The sea fort where the American Civil War began on 12 April 1861, when Confederate batteries around Charleston Harbor opened fire on the Union garrison. The only way out is by boat — the official ferry departs from Liberty Square on the Charleston waterfront or from Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, and the round trip including about an hour on the island takes about two and a quarter hours. A small museum inside the fort tells the story of the siege and the war it triggered.
Fort Sumter
Island sea fort where the American Civil War began in 1861