Fort Moultrie National Park: Re-creation of 171 Years of Seacoast Defense
Fort Moultrie National Park, which is situated on the Charleston Harbor on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, is a popular destination for history buffs visiting Charleston and the surrounding area. Fort Moultrie National Park was the site of a working fort from 1776 until its official closure after World War II in 1947.
The National Park Service restored Fort Moultrie to reflect all the changes the fort went through while protecting the American seacoast for 171 years. Fort Moultrie, along with the eventual creation of nearby Fort Sumter, played a significant role in every single American war during these years as the forts protected the Charleston Harbor — a very important harbor throughout most of history. A 22-minute film, shown inside the Fort Moultrie Visitor's Center and Museum, chronicles the importance of this fort.
A tour of the fort takes visitors through this history with accurate recreations of how the fort looked and worked throughout this entire time period. While walking through Fort Moultrie, visitors quickly see how technology and war strategy changed throughout time — especially with the size and power of the fort’s cannons.
The self-guided tour through Fort Moultrie is $3 for adults and $5 for families, and is open to the public every day of the year except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The entrance fee is free for those who have the “America the Beautiful — National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass.” This annual pass can also be purchased at Fort Moultrie for $80 — which allows the pass holder to bring in three additional people at no charge to every national park.
HelloCharleston Tip: Entrance to the museum, as well as the Fort Moultrie history film, is free to the public. The fee is charged for those who want to enter the actual fort.
Posted on Apr 19, 2011 by Mike D'Avria
