Skyler was our guide, and she was incredibly knowledgeable and super friendly. It was fantastic to see her connect with everyone, from the youngest kids to the adults. You could really feel her passion for what she does. I just hope this historical landmark can secure the funds needed to keep maintaining the buildings and continue sharing the history of this amazing place. We will be back. read more

I was excited to finally make it down to historic Fort Wayne. There was a fun event held at the Fort called Frakenfest. I love Halloween and I love scary things. I thought it was pretty cool to host such an event here. I also enjoy history, so I took advantage of exploring the property. I felt like I was time traveling, if the walls could tell a story, what secrets they behold. If you get a chance, take a ride out here and explore the grounds. Beautiful view of Detroit and Ontario from the top of the fort lookout point. I plan to come back for midnight tour and paranormal event. read more

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Nice spot to check out and wander but if your expecting anything like greenfield village you'll be sadly mistaken - the space is unkempt Friendly people Historical marker But a shame it's fallen into the shape you see today read more

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My wife and I visited his stork Fort Wayne while we were in the Detroit area. It was a nice summer day so we got out of the truck walked around explored saw all of the abandon buildings and things that are shut down but I had a lot of history and it was still neat to see read more

I do recommend a visit-then a letter to the City of Detroit, State of Michigan, US Department of Defense and all the Senators and Representatives that live in your area three or four weeks a year while representing one of the two political parties. The Fort and Barack's are a gem the city is trying to let fall apart so they can faze it and build condos (forget the deed restrictions). Great old fort active from the Civil War through Vietnam. Needs funding and restoration but the city is blocking that. read more

Historic Fort Wayne - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Everything, I was there for a festival and the staff and event was amazing . Parking was plentiful

My brother and I were here for the ghost hunt and we really enjoyed it. They give you an introductory info session and give you ghost hunting tools to look around with. The staff was nice and it was fun. read more

I am so glad hubby and I decided (on a whim one lazy weekend morning) to visit Historic Fort Wayne! It is an interesting, historically important former military base. It's been much neglected over time, which is a plus and a minus. On the plus side, this place is NOT touristy, so the history you see is au-naturel. On the minus side, unless it gets some TLC soon, it is quickly going to be in such disrepair it won't be safe. Of special interest were the barracks that dated from the 1860s and the concrete gun turrets with service members' names carved into them. The barracks were almost completely unremodeled and wandering through them was really a step back in time. read more

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We did a scheduled tour and it was more than amazing. What a hidden gem. The tour guides are full of information. The kids were even interested and well behaved. The architecture and engineering in the fort really was beautiful. We loved all the little side stories. Plenty to space for the kids to run around once they get inside the fort. The tour wasn't done after 2.5 hours. So we didn't get a chance to finish the tour as we had plans. All of us planned to go back with more friends. I can't wait to see more great things that come after it comes a National site and the Tuskegee Museum comes back. Its really too bad they weren't able to preserve more of the buildings on the grounds in previous year, but so glad its being done now. Highly recommend for history and a healthy family walk. read more

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I wanted to visit with my family. They made it difficult by insisting you make an account and give all of your info. Make you take a guided tour. I just wanted to come and walk around. No thanks. Henry Ford, here I come. read more

I went here this past weekend with my dad for a flea market they were holding. Mostly people trying to sell their old garbage or cheap jewelry, not too many real antiques or cool stuff. But the flea market wasn't the only reason for my trip. I had never been to Fort Wayne and neither had my dad. He and I are both big history nuts so we were excited to be here. You can just walk around the whole site on your own, but I'm sure they also held tours as we passed a few up. You can walk in a bunch of the buildings, some having been restored, others being all original and showing their age. Detroit isn't a city that seems to appreciate it's historic buildings like other cities do, which is sad, but Fort Wayne is a great example of some Detroit history that is trying to be preserved. read more

Historic Fort Wayne - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

$5 guided tours available, but we enjoyed walking around and exploring by ourselves. Bonus tour by Phil who was very friendly!

I'm really glad I went with my husband and daughter. It is rather in bad shape, but greatly interesting. Only two buildings were open, the fortification itself and another with with beds and jail cells. There was only one other couple there on a sunny Saturday afternoon! read more

