Fort Sumter National Monument Reviews

This is a must see. It's an historical landmark, the first shots of the Civil War. We took a boat from Mount Pleasant to see it. We didn't have enough time to read everything but still enjoyed the sights.

Not much of a fort really. No living quarters or buildings to tour like other forts I've visited. Park employees provide lectures about the the history of the fort.

We chose the 4 pm tour leaving from Liberty Square, mainly because it worked out time-wise, but I’m so glad we did! Since it was the last tour of the day, there was a flag-lowering “show” which was the highlight of the tour! Park Ranger Reid was our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable, interesting, and funny! Highly recommend doing the last tour of the day! The pictures also were really nice because the sun was starting to set.

I was so excited as this was a main reason that I wanted to visit Charleston. Underwhelmed. Boat ride was ok but most of what the park ranger spoke about in the fort could have been spoken on the boat in my opinion. Previous reviews have indicated they do not allow nearly the amount of time needed at the fort. Unfortunately correct. In our case 55 minutes which include exiting the boat. It was hot June in SC but note the NPS visitor center’s AC was broken. All in all, Fort Macon and Fort Pulaski much better experience for considerably less $s.

Fun and enjoyable afternoon learning about Fort Sumter and the civil war. The park rangers do an excellent job of talking about not only the fort but history in general. The boat ride is nice as you see the harbor and learn about it from the rangers. And it is not an all day affair so you fit in to your schedule easily. There is the aquarium right next to the Fort Sumter visitor center and an excellent African American history museum just a couple of blocks away. Fun and educational day.

Significant historic site of the Civil War and now a national historical park. The fort is only accessible by boat from the Fort Sumter Visitor and Education Center (Liberty Square) in Charleston or Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant. We departed from Charleston. For departure times, cost, and visitation details go to the authorized concessioner website.

The fort itself is somewhat underwhelming but worth the visit given its historic significance to our national history. We enjoyed the less that half hour each way boat ride and found the ranger presentation at the fort adequate. You'll have less than an hour to tour the fort on your own and visit the information and gift shop.
Suggestions:
> Book one of the morning departures to avoid the heat and humidity.
> Plan on arriving at least 30 minutes or more prior to departure to spend some time in the visitor's center and view the short movie in the boarding/waiting area.
> Book in advance.

We enjoyed the lowering of the flag at the end of the day on the last tour at 2:45 from Liberty Square. Kids and adults both get to help fold the flag. Lots of great history and an enjoyable ferry ride. Must do when in Charleston

Fort Sumpter is easily accessible and an interesting stop. Well marked and easy to understand plaques make the visit educational.

The day before I toured Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter was a great natural follow up. Again I was fortunate enough to have Park Ranger Wats leading the tour here as well. I must admit the Fort was considerably smaller than what I expected but to be there in person helped to put things in perspective. Was mind boggling to see ammunition from the past still lodged in the walls mere feet away from cannons that were banned by solders from so long ago. The bravery it would have taken to stand at your station at that time....makes you look at our past with even more admiration for those men.

Great tour of Ft Sumter. It had been a little foggy but the time we got to the fort it was a beautiful sunny day. The tour was the perfect length of time. You can go thru the museum, gift shop and still catch the informational panels around the fort.
Park Rangers & guides are very helpful and answered all kinds of questions from people on my tour

We had a pleasant ferry trip to Fort Sumter, and a pleasant tour of the site. Park Rangers were helpful and considerate!

The woke mob has definitely taken over the guided portion of the site. Upon arrival, we were directed to a brief history lecture provided by the federal park "ranger" or whatever he was. He said about two sentences about Fort Sumpter and what had occurred there. Instead, he spent close to 20 minutes giving a hamfisted and sanctimonious speech about slavery, how misguided we all are about any notions we have about the cause of the Civil War - basically a 1619 project platform speech. NOTHING about Fort Sumpter, the place i just paid to visit. The guide on the ferry was much better. All in all - skip it

A great experience!

There is just so much history at this place that it seems surreal when you're standing there. Parts of the fort just feel trapped in time as if it was built just yesterday.

The museum area is very well done with tons of great info and artifacts. I enjoyed looking at some of the old flags that I never knew existed. I will say while this is a tremendous experience for adults and history buffs, our young kids were a little bit bored with the whole thing. Once our two young boys learned there wasn't much to do besides look around and listen to history they were checked out. lol. It's also very adamantly stated by the park rangers that you are not allowed to climb or walk on any part of the fort that is basically not paved or grassy area. In some areas this is hard to determine, someone else's kid was lectured via loudspeaker for standing on a random row of bricks that was about one brick tall and was not sectioned off by anything, it just appeared to be part of the path. Anyone could have done that and I felt it was an unnecessary public scolding. Perhaps section off your areas better if it's that serious.

The trip itself is about 2-3 hours. Standing in line to board the ferry about 15-30 mins. 30 minute ferry ride over, 1 hr on the fort, 30 mins ferry ride back. Also, there was a delay once we arrived at the fort as the ferry that was currently docked was delayed in departing (rounding up stragglers).

The wow moment of the whole experience for me though was right before it was time to leave the fort, a gentleman from the ferry boat came around gathering all the people to depart, he stops and tells us that on some of the bricks you can see indentations, these are fingerprints from the slaves that made the bricks. Once we knew that we could see them everywhere, on one brick we found you could see an entire hand-print. Being able to actually touch and feel the history was an incredible experience.

What a nice ferry ride to Ft. Sumpter! Once you get off the ferry, you have about an hour to tour. There is a great museum and small gift shop too. We took the ferry from Patriot Point. There aren’t enough seats for all the tickets, so if you need a seat, you may want to get in line early. We had my mother in law, who can’t get around easily, and luckily there was a seat for her. However, I believe someone would have given up a spot for her. She was able to walk to the Ft, but then stayed in the shaded area.

The tour of Fort Sumter was definitely the highlight of our trip to Charleston! You depart from beautiful Liberty Square for a 45-minute ferry ride. The Fort itself has been well maintained but definitely take the time to listen to the presentation by the park ranger. Ours was by Ranger J. Drass who was amazing! He was so knowledgeable and gave great insight into context and politics. I could have listened to him all day! It really makes me so grateful to live in this great country when I see these historical sites. Thank you to our fabulous National Park Service!

The place is an amazing . The history was really informative. I thought I knew a lot about this place but learned lots from rangers. They were great. It’s a must see place.

Well worth the ferry ride and the visit. There was not enough time to explore all of it between ferry trips.

Visiting Fort Sumter was one of our best sojourns we did while visiting Charleston. The fort is a symbol for the start of the American Civil War. On April 12th, 1861 the South (the Confederacy) fired upon Ft. Sumter which was controlled by the North (the Union). After 34 hours, the Northern commander, Major Anderson, agreed to evacuate. Ironically, not one soldier was killed during the bombardment. The Civil War would take over 600,000 lives to end.

To get to Ft. Sumter, you will need to take a Spiritline Cruise from either Charleston or from Mount Pleasant location based in Patriots Point. We decided to leave from Charleston. A museum and dock are at the northern end of Calhoun Street. Next to the National Park Museum is the South Carolina Aquarium.

