get to ride a boat over to the island while getting a history lesson from one of the park rangers. One hour is the time allowed on the island which is notttt enough time for someone who wants to take their time and actually read the signs. If u are on the first boat out, you get to see/help raise the American flag. Fort Sumter (April 12-14, 1861) -An island fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina most famous for being the site of the first shots of the Civil War Construction of the fort, named for the American Revolutionary War general Thomas Sumter, began in 1829 and was still in progress in 1861. By early 1861, 7 Southern states that had already seceded from the Union claimed possession of all U.S. forts/arsenals within the territory. Only 2 forts remained under federal jurisdiction: Fort Pickens, Florida, and Fort Sumter, which was garrisoned by U.S. troops under Maj. Robert Anderson. Confederate authorities demanded Fort Sumter's immediate evacuation. When this was refused, the South's batteries opened fire at 4:27 AM on April 12, and Anderson with supplies nearly exhausted and his troops outnumbered was forced to surrender after 34 hours of shelling to Brig. Gen. P.G.T Beauregard's Confederate forces. On April 14, Fort Sumter was evacuated. The federal troops marched out waving the American flag to a gun salute. Sadly, the only casualties at Fort Sumter come during the 100-gun salute, when a round exploded prematurely, killing Pvt. Daniel Hough and mortally wounding another soldier. The attack is over, but the war had just begun. During the war the Confederates manning the fort withstood almost constant bombardment from July 1863 to February 1865. The fort itself was largely reduced to rubble. read more

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We are National Park Geeks!!!! So of course we had to visit Fort Sumter ( we had been in 2005). It is always to hear the Ranger Programs and learn! History right in front of you! read more

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I love our National Parks Department and the history of the forts they preserve and make open to the public. With a history nut husband, we have been to many forts and battlegrounds. I love the architecture and history behind the designs. What the defense strategy is, why it was made with particular materials, or an interesting battle story. The battle of 1776- the palmetto-log fort built, but unfinished help repel British Navy cannonballs- the Sabal palmetto trunks embedded in deep sand proved pliable and sturdy enough, absorbing iron balls like a sponge. With some American luck- the British contingent overestimated the Americans and retreated. Fort Sumter had the first shot of the Civil War fired upon them. The Union lost possession of the fort on April 14, 1861 for 4 years, until all Confederate forces evacuated Charleston during the evening of February 17, 1865. There are more stories, more history- but these are the two stories that stood out. As I wander armed with my camera to capture what is left of the Fort today. read more

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A must stop in terms of historic landmarks in Charleston. The National Park rangers were knowledgable about the subject area, as you would expect them to be. They are also very forthcoming about the role of the enslaved persons in building the fort. The 4 stars is because you have a very limited time to explore the fort. I believe we only had about an hour. If you're like me, and it was a hot day, which it was, it was plenty of time. But if you are like my mom who has to stop every 3 feet to read something and get into an in-depth discussion with the ranger, we could have stayed a lot longer before needing to get back to the boat. read more

My son was so excited to visit Fort Sumter. We were able to purchase tickets online with a package tour of Charleston. There is a neat small museum with a gift shop on the mainland. The ferry ride takes about 30 minutes and if it is a nice day try to get a seat on top of the ferry. The rangers explaining the fort were very knowledgeable. We looked around the fort for an hour. I felt it was plenty of time but I could see it not being enough for others. It was a cool experience and I would check it out again. read more

I didn't do the boat ride due to timing. However, I got a small glimpse of the historical facts that took place here. Learned a few things that I didn't know about. The monument at Liberty Park was small and informative. Next time I come back, I will do the boat tour!! read more

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It's unfortunate that you can only get here by ferry cause it's a lot to pay for a ride to the Fort. We went early and our boys got to help with raising the flag. The ranger was very informative with a short presentation before the flag was raised. The Fort is great history, but not our favorite Fort we have visited. We visited Fort Pulaski the day before which unfortunately made this Fort less impressive. Still 4 stars and worth a visit if you don't mind paying $30 to get a ride over as the ride (they call it a "tour") is nothing to write home about. read more