I would not return to this location.  The historical aspect of the place is limited and stilted. The grounds contain buildings from several eras and used for several different things.  The buildings are in poor condition and contain dangerous materials such as asbestos and lead.  Mitigation has been carried out in a haphazard fashion by a loosely organized group of volunteers, who, though meaning well, have in many ways worsened the condition of the place. There are natural areas on the grounds that are of interest.  One location that is neglected is the Native American Mound located on the property.  That is worth visiting and viewing. Fort Wayne was built as a protection from British activity in Canada.  It long ago lost its relevance as a military installation.  The Star Fort configuration used across the United States was originally engineered by Robert E Lee.  The present fort has many buildings that contain asbestos.  The stonework and earthworks themselves are settling into the earth and are unstable in many areas.  It is an interesting place to visit but it has outlasted its use.  It is not the first fort built at the place.  It is also occupying an area that was traditionally used as a burial ground by Native Americans.  The mound that is located there is overlooked by many who visit. Wikipedia gives us this quick overview : "Fort Wayne is Detroit's third fort. The first, Fort Detroit, was built by the French in 1701. This fort, constructed shortly after Cadillac landed, was manned by the French until they surrendered it to the British in 1760 during the French and Indian War. The British constructed the second fort, Fort Lernoult, a few years later. They manned the post until 1796 when the United States assumed control over the site and renamed it Fort Shelby. Following the end of the War of 1812, Fort Shelby fell into disrepair, and in 1826 the City of Detroit purchased and demolished it. The site of Fort Wayne originally consisted of a high sand mound with freshwater springs along the marshy waterfront of the Detroit River; it is from this geography that Springwells Township (later annexed into the City of Detroit) took its name. The site has a history going back to about the year 1000 A.D. Approximately 19 Native American burial mounds were present in the immediate area, as well as a larger mound at the mouth of the Rouge River. The present bastioned fort was built atop one of these burial mounds. In the early 20th century, the sole remaining burial mound at Fort Wayne was excavated by archaeologists from University of Michigan and was found to contain human remains dating over 900 years old. A type of pottery found there is unique to the site; it was subsequently dubbed "Wayne Ware." When Cadillac founded Fort Detroit, he also purportedly made arrangements with the local Potawatomi people to set up a small village at the future site of Fort Wayne for purposes of trading; this was occupied and thriving by 1710. The opening shots of the War of 1812 were fired in the vicinity of the fort's future site, the "sand hill at Springwells". Although war had not yet been officially declared, Michigan militiamen bombarded the town of Sandwich, Upper Canada (later annexed into Windsor) on July 4, 1812. Later in the course of the war, British general Isaac Brock crossed the narrowest part of the Detroit River with his troops and landed on the future Fort Wayne site before marching to Detroit. In the ensuing Siege of Detroit, American general William Hull, believing himself completely surrounded and outnumbered, surrendered Fort Shelby to the British without offering any resistance. The British later abandoned the fort and American troops reoccupied it. In 1815, the future Fort Wayne site was where American government and the local Native American tribal leaders met to sign of the Treaty of Springwells, which marked the official (though belated) end of hostilities between the government and tribes who had allied with the British during the war. Among those present for the signing of the treaty were territorial governor Lewis Cass and General William Henry Harrison." read more

We took the Haunted Fort Wayne tour the other night and had ourselves a blast. There was a presentation by MPI (Metro Paranormal Investigations), a tour, then we were set free at night to go out on our own with flashlights, exploring! This place is so interesting, especially in the dark with the creepiness factored in! It's much better preserved than I expected. There are bats, barracks, ghost stories, jail cells, fancy officers' abodes, a family of foxes, and much more. It's an empty little military city from the 1800's and I loved the feeling of wandering around its dark streets, discovering. Fenced in between two stately homes on Officers' Row is a burial mound I later learned was made by a civilization so old we're talking B.C.! Apparently, at least 3 Native tribes that later settled in this area banded together to exterminate these mound builders. Interesting too that the barbed wire surrounding the mound faces INward. Hmm. $10 for four hours of fascination. Another reason to love Detroit! read more

Fort Wayne is not only of historical significance in Detroit, but it also hosts many things that you would not realize, like flea markets, for instance. It is also home of the Tuskeegee Airmen Musuem. If you are a Detroit history buff, then you might want to take a look at this place. It was originally built because a fort by the water was needed when the US was having problems with Britain. Then that got resolved so it pretty much went unused until the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. It also housed families during the Depression and the Detroit Riots. I came here with a class and we watched Civil War re-enactments. Originally I wrote that the re-enactments were boring, but then I found out that the people involved are of huge support to this historic fort. So I feel compelled to add that I am not interested in military history. The summer is a great time to check out the fort. read more

It's such a shame of what this place has become over the years. To see a part of our history fall apart and become almost nothing. It breaks my heart that something so precious to Detroit's history and even Michigan history can fall into such ruined. Being a city park I believe they should've handed over to the state along time ago for upkeep. Most the buildings are corroding and falling apart to the point of almost no return and the grounds are just littered. You think with such a beautiful history of this fort it would've been taken care of better. It's sad to hear from the people who volunteer to work here for free that there's not more the city is willing to do to make it what it should be. When we forget about our history we forget who we are. I hope one day they will restore this park to what it should be and be part of our history and teachings to the future generations. read more