We would not recommend this tour with anyone that has trouble with walking. There are far too many steps to feel comfortable.

The boat tour at this time cost $30 per person. We purchased our tickets at the museum. It was a busy Saturday and there was no problem finding a seat on the ferry. We would recommend waiting to buy your tickets on the day of to make sure the weather is accommodating.

There are various times for this tour. We picked the last tour with the ferry leaving at 4:00pm. The advantage of the late tour is the possibility of seeing the ceremony of the flag being taken down at the Fort.

Make sure you get the times correct when the tour leaves. We were an hour early as we misconstrued the Mount Pleasant departure.

We did get to see in depth the Ft. Sumter Museum in Charleston. We did locate the actual flag that was used to fly over the fort on April 12th, 1861. It is in a glass case and this flag could be overlooked. A replica of the large flag is along the west wall.

We did find the museum interesting. The exhibits display what Charleston was like in 1861. Then, too, there is detail on the events that led up to the Civil War. When the museum was made in circa 2000, we wished they had incorporated a film about the fort and the Civil War.

As the museum is on the second floor, there is a large deck that overlooks Cooper River, the USS Yorktown, the bridge and Mount Pleasant. This deck makes a good picture opportunity.

The ferry actually comes from Patriots Point. The “prime seats” have already been taken by the early birds from Mount Pleasant. Don’t fear as there are plenty of seats on the two-deck ferry.

We ended up going downstairs. The advantage of the lower deck is that it is air-conditioned! It takes about 25 minutes to reach the fort depending if you are with or against the tides.

Along the way the Charleston waterfront is quite visible. The first “fort” in the channel is Castle Pinckney. It is easily confused as Ft. Sumter as it is quite visible from Charleston’s waterfront.

Castle Pinckney were fortifications built in 1810. It was used briefly as a prisoner-of war camp during the Civil War. Today, it is operated by the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

We were greeted at the dock by a National Park Service Ranger, Tom Robe. In a pleasant voice, he laid out the rules and regulations of walking in and out of the fort. The main point is not to stand, excessively touch and take any artifacts from this historical enclave. He asked everyone not to go out on the sandbar to the south that was being used by weekend boaters. He did invite everyone to his Ranger 15-minute talk at the base of the flag.

An hour at Ft. Sumter went by so quickly. Ranger Robe’s speech was neutral in nature, not for or against either side. He gave an enlightening episode of why people come to Fort Sumter. What brings about a million people a year to Ft. Sumter?

As a history teacher for 21 years, I did learn that Fort Sumter was actually man-made by slaves. The island was formed by slaves depositing rocks and sand in the middle of the channel. I did know that two soldiers died when one of the guns misfired during the salute when the fort was evacuated. The salute was canceled when this event happened.

During his presentation, Ranger Robe mentioned that the fingers of slaves can still be seen on the red bricks. These bricks were made over 150 years ago. With the help from another Ranger, we were able to find a slaves indentation on a brick.

Two-thirds of the fort is actually missing. The bombardment from both south and later by the north caused severe damage to the top two floors.

We did not know that the Union Major Anderson came back to the fort when it was retaken in February of 1865. The major hoisted the same flag that was taken down in April of 1861. That same flag is the one that you would see in the Ft. Sumter Museum complex in Charleston.

The presentation of Ranger Robe is what inspires young people to become historians, forming a love for what this nation stands for. There were a number of people that went up to him after the ceremony thanking him for his knowledge and attitude.

The ceremony ended when a large flag was brought down from the poll. He asked for volunteers to help him. About 20 people, young and old, helped grab the flag and rolled it up properly from corner to corner. It was one of those moments that we will never forget.

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We love visiting military historical spots. This was smaller than I expected, but still sobering. It was NOT LONG ENOUGH! Needs to be about 30 minutes longer in the fort itself. You can read up on the history, and skip the 15 minute Ranger speech at the beginning.

This tour company is the only way to visit.

It was a chilly, breezy boat ride but the park rangers and volunteers were very entertaining, so it wasn't that bad. We were fortunate enough to be the first group to arrive Fort Sumter that morning thus able to experience the raising of the flag ceremony - very moving. Being at the Fort is a chilling reminder of our US history. We wandered around the grounds and also walked through the museum. So glad we made the time to visit this historic site as it's been on our list for quite some time.

My wife and I love Civil War sites and while we enjoyed the fort, it was a little underwhelming, really very little to see at the fort itself. Definitely a one and done, no repeat visits.

We enjoyed this tour. The boat trip around the fort and the narrative offered by the ship was informative. We really found the museum good and the venure was well worth the trip

Maybe its me but I feel like the tour guide didn't really talk about the fort so much,rather then just talk about the American flag which stood on the island.the ride over was nice,they talk about a few things as your in the water but once you got there you have to climb a lot of stairs so if you cant,can't, will basically miss what he's talking about.And when he is done talking about the flag,they ask for 15 people to come help him fold the flag. It might be because we were the last group and they take it down at night.I guess I feel like they should of talked more about what was actually going on there but no.After he does his speech you can walk around and read the signs and meet back at the boat at a certain time. Trip takes about 2 and a half hours in toral.30 minutes in and back and the rest at the fort

Fort Sumter is a must see for anyone interested in the beginning of the Civil War. The history given on the boat ride out and back is outstanding and to view the site where the war actually started is a sobering experience. This is my second Civil War fort I've visited and looking at the immensity of the fort and the time it took to build it is overwhelming. Great history and, in my view, a must see when visiting Charleston.

Awesome experience to the place where the Civil War Began. The Island and Fort has been preserved and restored to a great interpretive museum and monument. Definitely need to allow at least 3 hours with the Boat Ride to and from the island.

This was at the top of my list while in Charleston. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip to visit the site. Civil
war Biggs like myself all need to go here.

If you’re interested in American history you may enjoy this. However, this really is just an overpriced ferry ride. There isn’t much to see, aside from two canons everything is replica.

This was a must see in Charleston. I have 4 older kids (2 older teens and 2 young adults) and they all loved this. If you are planning your day, plan on a minimum of 3 1/2 hours for just Fort Sumter. They want you there 1/2 hr before your boat leaves, then it's a 1/2 hr boat ride out to the Fort, they give you One Hour on the Fort and then it's 1/2 hr ride back. I would have liked more than 1 hour on the Fort as I didn't even get to see the museum. The boat has an air conditionad area in case it's too hot to be outside. They have a small but nice gift shop on the Fort (ran by the National Park). Bring your Passport to stamp as this is where you get the stamp. The Rangers are very knowledgeable and give a lot of helpful info - both on the boat tour over to the Fort, and while you are there. We got off the boat right at lunch time and had a combo ticket to also see the Yorktown. They don't have any food to eat at this location. The Yorktown is a "tour on your own" so we left the parking lot and went to a fast food restaurant about 5 min away, then came back to see the Yorktown. It was $5 to park for the day and they let you back in with receipt. They have snacks on the Boat ride back from the Fort but not much. If you can see either the 1st tour or the last tour of the day you get to see them raise and lower the flag. Would like to have seen that. This tour is not wheelchair accessable if you want to see the whole fort.