Fantastic! History at its finest! Go! You will love the ferry ride over. You'll love the narrative by the 'best looking guide' in Charleston Ranger Andy is fantastic! Just loved learning about all of the history at the place where literally the 1st shot of the Civil War began. The graphics are outstanding, as is the museum. I loved being on the water as we traveled to the Ft Sumter island. Fun, informative, and highly educational! I learned so much and love that I was able to visit thus National Landmark. read more

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We caught the noon ferry boat on a Sunday to go out to visit and explore Fort Sumter. My wife had visited their website and learned it was best to purchase the tickets in advance. The cost per person is $22 for adults and that includes the round trip ferry ride and an hour at the historic Fort Sumter. We arrived at the ticket box office 20 minutes prior to 12pm as recommended and were told where to wait. Upon boarding the boat we were greeted by friendly staff and volunteers. The boat appeared to be in good condition and we took a seat. The ferry ride gives you the opportunity to see in the distance the USS Yorktown and various other ships including small sailboats, fishing boats, tugs, barges, Etc. They told us the earlier trip of the day they saw a lot of dolphins. The boat staff provide various informational tips during the boat ride and the views are beautiful. The 30 minute ferry ride seemed just right to us....not too short and not too long. Once we reached the fort we were directed to a female park ranger who did a great job providing us all with history of the fort for approximately 8-10 minutes. She then explained that we were all free to explore the area and meet back at the boat at a specific time. We enjoyed walking around and felt like the museum was done very well. The time allowed seemed perfect and provided for some great picture opportunities. Great experience and we would highly recommend! read more

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If you're looking for entertainment, go elsewhere. Fort Sumter is history being preserved. The site is well maintained, clean, and educational. The ferry ride is 30mins each way with inside or outside and multi levels of seating options. Be on the lookout for dolphins. The ferry narrator is knowledgeable and gives a history lesson on the way over. One hour is allotted on land, which went by quick: walking, observing, reading, bathrooms, pictures, museum, gift shop. The first tour of the day (0930) get to observe the flag being raised over the Fort, pretty cool. Discount for military (I believe it was $2 off each ticket). read more

Fort Sumter National Monument - 0930 tour raises the American flag over Ft. Sumter - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

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Finally got to visit Fort. Sumter! A group of friends and I boarded the ferry from the visitor education center next to the aquarium. I thought the visitor education center was decent enough; it has just enough information. In other words, one won't be overwhelmed by the displays/boards to read. You'll get just enough information for a broad overview of a very difficult and dense history. I found it disappointing the education center wasn't actively REQUIRING masks during the COVID-19 DELTA surge, as it's a NATIONAL historic site (and I think technically federal land), but I digress. Silly conservative states. Anyway, my BIGGEST problem with the Ft. Sumter tours: you aren't there long enough. Look, I'm a history guy. Yes, the fort is small and you could probably walk the whole place in 20 minutes. BUT - if you listen to the Ranger's 10-15 min spiel, then try and walk through the small museum ...you'll run short of time. Unfortunately, I felt rushed in the museum, and as a result, I'm not sure I ingested a lot of the information I would have enjoyed. If they would just extend the time you got to stay at the fort by about 30 minutes, it would be PERFECT for those of us who actually want to enjoy the history. Nice ferry ride.... read more

Very educational and informative experience! If you are in Charleston, I highly recommend going to Fort Sumter!

We enjoyed our time at Fort Sumter. The ranger on the boat ride to the fort was very informative. We had plenty of time to wander about and to read the many signs. Since we went out on the first boat ride of the day, my husband also enjoyed being part of the group that helped hoist the American flag. read more

Went for a stroll with my friend and decided to pop into the Fort Sumter Museum. (We were short on time due to our flights leaving in a few short hours) We were greeted by a delightful gentleman who told us about the tour (sadly we couldn't go on it at this time) We both love history and a military families (I am a veteran she is the spouse of a veteran). We loved how polite and friendly all of the staff was. It is wonderful that the small museum is free for all to enjoy and the tour to Fort Sumter is just a small fee. We did visit the gift shop to buy some wonderful goodies for our families and provide support through that since we couldn't get on the boat to the Fort. Such amazing pieces of history! read more

