A row of cannon with Fort Moultrie in the background. A US flag is flying in the fort.
Fort Moultrie spans 171 years from 1776-1947 NPS Photo

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

National Historic Site · South Carolina · National Park Service

Two forts stand at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. Patriots inside a palmetto log fort, later named Fort Moultrie, defeated the Royal Navy in 1776. As Charleston blazed a path towards secession to preserve slavery, construction on a new fort, Fort Sumter, proceeded. The Confederacy fired on the US garrison of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 opening the Civil War, which redefined American freedom.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
(843) 883-3123
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Architecture and Building · African American Heritage · American Revolution · Archeology · Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite · Colonization and Settlement · Engineering · Enslavement · Farming and Agriculture · Plantations · Forts · Incarceration · Jails and Prisons · Immigration · Maritime · Coastal Defenses · Maritime - Military · Lighthouses · Piracy and Privateering · Medicine · Hospital · Military · Infantry and Militia · Artillery · US Army · US Navy · US Coast Guard · Indigenous and Native Warrior · Battlefields · Monuments and Memorials · Native American Heritage · Reconstruction · Schools and Education · Social Movements · Abolition Movement · Civil Rights · Wars and Conflicts · Tribal Conflicts · Colonial/European Contact Conflicts · American Revolutionary War · War of 1812 · Civil War · Spanish-American War · World War I · World War II · Animals · Birds · Fish · Tortoises and Turtles · Night Sky · Astronomy · Scenic Views · Wetlands · Marshes · Swamps

Activities & features: Astronomy · Stargazing · Boating · Boat Tour · Fishing · Saltwater Fishing · Food · Dining · Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Walking · Hands-On · Citizen Science · Living History · Reenactments · Historic Weapons Demonstration · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Park Film · Museum Exhibits · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • Fort Sumter with a US flag flying above the fort with dock in the foreground
    NPS Photo
  • Civil War cannon sitting on carriage pointing towards firing hole in brick wall
    NPS Photo
  • Center of image is round metal and glass signal light with grassy hills hills in background
    NPS Photo
  • A three-story brick structure with a staircase in front and water in the background
    NPS Photo

Nearby parks

Parks of South Carolina

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57 parks mapped in South Carolina

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Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12