This is a trip worth taking. We left Liberty Square for a very pleasant ferry trip to Fort Sumter. A few highlights were pointed out along the way. The Fort itself and the museum are fascinating. We were on the last trip out for the day, so the flag was lowered while we were there with the help of visitors, which was a moving experience. The entire visit would be enhanced if the park rangers took the time to welcome guests and provide valuable information. When asked specific questions, they barely engaged. What a shame!

I will separate this review into two parts addressing the cruise, then the actual fort.

Waiting for the boat was nicely organized in a shaded area of the NPS building. Or this is what it seemed: before the departure we started walking around the aquarium to a different dock. A few families who wanted to teach their children a valuable ethical lesson took advantage of the mess to move toward the front of the line. We got roasted in the sun for about 10-15 minutes until the ferry arrived. It was interesting to note that the ferry arrived from Patriot Point with some people already on board. People who embark at Patriot Point seem to have a longer ferry ride (which may not always be the case). Some interesting information came our way during the ride. The cruise was my daughter's (11yo) favorite part of the experience.

The fort visit was extremely short. The ranger gave an excellent presentation. Being in the sun during this presentation may be more bearable in the morning or late afternoon (luckily we took the last cruise to the fort). My daughter was proudly part of the group that took the flag down and folded it. We walked around the fort and learned that only a couple of cannons remained from the civil war time. You get some AC inside of the museum, but not a lot of time. I am the type of person who reads every label in museums and I felt rushed back to the ferry without being able to take full advantage of the trip. I would recommend a longer visit, but the actual timing will be restricted by the ferry scheduled departure.

This was the 10th or so Third System fort our family has visited, and outside of the historical significance, it doesn't have as much going for it as some of the others. The ferry ride is crowded and unenjoyable (teenagers blasting music), even in the winter. Glad we went, but there are more interesting coastal defense forts out there that are easier to get to.

Excellent tour! We highly anticipated this tour and it did not disappoint. From the history and narration on the boat there and back to the very informative ranger at the site, we learned so much. The fort itself is fascinating.

If your in Charleston you need to make a visit. What an amazing experience we had. The guide and rangers were very informative and we had a lot of fun exploring this piece of history.

Great tour starting with boat ride out into the bay to the fort. Got to walk around the fort by ourselves or with a ranger talking about history of fort. Really enjoyed visiting this piece of southern history

History is cool, especially when you can see cannons! A visit to Fort Sumter is worth the money and time if you've never been to a fort. I never have and found everything about it interesting. The boat ride out to the site is lovely and provides you with a scenic view of Charleston, AC, bathrooms and a snack counter. Once at the fort, explore on your own for about an hour. Be sure to visit the AC museum to see some artifacts from the war.

Outstanding, interesting history. This is definitely a must-see for anyone interested in American history, and for anyone period. Knowledgeable park rangers, pleasant ferry trip, great museum, and they let you help hoist the American flag if you come in the morning.

If you take one tour in Charleston this is the tour to take. We learned so much about the history of this historical monument. The museum at the Fort is excellent as is the commentary by the park ranger on the ferry ride.

If you are a serious history buff, particularly regarding the American Civil War, then this is a worthwhile investment of your time. If you are not a history buff, you will likely be bored. It is not exactly a quick little journey. No, this is a protracted boat trip with a narrative presentation of history topics that will probably baffle young children. It is followed by a disembarkation onto a rock island with a small fort containing historic displays inside air conditioning. Outside of the fort, there are a number of outwardly facing cannons with interesting plaques. Again, I want to emphasize history buffs will be absorbed by the significance of this place, non-history buffs will be mildly interested if not bored. Make sure you bring water and make sure you eat a good breakfast before setting out on this little journey. Note: Bathroom access on the island due to water maintenance issues were a problem at the time. Make sure you use the bathroom on the boat before disembarking.

Make sure you see this when in Charleston. There are two places to leave on a Ferry to the island, from Patriots point near Mt Pleasant and from Liberty Square downtown. The Ferry ride is about 35 minutes each way and they give you 1 hour to explore Ft Sumter. This is really not nearly enough time so make the best of it! But everyone leaves wishing they had more time to explore the fort.

After learning about (and teaching about) the first battle of the Civil War, I was eager to see the site for myself in person. The guides explained everything thoroughly, and I enjoyed reading more in the museum.

Well worthwhile for history buffs and those who should learn more about history. It's a pleasant boat ride there and back, about 30 minutes each way. The Park Service does an excellent job explaining the history. To be honest, the fort is not much to see, but is worthwhile going.

It is always interesting to get to see American history in person. The ferry was right on time for both going to and coming back from the island.

Enjoyed this museum very much . Could have had a little longer than the 1 hour that was allowed. Especially for the price of the tickets. Ferry ride was enjoyable also with the narrative speaker. Museum ranger was hard to hear. Bad microphone. But I am glad to have experienced it. Not for the handicapped, rocky uneven terrain.

This was actually kinda disappointing. The fort is well known due to historical events, but the ranger tour presentation was more about his opinion of the fort's releavence to changing US democracy, then about the historical details sounding the fort's wartime engagements. The massive 20th century bunker building obliterates most of the true historical architecture of the fort. There is still some sense of the original architecture and some historical information to read throughout, but most of it is self-serve. Also there is now sandbar all the way from the mainland to the fort, so there were a LOT of boats and partiers all along that sandbar, so that distracted from the fort's historical presence. Ferry ride was nice, but almost no narration of any kind to/from fort. Seems like NPS is wiping away the actual history of the fort and replacing it with some other narrative.

This was a good trip and very informative. It was 1/2 hour boat ride to the island, 1 hour to explore the island and museum and then 1/2 hour ride back. There is an inside area on the boat that was airconditioned, but the top was really nice with the breeze. When you get to the island you walk around on your own. After an hour I personally was ready to go - it go really depressing to read about all the people that died.

Being a Civil War nut, I wanted to see where the Civil War started. I already had visited Appomattox Courthouse.
We were tailed literally all day by some strong storms which made me a bit nervous about going into the harbor. We did hit some rain on the way back but nothing too serious.
It was an amazing experience and Charleston was an amazing city as well. So much to do and see, I will have to return here in the future.

Great historical adventure. The fort is not as complete as others (Fort Pulaski) from the era but worth the visit. The ferry ride is an added enjoyable event.

The boat ride was nice, although it was chilly out. The Rangers were nice and knowledgeable. There isn't a ton to see on the monument, but there is a nice museum on the island. It's extremely historic, one would be foolish not to visit it if you're in Charleston.

We really enjoyed our tour of Ft Sumpter last spring. The tour guides were engaging and we learned a lot, they also gave plenty of time to explore on our own. If we had any questions the guide was readily available and gave us hints of where to look on the fort. Be sure to look out for dolphin when waiting for the ferry in your way out!

Great time, from the ferry fide over to the raising of the flag (take the first tour of the day for this). The volunteers were very knowledgeable and friendly.
If there's a fort around during our travels, we will always take the tour. It was a learning experience and great fun.