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Really, it's amazing to think of and imagine oneself in this fort when the first shot of the Civil War began. The bonus is the ferry ride in the harbor and bay. Always a must tour when I'm in water surroundings. The history speaks for itself, the charm of old town Charleston, carriage rides and such. Worth the $22/25 federal money. foodguy-martin read more

Fort Sumter National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

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Lots of history in this small exhibit. It's essentially just one large room. Would've liked to see more. The room was clean and the exhibits were well-maintained. Lots of terrible things took place back then. read more

Great historical site and the park rangers are real fun and super knowledgeable. Requires making reservations in advance, and taking a ferry boat out. i recommend you take an extra layer because it can be chilly on the water. The ground inside the fort is uneven in spots so wear appropriate footwear. Aside from ramparts and huge cannons there's a small museum. You have about an hour before having to take the ferry back. There's restrooms in the fort. read more

Fort Sumter National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

The spark that started the Civil War. How can any true Civil War enthusiast not want to visit here? If you're reading this, you likely know the backstory of the fort. So instead, let me explain how to get there, and maybe a few things you DIDN'T know. First off, book your ferry tickets in advance, else you might be disappointed. You can get the ferry from two locations; Liberty Square, or Patriot's Point. I got the one at Liberty (which boards second and unloads first), although if you visit Patriot's Point you may also visit the USS Yorktown as well. The journey to the Fort is about 45 minutes. They have a limited snack bar, and alcohol can be purchased on the return trip. But they DO NOT sell bottles of water! Once there the fort is...small. I mean, you'd think the place was huge, given it's impact on history. But even as a history buff, I found the hour I had to be more than enough time. The gift shop stamps your NPS trip booklet, so there's that at least. A few other things: 1) Passengers on the first boat get to help raise the US flag, and passengers on the last boat get to lower it. One of my favorite pictures of all time is helping with the later. 2) You can see where Battery Wagner (the fort the 54th Massachusetts tried to take, made famous by the film "Glory") once stood. Sadly, given its position on a barrier island, there is nothing left of it. 3) The walls of the fort are a lot shorter now, having suffered from a massive bombardment that was never fully repaired. Since it became a light house afterwards, I guess the government never saw fit to replace the walls as they once were. 4) Nobody died during the battle. However, during the surrender ceremony, 2 Union soldiers died when a cannon that participated in a firing salute exploded. 5) Sumter was commanded by MAJ Robert Anderson. What you may not know is he was a pro-slavery former slave holder himself. He and the other captured Union troops were repatriated back to the Union after the battle, although he never saw further combat. read more

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Whether you're a tourist or a local, a trip to Fort Sumpter is always a good time. You get a ferry boat ride there and back which is a huge win right off the bat. Plus, they even serve beer and wine on the boat in case you like a little side of party with your historical monuments. I'm no history buff but I found myself so intrigued by the significance this fort played in the civil war. You walk around for about an hour which is plenty of time to get what you want out of the experience and then head back to the mainland. I've gone with a couple of friends who were visiting and looking for something to do with some history and also joined my niece on her field trip from Myrtle Beach as well. Good fun for children and adults alike. read more

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I've mixed emotions about Fort Sumter because there are good things and bad things about this experience. First, the good: it's all about the history....you're at the place where it happened and things haven't been altered much. The 1st shots of the Civil War were fired here. The museums at the ferry loading area and on the Island provide just the right amount of background to Fort Sumter. The ferry ride (roughly 30 minutes in each direction) offer a nice tour of the Charleston harbor and a chance to see wild life. I was lucky enough to catch fleeing glimpses of a sea turtle and a porpoise! The "meh": the official tour was sort of "meh" speech given by National Park Staff, the actual Fort Sumter is a smallish island that one would be hard pressed to spend more than 1.5 hours touring. Also, a large black structure constructed around 1900 (for military defense purposes) sort of detracts from what the Fort actually looked like during Civil war times. This structure now acts as the on island museum. The bad: the whole "captive" sole proprietor/vendor arrangement of touring a "free" National monument means the vendor can charge whatever they want for the boat ride which is the only way to visit the island. In this case, it's $23/person, which is steep for a National Park/monument. Typical entry fee for parks/monument is $20/vehicle regardless of number of people in car. So basically, my party of 2 spent almost $50 for 3 hours in a national monument. Also, as earlier alluded to, there's really not much to see here. Tip: ferry space is plentiful probably for most of the year (except possibly during super high season) so if you want to spend more than 1.5 hours on the island (though there's really not much to see), you can catch one ferry after the one you arrived on. read more

