Destination guide for Charleston’s Fort Sumter.
In the middle of Charleston Harbor sits the ruins of what appears to be an unassuming fort, but it was here that the course of American history was forever changed. The site is Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began at 4:30 AM on April 12, 1861. Today, not much is left of the fort – parts of the walls, some cannons – but the memories of America’s bloodiest years linger in the pictures and artifacts on display in a museum located on the island.
Visiting Fort Sumter
Over the years, during my travels across the U.S., I have had the opportunity to visit several significant sites associated with the American Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Finally, in 2025, I got the chance to travel to Charleston and explore Fort Sumter. The visit to the site exceeded my expectations, and I found the overall experience to be very interesting and insightful. An added bonus to visiting Fort Sumter is the 30-minute ferry ride (each way), which provides beautiful views of Charleston and glimpses of wildlife such as playful dolphins!
A visit to Fort Sumter starts at the National Park’s official Fort Sumter Visitor Center in Liberty Square or at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mt. Pleasant. Since I was lodging in downtown Charleston, I started my journey to Fort Sumter at the visitor center in Liberty Square, which includes a small museum, gift store, and information desk. The museum has a handful of interesting displays, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to view them. If you are participating in the Fort Sumter tours, the ferry to the island departs from behind the visitor center.
The museum at the visitor center is free, but guests need to purchase a ticket to visit Fort Sumter. The ticket includes admission to the island, the ferry ride, and a tour by National Park Rangers.
Fort Sumter Tours is the only company authorized by the National Park Service to provide rides to the island and tours of the fort.
Both locations offer several daily departures to Fort Sumter, with more time slots available during peak travel seasons like the summer. The ferry has two decks: an upper deck that is open to the elements and a lower deck that offers indoor seating, restrooms, and a concession stand. National Park Rangers accompany travelers to the island, and on the way to the fort, they share information on the island’s history and the role the fort played in the Civil War. I was fortunate that I had beautiful weather on the day of my visit, but I was freezing; it was in the low 40s (F) that morning and super windy onboard the ferry. I was huddled on the top deck, trying to stay warm!
The concession stand on the ferry is cash-only and sells water, drinks, coffee (perfect for those cold days!), and snacks.
When you arrive at the island, the park rangers lead a short tour, and then visitors are given about an hour to explore the island, check out the museum, and admire the views. Regarding relics, there is not much left except for some cannons strewn about the site. The museum itself contains more artifacts and interesting exhibits.
The Visitor Center at Liberty Square, the ferry, and Fort Sumter are all fully accessible.
A major highlight of my visit to Fort Sumter was the chance to raise the American flag with the park rangers. They asked for volunteers, and of course, I participated since it was such a unique experience. The first group to the island raises the flag, while the last group lowers it.
The flag that flies over the fort is a replica of the flag that was flown in 1861 during the war.
Raising the Flag
I captured two short videos of the experience. It was incredibly windy that morning, and the flag was really heavy!
Resources
For additional information, visit the National Park’s Fort Sumter website.
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