Should be a true History buff to visit. Much of original Fort gone, some restoration ongoing. Ranger did excellent tour / Narrative.
Can easily spend 3 to 4 hours here. Don't forget gift shop and Museum area in Center. Great place for photos of family. Scenic waterway and boat trip on way and back. Worth the money. Stop by the Parks Department at Liberty Square, have great displays also. We were amazed at how much History and Civil war importance this Fort carries. Plan on walking a lot, some stairs also. Glad we don't live in this era, so much struggle and suffering. Proud of what our Heritage passed along.

Enjoyed the boat ride to the Fort as we saw lots of interesting ships and wildlife. Once we got to the Fort we were able to see the taking down of the flag ceremony as we went on the last tour at 4. The history of the Fort is evident throughout the self tour and the museum.

Start your visit at Liberty Square. This is where you meet the ferry. There is a parking garage directly across the street from the park. Easy parking there. I think the signage could be better to get to the ferry. When you approach the building where you buy tickets, you go up the stairs, but not into the building. There is a window to the left of the doors where you will purchase tickets. After purchasing tickets, you go around back to get in line to board the ferry. There are seats on the ferry, BUT they sell many more tickets than they have seats, so if you are at the end of the line, you will stand for the 30 minute ride out to the island. You basically get 1 hour on the island and then the ferry returns to Charleston.

We went over on the first ferry of the day. Much was said about the flag raising ceremony. We attended it. It felt less like a ceremony and more like a ranger's reflections on the flag before finally raising it. I don't mean to complain, but you have 1 hour on the island to see everything. The flag raising happens about 10 minutes after you arrive on the island, so now you have 50 minutes left. The ranger's speech rambled a bit and I found myself becoming impatient. I wanted to see the flag raised and then get to seeing as much as I could in the time allotted. The rangers are there everyday. Most of us are there for that 1 hour of time. Honestly, you really need about 90 minutes there to see it all. From a historical perspective, its worth visiting.

We wanted to see Ft Sumter for its historic significance. The ferry ride out was nice, but as bit long. The fort itself was a bit disappointing. The large black battey building on the parade field seems out of place,

Loved everything about the fort! Ferry ride from Charleston was smooth and relaxing and took about a 1/2 hour to get there. The Ranger presentation was great and then the Ranger was available to answer any questions. The museum inside the fort was so informative and anyone who loves history/Civil War will love their visit. It was very interesting to walk around and check out the grounds. Really puts things in perspective and gives me a new appreciation to all who fought.

The welcome center has broken AC and said it will be for prob another 6 weeks on land. The island works well and if you listen to the Ranger talk (recommended) you will be pressed to see all of it. Lots of information if you like history .

We took the ferry out to the island and the information given on board in preparation for our visit was informative and useful.
Once on the island we had an hour to wander around, explore and absorb all the information. Personally I became a bit bored towards the end. There are only so many cannons you can see before everything begins to merge into one.

There is no doubt this is an important part of American history and even for us to see where the Civil War began was of historic note.

Although there is not much of the fort left, this is a must visit for anyone with the slightest interest in history. A 30 minute ferry ride takes you from the visitor center to the fort and back, so you get a mini harbor cruise as well. We went on the morning cruise, so we were able to participate in the daily flag raising. the total time at the fort was about an hour. The rangers and volunteers are well informed and genuinely like talking to guests - even giving a local's recommendation for restaurants.

One word of warning - there are no restrooms at the fort, so go before you go.

This is hallowed ground. What’s left of the Fort itself is not a whole lot to look at, but given its historical significance, this is a place I would recommend as part of anyone’s Charleston visit.

The park ranger gave an excellent speech on the historical significance of Fort Sumter to begin things, and there are a ton of interesting signs full of information about everything from the fort’s construction and fortification to living conditions and its strategic importance. The site from which you depart has a moderately-sized but very interesting museum which likewise is chock-full of facts about the fort and the time around the early stages leading up to the Civil War.

Very worthwhile way to spend two or three hours. Recommend and would return.

A 30 minute ferry ride out to the fort. Very nice ride, sit outside to enjoy the views and sunshine. The ranger on board gives you small tidbits on the ride out. Once at the fort you have 1 hour to explore on your own, or join a ranger talk for about 20 minutes. There is also a museum that you should go into to see the original Fort Sumter flag. An important part of our history to see.

I am a Civil War historian. I have been to Fort Sumter, where it began. I have been to Appomattox, where it ended. And I have been to every major battlefield in between. This is my third trip to Fort Sumter. Located in Charleston Harbor, it was designed to protect one of the South's largest cities and most important ports from invasion. And thanks to the exhibits at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, where you can purchase tickets for the tour boat, and the park rangers who inform visitors about the history of the fort and its role in the Civil War, I always come away with more knowledge about the event. Why was Major Robert Anderson recognized as the Union's first war hero? What role did Captain George S. James play in the battle for Fort Sumter? Who was Daniel Hough? Edward Galloway? What was Sergeant Peter Hart's heroic act? You'll learn who they were and a lot more when you spend the allotted hour walking through the ruins of Fort Sumter. It began on April 12, 1861 when South Carolina militia artillery began shelling the Union garrison in the brick fort. They were the first shots of the Civil War. Today, the fort remains much as it looked when the bombardment ended on April 13 and the Union garrison surrendered. After purchasing your tickets, view the artifacts and exhibits in the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center at Patriots Point, then take the 30-minute ferry ride to the fort. Explore the ruins and learn about the heroes of the Civil War's first battle.

We went on a nice sunny day and it was fascinating. The rangers were great and very passionate and informative. Thank you all!

We really enjoyed visiting this museum. Small enough to view everything in the hour the ferry docks before it has to return to its main pier.

This is very nice tour about a veru important part of America history. Fort Sumter is on a island and only way to get there is ferry and you book through Fort Sumter tours. We order our tickets on line a few days before we went. The tour is poplular and i woudl suggest pre book. The tour leaves from downtown Charleston or Mt Pleasant. It is abotu 20 minute narated ferry to the island. One on teh island you ahev about 45 to 50 miiutes. We booked teh mronign tour whcih they do teh flag rasing on teh island. That was nice to see. Great tour and olnly issue is we wished we had a little more time on teh island.

The tour itself was nothing special. The best part was the boat trip to and from. The National Park Service guides gave an excellent and information history lesson on our way to the Fort. Once at the Fort we were given a short time to explore, but there really isn't much to see. We were the first tour of the day, so were fortunate to take witness the flag raising ceremony

Make time for this. Be the first or last group out. It has a wonderful museum, and you can walk about the cannons and property. We learned much!

Terrific visit to Fort Sumter. two highlights stood out. First was Ranger James. His passion for the fort and the meaning of the Civil War and its impact on the citizens was moving. second was the volunteer who recounted the history of that first battle in such vivid detail. unfortunately, we do not remember his name but it was during the noon tour on April 18th.

It was a nice ferry ride and tour of the fort. The volunteer on the boat provided good history of events. Range “Rick” also gave some good historical stories.

What a great place, very unexpected to be so cool, but there was so much to see and do, defintely not just for war or history buffs, it was really a great way to spend a couple of hours.

Really enjoyed visiting Fort Sumter. Very informative. Enjoyed touring the museum and the boat ride was a great way to see the shoreline of Charleston.

There is really only one way to get to the monument - via boat. Would have really liked about 20mins more on the island to really finish up viewing the museum. The Park Rangers were wonderful - the could answer all of our questions and really seemed to enjoy being in the park.

