Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter was named after General Thomas Sumter, a hero of the American Revolution. On April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m., Confederate batteries opened fire on the fort, which started the American Civil War.

The Fort was built after the War of 1812 as one of a series of fortifications on the southern U.S. coast. Construction began in 1829, using slave labor, and the structure was unfinished in 1860, when the Civil War began.

Today, Fort Sumter is a popular tourist attraction administered by the U.S. National Park Service.

Location

Charleston, South Carolina
USA

Getting There

To get to Fort Sumter National Monument by public transportation, you can take a ferry from Liberty Square in downtown Charleston. The ferry service is operated by Fort Sumter Tours and departs from 340 Concord St, Charleston, SC 29401. You can reach Liberty Square by taking the CARTA Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) or any of the local bus routes that stop nearby. Alternatively, you can take a taxi or rideshare service to Liberty Square.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in South Carolina that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.