As everyone has previously mentioned, Fort Wayne was originally built to potentially defend the United States from a British invasion via Canada. Fort Wayne, Detroit operated from 1845 until 1973 as an active U.S. Military Installation - including a Nike Missile site. Today it remains one of only a few "Star Forts" in the world. An aerial view of Fort Wayne clearly shows the Forts distinct star configuration. However just as significant is the fact that literally tens of thousands of young men were inducted into the United States armed forces beginning with World War I, World War II, Korea and the long and bloody Vietnam War. The young men were given their physical exams, sworn into the Armed Forces and shipped off for basic training or boot camp from Fort Wayne Detroit. Today Historic Fort Wayne is managed by the City of Detroit Parks & Recreation Department. The Old Fort is slowly being renovated by a small group of volunteers from the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition. Donations and volunteers are gladly invited. There are regular daytime weekly tours during Spring and Summer hours - admission is only $3.00 per person ($5.00 per car for parking). There are also "Haunted Fort Wayne Tours" during the summer months conducted by MPI of Auburn Hills, Michigan. These nighttime "haunted tours" are $50.00 per person - and are usually sold out every year. A little pricey in my opinion - but, a portion of any admission goes to maintain and restore the Fort. Overall, I'd highly recommend visiting this fascinating old Military base - for only $3.00 per person - it's really a great bargain and a chance to investigate a tangible piece of American history. Check out; www.historicfortwaynecoalition.com - for more information. See ya! read more

Very historic and a lot of fascinating history. Being able to explore here was a treat! The old battery magazines and ammunition rooms are intact even after 170 years. It's a very eerie feeling seeing all the old houses falling apart. The Indian mound is for real! Creepy. Bring a picnic and your camera. Lots of privacy and over 90 acres to explore. I appreciate the good people and volunteers who do whatever they can to keep this place up. Overall very happy with our experience here. The gate guard gave us a run down of the rules and threw some good tips our way, thank you very much for that! We will return for one of the many events and look forward to the Ghost tours! Thank you read more

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We did a Tours After Dark event and it was fabulous! Phil was our tour guide, he was knowledgeable and very engaging... it was fascinating to hear the history and many uses the fort has seen over the years. The entire fort complex is managed by a non-profit org, they receive no financial assistance from the city or state. Please support them and book a tour, you won't be disappointed! read more

They never fought here but its interesting to see. It was suppose to be Detroit last line of defense if attacked or something like that. Its cool to see you get to see another side of detroit and learn about the history of the D. You get to see real cannons and stuff. As a kid my cub scout troup camped out there. You probably don't care bout Detroits history but if you do its a must visit. read more

I had the best time. Better than I imagined. Our tour guide Phil was very informative and had a great personality. Interacting with ghosts with him was a blast! read more

I'm actually writing this about the Tuskegee Air Museum. This was an awesome experience for my kids and us. So informative and the guides were engaging and kept the attention of a severe ADD kid and a mildly Autistic child. So much information, all the planes and pictures. It was so cool. I highly recommend this for anyone who like history, planes and or war information. read more

Despite my earlier 5-star review, my increasingly disappointing dealings with the volunteer organization that purports to be dedicated to "saving" Fort Wayne have soured me greatly. To be clear, this 1-star rating is not a reflection on the *site,* but again it is solely a reflection on the volunteer group that operates it--the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition. While most of the actual volunteers themselves are great people, the leadership of this organization appears to be self-serving and extremely rude to deal with. Instead of humble stewards of a public historic landmark, they seem to see themselves more like "kings of a castle," though this is usually not apparent from just one or two dealings with them. I'm basing my opinion on a couple years of interaction. Furthermore, the events they hold at the Fort usually seem to be poorly thought-out and poorly organized. Granted, we are talking about a volunteer organization, but take for example the Redford Theater (a similar historic venue in Detroit) which is also volunteer-run..they are so professional that one easily forgets that it isn't a regular business. Why can't the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition have at least a fraction of that professionalism? It appears that this 501c3 non-profit's executive board is run by a clique of aging people who don't possess the energy or creativity to turn this site into the attraction that it could be. They appear to be out of touch, and this shows in how they set up and run their events. They also don't seem to be able to play nicely with other groups, as there have been incidents where they have gone out of their way to sling mud on other organizations seeking to participate in Fort Wayne, so as to exclude them from being allowed by the City to operate there. The fact that the same Chairman has been in that same position of power since the organization was founded 15years ago speaks to the fact that things might be a little cliquish. Finally, I want to say that at least one of their board members is an OPEN RACIST. During a PAL Soccer game at the Fort in the recent past, a short white-haired man with glasses made an extremely bigoted remark toward two Spanish-speaking girls who were part of the soccer league. The remark was full of hate and profanity, and it is clear that the man believed that the two girls truly did not speak English, and could not understand what he was saying about them. It was only later that I learned he was not only a member of the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition, but one of its executive board members, with (albeit limited) decision-making power regarding this *public* site. He appeared to drive a large red truck, with a bumper sticker that says "WELCOME TO AMERICA, NOW SPEAK ENGLISH." I find this to be highly inappropriate conduct for a representative of a tax-exempt organization that has de-facto control over a public historic park. read more

It's hard for me to picture Fort Wayne as an historic sight. I was stationed there in 1957 and remember it as another post to be stationed at. I don't think of it as a rundown relic. read more