This is a very well organized way to explore important history. The half hour ferry ride provides ample time for the Park Ranger to give the background—-which ours did in a very entertaining and informative style. There’s plenty to see on site, but the hour was enough time for us to explore it. The Park Rangers on site were also helpful and informative. Very enjoyable!

I am a history enthusiast.
My husband and son were amazed with the museum’s layout.
I loved being of the flag ceremony.
I feel it is for children 6 year and above.

Very interesting for those interested in history. Rangers gave a good history lesson on the ferry out to the island. 2 1/2 hrs for the total trip so plan accordingly.

Great history lesson. Got to participate in the taking down of the flag. It was a beautiful day too!

My wife and I took the boat ride and tour while in Charleston. I enjoy history so this was a "must see" for me while in town. The park rangers that were on the tour were excellent and I enjoyed hearing about the history. So, why only 4 stars?

Well for me...the fort was largely destroyed by bombardment by the union as it tried to retake the fort from the confederates (hint...they never did). In WWII additional "improvements" made of concrete and painted black were added to provide for possible defense of Charleston harbor. To me, this desecrated the site. It is what it is, but I was hoping to see a clean historic site from the civil war. Note that the history at the museum on land before the boat departure is well worth the time.

This is a gem, only problem is tours are sold out really fast on long weekends. Plan to eat before the tour or pack food in trunk of a car.
Parking is reasonable and you can park for entire day. Time spent on fort Sumpter isn't long enough for history lovers like us but it was enough for kids..
Check out uss Yorktown, we could have spent entire day there..

Worth visiting
This is really a monument place
Place to remember.
One shouldn't miss. I live in Hanahan, SC . So it was way.
Tourist should definitely visit

We were on the first boat out and were able to join in and help raise the flag. There was a middle school choir group in attendance who spontaneously started to sing our national anthem as the flag was raised... what a very special experience. BTW the National Park guides speaking on the boat and at the fort were outstanding

The park ranges are extremely knowledgeable and informative. They provide a great overview of the history of the fort as well as perspective of the locals prior to the start of the civil war. Ranger Andy was awesome and provided his information in a very thought provoking manner. Highly recommend a tour with him.

We recently visited Fort Sumter during our trip to Charleston. The trip starts with a Ferry ride leaving from Liberty Square out to the island. Rangers are on board to give a brief intro to the site. Rangers are also available on the island to answer questions and give directions.

The site is surprisingly small, and much of the original structure was destroyed during the battles to take the fort. Our first impression was to wonder how Confederate troops were able to hold out so long once the tide the war had changed.

There is a small gift shop and an excellent museum that holds the original Confederate and Union flags that flew over the site.

Gives you a better of understanding of a critical part of history.

We enjoyed the ferry ride over and back (30 mins each way). The museum at Liberty Square and on the island were very informative and helpful to learn the history of the place and the time. The rangers were great - knowledgeable and eager to share. Fun way to get a break from the great food and architecture of Charleston!

A must see. Very educational. Great guides. Would have liked to spend longer time at fort. Raising of the flag at the fort was an extra treat

Ferry ride was very well organized. Great background from park ranger on the history of fort. Really enjoyed walking around the fort and museum. Highly recommend!

US Park Service operated and delivers excellent tour. Rangers were incredibly knowledgeable on events of civil war. We did last tour of day and had the chance to take down flag. Very emotional for anyone who loves America

Been to several forts along the East Coast. This one is only accessible by ferry through Fort Sumter Tours. Even with senior pricing it was more than $30pp to visit. The fort is nice but not a lot to see as most is in ruins after Civil War even though a lot of restoration has taken place. Tour is only 1 hour and then back on the ferry to shore.
Customer service at Fort Sumter Tours was terrible regarding tickets. Rep at the counter and on the phone was not friendly or helpful. Ferry personnel were very nice.

An interesting bit of history for a part of the Civil War I didn't know much about. Good talk from the park ranger and a nice museum.

Excellent day trip. Fun for the entire family. Great boat ride with occasional dolphins be spotted. Loads of history and plenty to explore

The historic site headquarters in Charleston has nice, informative exhibits. Good to check those out first! That's where our ferry ride left from. It was a beautiful day and the boat ride through the harbor and out into the fort was lovely. Besides the views of Charleston, bridge, aircraft carrier Yorktown, and forts, we saw birds, a container ship, and dolphins. The national park tour guide was a very good speaker and extremely informative. The history at the fort itself is interesting though much of the fort was destroyed by Union bombardment during the civil war. Just seeing it, walking it, and viewing the position that the fort held in protecting the harbor is impressive. Very interesting history!

Park rangers were knowledgeable and had a lot of great information about how the fort came to be and how it was used over the years.

The park rangers really made this experience. They were very knowledgable, held an engaging introductory talk and answered our questions. Fort Sumter itself is a cool structure to visit, especially knowing its history. Make sure to spend a little time at the museum where the ferry picks you up!

Historical significance yes. But what a total disappointment and waste of time and money! There is literally nothing to see at the fort. The ferry ride was nice. The fort was in shambles and took all of 5 minutes to see it all. The national park service should be ashamed of themselves taking peoples money for this! It should be shut down.

My son got an opportunity to hoist the flag at the fort which he was very thrilled and happy. Very well kept mini museum and details. Tip - be aware of the uneven surface at the fort, one senior person fell during our tour, he got up fine with some help.

The fort was smaller than I expected, but was interesting to tour and to learn about the historical significance. The rangers were knowledgeable. If you go the first tour of the day, you can participate in the flag raising ceremony.

This is an essential visit if you are given the opportunity. The park rangers and the volunteer staff are very informative and interesting. The boat ride out to the fort is relaxing and peaceful. I was on the last tour of the day and I helped lower the flag and rolled it up for the night; great experience!

This is a must do in Charleston, I am a history and civil war buff and I have wanted to go here for a long time.

Its about a 30 min boat ride each way to the Fort, It was $31 a person which IMO is a bit on the high side.

My other complaint is they didnt IMO give you enough time on the Island, now that could be because of safety reasons. You had about 45 Mins at the Fort. I did feel a bit rushed. The Fort itself is not that big

The Fort itself is well worth seeing and this is one of the most Historic sites in the US, and anyone interested in History or even just nice scenery should go. The Fort is a bit cooler than the rest of Charleston because its on the Water, Kids should like the boat ride and the Cannons

It was absolutely gorgeous! The history was so interesting. My grandma had a fun time walking around and taking pictures. There was so much to learn about. Definitely coming back with the rest of my family one day.

We did the afternoon tour of Fort Sumter as part of our Bulldog Tour package, We did the walking tour of Charleston in the morning and then took the afternoon ferry ride to the fort. About a 30 minute ferry ride, went past Patriot Park and the guides on the ferry was informative and answered all our questions. Got to the fort and immediately they had the flag lowering ceremony with audience participation. It was very rewarding and inspiring. The National Park Ranger gave a presentation about the flag and it significance and meaning to each of us. He was very good and the presentaion and ceremony was inspiring and neat. Then spent about an hour wandering the fort - seeing the museum and what was left of the original fort. Saw the 3 shells still in the wall and before i knew it - time to head back to the ferry and return trip. The fort was cooler than the city - windy so make sure you bring a jacket. A must do if you are visiting Charleston!!