If you set your expectations correctly and understand what you are going to see, the Fort is a fun 2-3 hour excursion for the day. The boat ride both ways is about 1/3 of the trip so check the weather and wear a jacket if it is even slightly cool on the land. The staff does a great job and the person leading the introduction really knows their history. The fort is a bit underwhelming and after looking at a few cannons, walls and climbing the stairs to stare out at the ocean, you'll be done especially if you have young kids. We would have like a model of what it looked like as it was apparently very grand and large during the attack. read more

$140 for four people. With a boat ride. To a place that was boring for two teenagers. Even I was quite bored. Perhaps living in nyc has spoiled me. But I did not find this worth my time and money. This a a number 1 attraction in Charleston? read more

Fort Sumter National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

The first shots of the Civil War landed at Fort Sumter which makes this national monument a must visit if you are in Charleston! On the 30-minute ferry ride to the fort enjoy beautiful views, dolphin watch and listen to an audio track with historical information. When you arrive get out and soak up the history that Fort Sumter has to offer, the time that we had to spend out there was perfect amount. On the 30-minute ride back, enjoy an alcoholic beverage. I was able to consume a delicious Palmetto IPA and it was not overpriced! Cheers & enjoy your visit! read more

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My family and I enjoyed it the history at this monument and glad it is being preserved. read more

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Nice NPS site preserving a historically significant structure. Well maintained. Friendly and informative rangers. Helpful interpretative content. Nice junior ranger program. Not a site with a ton of content but worth checking out if in area. read more

In order to get to the Fort Sumter National Monument you have to go by boat, and for that purpose you best and actually the only way of doing it is by boarding the Fort Sumter Tour Boat. As for the fort itself, don't expect a whole heck of a lot. After all, the place was actually never completed, was then bombarded day and night, pretty much blown to shreds, then with the offshore blockade ended up being of little strategic value, and of course was never rebuilt. So what you see today is a mere ghost of what it was before it was pretty much obliterated by continued bombardments. Some of the walls are still there, incredibly thick, various cannons used to defend it, albeit rather unsuccessfully, and a new museum. However the museum is mostly a walk through having various notations concerning the fort but doesn't contain much in the way of actual civil war relics. There is a small, and I do mean small gift ship with some chip souvenirs most of which you can find in town at lower prices. To see everything and walk the entire area only takes about two hours at maximum. Though one of those historic places everyone should see, it's one of the ones that I would only care to see once as it really doesn't amount to that much. As far as civil war relics and so forth, you're better of going to the Charleston Museum and for civil war battle history, Gettysburg. read more

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The ferry is really pricy, but the trip over there and back was nice. The fort itself was really cool. My kids really enjoyed listening to the rangers and learning about the start and end of the civil war. There was so much to learn the rangers were really friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Definitely worth checking out if you're into history! read more

During my sons Cub scouts trip visiting Fort Sumter National Monument was a part of our package. We all headed to Fort Sumter National Monument early in the morning and was able to take part in the flag hoisting ceremony, which was a very exciting experience for the kids. Who knew it took so many people to be able to put up our old glory? The Fort Sumter National Monument is a very important part of American history as this fort was built by the Union and is what started the American Civil War. If you are in the area, it is definitely a great place to visit. Although it is not the best fort I have visited, it is definitely a very important one and the oldest one I have seen. All of the park rangers during our trip here were fantastic. I didn't know, but some of them are volunteers as well. Thank you guys so very much. The kids and I had a blast. On our ferry ride back to Patriots Point we had a few dolphins that were swimming with the ferry and the kids absolutely loved that. [Review #428] (14th Review of 2017) read more

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Well worth the ferry voyage and money if you love the beauty and history of Charleston! read more

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We took a beautiful boat ride to this historic site. At the first the rangers were very knowledgeable and helpful.