The ferry over and back was great, the park rangers were very informative and knowledgeable. Because there is no ventilation inside the fort, we would no recommend goithe visit.ng in the heat of August, but it was well worth

We did the 10:30 from Patriots Point because we got a combo ticket for the USS Yorktown. THIS IS AN ENTIRE DAY!!! I didn't expect to be here as long as we were and honestly we were so exhausted, we didn't even get to the USS Laffey or the Vietnam exhibit. The trip to Fort Sumter is a lovely but crowded ferry. We lucked out and saw a pod of dolphins right outside the fort. At the fort, the guides are scarce but very helpful if you can lock one down. We lucked out and found one to point out the fingerprints in the bricks. I appreciated the Museum and the model of what the fort would have looked at the time of the Civil War. The USS Yorktown is gigantic. There are lots of steep stairs to climb up and down. I would be nervous if I wasn't steady on my feet or had really little kids in tow. There are guided paths that you can follow. There are also guided tours that we didn't do but I sure would be very valuable if you can plan to do that. Either way, plan to be here the whole day if you want to see everything.

Always wanted to go here, even as a Canadian. I finally had time to make this happen and it was worth it.

The only way out there is by taking a ferry either from Liberty Square in Charleston or from Patriot Point in Mount Pleasant. Due to timing I wanted to take the first trip of the day out, which is from Liberty Square. Great trip out with lots of interesting points along the way. They have a Park Ranger onboard to give information and historical background.

Added bonus being the first trip of the day is that you get to raise a replica of the historical flag (the last trip gets to lower it). I didn't partake being a foreigner but it is cool to witness. You only have 1 hour but it is enough time to see everything. I actually had time at the end a had a great chat with the Park Ranger. He was very informative and really knew his stuff. Can't really describe what it was like to be at the place where the American Civil War started.

If your here and have time, this is so worth it. As much as I hate "bucket list" items, as I don't believe in "bucket lists" this may be one.

We had beautiful weather the day we took the ferry tour to Ft. Sumter. Informative ride out, and even more so when we got there. We helped to raise the flag, which was pretty cool. Lots of exhibits.

Our family (two adults and two teens) enjoyed the boat ride and quick visit to an important spot in our nation’s history. The park ranger gave a good talk that gave us an good understanding of the historical events that happened at Ft Sumter. The duration of the visit is perfect — gives time to walk the grounds and spin through the small museum. It’s an old fort so don’t expect to see more than the old walls and a few cannons.

We thoroughly enjoyed this. Our rangers were very informative and fun. We were able to explore on our own. The boat ride over was wonderful. Giving us full views of the USS Yorktown.

Obviously this is where civil war started with a shot. Cost is $40 through natural parks . You take a ferry about 30 min to arrive. About 30% of original fort is standing. Ranger gives a lecture and you're given about 30-40 min to explore. I'm not into civil war much but am a history buffs but this is timed so it might not be enough time to visit, alot of exhibits to view. Original flag was displayed.

Cool trip. 45 minutes out and back in ferry boat.
1 hour in the fort. There is a small museum on the island and some of the fortifications are still in place.
Can feel like a bit of a whirlwind since u don’t have a lot of time on the island but it was just enough for us to enjoy without becoming bored.
Neat to see a significant part of history, but did not learn a whole lot from our visit.

My husband and I enjoyed our visit to Fort Sumter. We took the ferry from Liberty Square. We were in the first tour of the day and had the honor of helping raise the flag. The Park Ranger, Shelby, was very knowledgeable about the fort and the events of the Civil War.

Cool trip. Booked thru my hotel for a deeply discounted price. 30 min ferry ride there and back as well as an hour at Ft Sumter. If you book the 930am trip, you get to see them raise the flag and help with it too. A random guest sang the National Anthem during which was very cool. 2 hours 15 mins total. Highly recommend it.

Interesting place to visit but didn't learn very much. The ranger began his presentation with something to the effect of "I'm not going to tell you what happened here because you probably already know, but I'm going to tell you how this place fits into the larger picture..." Well, although some may be familiar with it's history, others of us went to learn what ha said he wasn't going to talk about! Second, the elephant in the fort is this big black massive structure in the middle. Immediately he said he's not going to talk about that either. Well, if that's such an eyesore, get rid of it!

Fort Sumter was a great experience I recommend you go to fort Sumter at the earliest boat ride because then you can either help or watch the flag being raised there is a little museum and a gift shop you can also explore the fort personally I liked exploring the fort it was fun to see things that didn’t look that different when the cilvl war started.

Nice boat ride over to Ft. Sumter with staff that know the history! Museum at the boat departure point is very informative as is the museum on Ft. Sumter.

This is a great quick trip total time 2.5 hours and a boat ride and great history fun grounds to walk around . Lots of great history and a great understanding of what happen

For the "because it's there" visitor, this will be a good trip. Despite going in December when the weather was rainy and cold, the boat ride over to the monument was enjoyable just being in the harbor and taking in the views, although it was a bit on the high side at $32 per person.
While on board, a Park Ranger gave an overview of the fort and of the war using the boat's PA system. Upon disembarking at the Fort, visitors are told that the return trip would leave in ONE HOUR. For the casual observer, this is more than adequate to cover the grounds and be ready for the return trip. For the avid historian, one hour is nowhere near enough time to fully explore and contemplate the grounds, the emplacements, and the importance of the site.
The museum will offer visitors some unique pieces of history with ample explanations of the items but with everyone else vying for a good look at the pieces, you feel rushed through.
The grounds themselves are minimally maintained to preserve the site but no extended learning opportunities are available for those with a greater curiosity.
On the plus side, visitors are given the opportunity to take place in either a flag raising or flag lowering, depending on the time of day in which you tour. Prior to the flag ceremony, a park ranger gives another presentation regarding the Fort's flags.
Overall, the tour was enjoyable but certainly not long enough. As with any other historic site, if you know what it is, you will appreciate the site being preserved. However, for the casual visitor, you may feel underwhelmed by the experience.

Very informative and interesting tour. Boat that takes you to and from the fort is not fancy but the trips were pleasant. Park ranger who told us about Fort Sumter did a good job. You have enough to time (about 45 minutes) to walk around the fort and see whatever you want to see.

The enjoyable boat ride with historical narration on the 20 min trip prepared you to view the last vestiges of the fort and why. The history of Fort Sumpter is in the details leading up to the day the war started and the day the Stars and Stripes once again were flown above the fort.

Fort Sumpter was in service many decades before and after the Civil War. The short 5 year period is what makes The fort a Historic Site. See it in person and learn the details that make up the rest of the story……..

The boat ride to Ft. Sumter was handled well by the park service. We were on the first boat of the morning, so we got to observe the flag raising ceremony. A lot of historical information was provided. The trip was well worth the time.

Narrator at Fort Sumter was outstanding. Participated in lowering flag ceremony and it was an honor. Boat breeze was pleasant even at real feel temp of 100. AC section available on boat.

Such a great and informative tour. This is a must go to attraction involving our country's history that is part of the national park service. Highly recommend. Overall fantastic experience.

Really enjoyed touring the Fort. The ferry ride to and from the fort is very nice and educational. A must see! So much history and you will not be disappointed.

Obviously a massively historical significance and the fort does a good job of sharing information.

The fort itself was relatively underwhelming but the ferry ride was nice

I wasn't expecting to be impressed, but this was a great experience. We were there for the last booking of the day and so were able to see the lowering of the flag. The ranger who did this was fantastic. My only regret was that we spent a lot of time outside reading all the plaques and then only had 5 minutes inside the museum (which closed 15 mins before our departure time). The museum had a lot of interesting things in it, which probably duplicated some of the things outside so our time would have been better spent focusing on that first and then doing the outside things. Live and learn. It was all still a great experience and even the ferry ride over was educational.

A great tour with so much history. A beautiful ferry ride over to the monument especially on a sunny afternoon. It was very informative and enjoyable. A must do if you're a history buff. The museum has interesting exhibits to view prior to the ferry trip.

This popular tour is a must do when visiting Charleston. We took the midweek 12 noon tour starting at Liberty Square, which in itself is an educational adventure, complete with a museum and of course a gift shop. The ferry ride to the fort was narrated most of the way by a park service volunteer. And although it was informative relative to the Civil War era, I could have used a little bit more quiet time on the ride out. The same held true once we arrived at Fort Sumter. The Park Ranger did a nice job of giving an orientation to the fort but there was too much time spent asking where people were from. With only an hour to spend at the fort those precious minutes would have been better spent exploring the fort and its museum. I suppose one could argue that I could have walked away from the orientation and that is true. But I found over my many years of experiencing Park Service talks that they are always well done and I feel I would miss part of the experience if I didn’t catch them when I can. Thus I stayed for the entire talk. The ferry ride back to Liberty Square was nice and uneventful and we returned safely back to port. I only wish there was a little more time to explore the fort.

Since we were on the first visit of the morning, we had the pleasure of observing the flag-raising ceremony. The park ranger included volunteers, and it was quite inspiring. Afterward, he gave a great overview of the history of Fort Sumpter. Additional interesting information was included on placards throughout the monument. Highly recommend.

We enjoyed the tour to Fort Sumter even during covid. There is fort information to explore at the information center and a large area to relax as you wait to board the boat. If you want to get on line early, the queue is covered. Getting on the boat to the fort is organized and timely. They provide historical information as you approach the fort. I am not one that likes to linger and overstay with historic sites but would say that the tour does not provide sufficient time on the fort property if you truly want to explore, read signage and explore the museum and gift shop. We felt very rushed. Despite the short time, it is worth the time.

The guide does an awesome job explaining the importance and the history of this fort. It's small but interesting.

As a history teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed this tour, what a great asset to use when teaching Civil War history. A must see for everyone. The boat ride to and from Fort Sumter was also very enjoyable.

Beautiful place with a lot of history. The park rangers fo a great job explaining everything. Glad my family decided to do it.

The Ranger who filled in information on the ride back was outstanding in his depth and breadth for the reasons that Fort Sumter was important.

Plan for about a 30 minute ferry ride each way, and about one hour on-site. Flag ceremony is well worth it since the Ranger gives a nice historical summary of Fort Sumter.

We visited Fort Sumter last week during our Spring Break. It was simply an AMAZING adventure to travel to this historical location where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. The ferry ride over was so educational as the park rangers shared the history of this area. Once arriving at the fort, we were treated to raising the flag over the fort since our tour was the first one of the day. Our son (who is 12) will always remember this visit and the pride of being an American. The museum is a must also!!!

At 12:30pm we boarded the ferry and sailed to Fort Sumpter (highly recommended to pre-book the ferry tickets). The weather was spectacular, but warm sweaters or fleeces were much needed because of the wind. The ferry has a small bar and toilet facilities. I was sitting on the upper deck taking pictures, but my husband was hiding inside, where it was much warmer.

We had one hour only to explore Fort Sumter and its very informative museum… not enough time for the place where the Civil War had started - it was quite an event, right? After a short introduction to the history of the fort we browsed on our own taking in all the events that had happened there. On April 15, 1861, just three days after the attack on Fort Sumter, Abraham Lincoln ordered to call up 75,000 troops, in order to suppress the Confederate rebellion and the fierce battles of the Civil War had started. The museum presents so many fascinating details of Fort Sumter’d history, but we only could only scratch the surface in the allotted time. Such a pity…

The voyage back was very nice and the photos came out beautifully.

We had a perfect day for the boat ride to the Fort. Andy, our park ranger was charming, funny, and so knowledgable on the ride to the fort. He pointed out all the major landmarks along the way and gave a great history of the start of the Civil War and the Fort. Plenty of time to explore the Fort on our own once we arrived. Museum was nicely done with great artifacts.

What a great experience! From the relaxing ferry ride to the Fort itself. Upon arrival you receive an in depth history of the Fort and then are on your own to explore.

If history interests you this a great way to learn about the beginning of the civil war. The park rangers are great sharing their knowledge and the ferry ride and ranger were really good and informative

Standing on the parapet of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, I get a sweeping view of what Union soldiers saw on the morning of April 12, 1861, when the Civil War began. To the north is Fort Johnson, where the Confederates' first shots were fired. To the south is Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's Island, Charleston Harbor's first line of defense. And Castle Pinckney, a mile off the Battery, on the southernmost tip of Charleston peninsula. And Morris Island, only a mile away. To the east is Charleston, whose townspeople observed the bombardment from the balconies of their seaside mansions. Across the Cooper River from Charleston is Mount Pleasant, where the USS Yorktown is moored. And from where I booked a boat trip for a one-hour visit to Fort Sumter. It's a man-made island created on a sandbar. Seventy thousand tons of granite was used to create the island and the fort was built on top of it. It had five-foot thick brick walls that towered 50 feet high with three levels of artillery emplacements. Inside were wooden officers' quarters, enlisted men's barracks and a brick powder magazine. Finally, after 34 hours, with the buildings of the fort burning and with no hope of victory, Major Robert Anderson, the Union commander, surrendered. Now in Confederate hands, Fort Sumter became a Union target. Beginning in July of 1863, they began to lay siege to Charleston and Fort Sumter. The bombardment lasted for 587 days. The brick walls of the fort were reduced to rubble. On February 17, 1865, with Union General William T. Sherman marching through South Carolina, the Confederates evacuated Charleston and Fort Sumter. And Major Anderson, who had lowered the American flag at Fort Sumter in 1861, returned for a ceremonial re-raising of the American flag on the battered remnants of Fort Sumter in 1865. Today, a museum in the fort retells the history of what happened on April 12, 1861 and afterward. Visitors can stroll the grounds, see historic cannons, examine the well preserved ruins, explore the crumbing walls, admire Civil War era artifacts and listen to a park ranger tell an emotional story about Sgt. Peter Hart, who raised a shell-torn flag during the bombardment.

If your in Charleston you have to take the boat ride out to Fort Sumter. The Rangers are so helpful and knowledgeable. The boat has inside and outside seating and you can buy food and drinks. I recommend buying your tickets in advance from the website, the day we were there they sold out early.

Part of history is almost good enough. The museum was informative and well kept. It was cold the day of our visit but we made the best of it.

We were looking forward to visit this historic place. Lots of History and learned even more while there. Tour on the island was one an hour, not including the boat ride. Worth the visit.

My husband came along on the visit to Fort Sumter because I wanted to go here since I've always had a fascination with the Civil War. He ended up loving the place and started to google things that he learned at Ft Sumter. The 2 Park Rangers, Chris and Summer were great and very available at all times during the visit to answer all questions. The ferry ride to and from the Fort was pleasant. Only saw a dolphin once but saw some while at the Fort. This was my husband's favorite part of the trip.

We booked the first tour of the morning to Fort Sumter. It was a beautiful day for a ride to the fort. You get a fair amount of history both to and from the fort during the 30 minute boat ride. Once at the fort, if you are the first tour of the day, you get to see the flag raised and even help raise it if you are so inclined. After that, you have about an hour to explore.
Good signage at the fort and it's amazing as much of it has survived all these years.

Here at Fort Sumter the Civil War began. Knowledgable park rangers (for this is a National Park) provide an overview of the fort's history and significance upon arrival on the ferry. The ranger who greeted us emphasized the irony of the enslaved forced to repair and defend the fort against those fighting to free them. Throughout the interior are Civil War artifacts and informational plaques. The original American flag that flew before the war began and was raised again once the Union won is displayed there. Amazing. If you have young children, the ferry ride is fun and there is plenty of lawn to run around.

Even though it was a cold and windy day the ferry ride out provided great views of the harbor and city.
Rangers were both knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
Great to see the condition the fort is in - much has been preserved but much appears to be just as it was long ago.

Remember to line up early if you want to get two adjacent seats on the top deck of the ferry. The tour was great

It was very cool going there. The history is so interesting and to have set foot where the Civil War started is key to any trip to Charleston.

There is a nice ferry ride to the island. You pay for the ferry ride and not entry to the island. I would recommend booking as there are only 2-3 trips a day depending on the time of year. It takes the stress away of worrying if you will get on or not. If you want to sit upstairs outside on the ferry I would get there early (poss 45 mins early), but there are plenty of seats downstairs too.

The fort was interesting and we did the 11 am ferry so we saw the flag ceremony. However, once you get to the fort you only have one hour to look around. I would say, you probably need another half hour to do the place justice. There is a museum, but we just went round quickly and looked at the artefacts, there was no time to read the information. We zipped in and out of the shop and then after a quick look round reading the information on the grass area we had to get back on the ferry.

I love the National Parks! As always the rangers and volunteers are exceptional in knowledge, helpfulness and service. Their passion for their work is evident. As for the fort, it was a wonderful learning experience. I sort of knew of the fort, but learned much more. Sadly the Corps of Engineers is dredging the channel and using the material to build a road from the mainland. Noooo! Likely to be wiped out with the increasingly frequent hurricanes that hit. And of course the road will dump more tourists to wreck havoc on this little man made burg.

Recently went a tour and was given Civil War facts that I did not know. The presenter was knowledgeable and eager to answer any questions. Must see if you are interested in the Civil War and great for everyone because you will learn interesting facts.

This was an interesting visit. It is sad what it represents but this is a part of our history. There isn't much to see but the trip is an hour so it is plenty of time to walk around and explore.

I found the park and the exhibits to be very interesting. There is enough of the fort left to picture what it was like in the war and the exhibits demonstrate the rest. An important part of history.

To see the fort, you must first buy tickets online or at the visitor center by the aquarium. (not the Charleston visitor center). time entry ticket holders can get in line for the ferry to the fort half an hour before departure. There is an informative video you can watch wile you wait for the boat. However we found this a bit redundant as when you are on the ferry, you will here the same story told by one of the rangers most of the ride there.
The boat has plenty of room to roam around (no assigned seating) and there are several rest rooms . Be sure to use them before you get to the fort because there are no restrooms there. the ride will take about a half an hour. along the way we enjoyed seeing the dauphins and pelicans in the water. the ferry has snacks and drinks available for purchase if you need.
upon arrival, you will have an hour to explore this island fort, with its own visitor center, and museum. we found this to be enough. if you go on the morning tour, you will get see the flag raising. lots of cannons and viewpoints to see. we did not do the ranger talk but they do have them if interested.

I have to admit, i was disappointed with this place. I did not like the man made visitor center they had put up here in the middle of the fort. I felt this took away from the experience and the fact that they have a visitor center just for this attraction by the ferry dock, you did not need it. This could have been so much better if they had a small group of re-anactors that fired a cannon or something. the fort is a small one and there is not much here to see. IF your time is limited here in town skip this. You will will have a much better time on the yorktown instead.

First of all, there are two boat pick up locations, but we ordered our tickets online and it sent us two the one on Sullivans Island when the second one was much closer to our homebase. They pick up the Sullivans Island person’s first, and drop them off last. It’s very windy on the boat in the unenclosed areas, be sure to take a jacket. Also, if you take the last year of the day you get to witness the change of tide water levels which was pretty neat.The story of the fall of Sumpter Is one that I didn’t remember from my Hi school history lessons and I was very glad to relearn it. Aside itself is rather plain, But it was very cool to walk upon that historical piece of land.
The Sullivan’s Island location does allow you a view of the USS Yorktown (tickets can be purchased, maybe next time).

The fort is something to view. It is a nice 20 minute ferry ride out to the fort. I feel the amount of time of 45 minutes scheduled at the fort is perfect. I can not spending more than an 1 hour there.

You take a boat ride to the site and have an hour to look around. The best part was probably the ranger who gave a wonderful opening presentation. The place itself was really stunning as well.

My family and I really enjoyed our tour of Fort Sumter. The park rangers were very informative and helped me to understand the experience of the soldiers stationed there at the beginning of the Civil War and during the war. We were the last tour of the day so were able to help the ranger lower the flag and fold it. The boat ride there and back is 30 minutes but we saw dolphins and had great views of the city. I highly recommend this tour.

Incredible!!!!!! This is such a wonderful site, full of history. My only complaint is that you only have 1 hour to explore. I could have spent another hour there. I felt rushed & wasn’t able to read everything. I did love the experience & learning more about the site.

We took the ferry over to the monument...the only way you can get there. It was a very nice boat ride and the boat sold drinks, snacks, and had a bathroom. There was inside and outside seating. It takes a half hour to get there. Once there, the group went to the monument where people got to participate in the raising of the flag, since we were the first group to visit that day. The park ranger was very informative. It is a small area, but they could have given us a little more time to explore. As it is, you get less than an hour. There is a gift shop and restrooms.

I love reading all the signs, displays and exhibits in our national sites. Unfortunately the Fort Sumter experience does not allow that. You have to get to the fort via boat which means you are at the mercy of their schedule and they maximize revenue by filling the boat as often as they can. I will say that what was available at the fort was interesting and well done, particularly the museum inside the fort - but no way you can get it all in. Maybe there should be an alternate sailing, once or twice a day, that allows more time.

Enjoyable boat ride and tour. A few biting no see ums around the island so maybe wear your bug spray at this time of year. Lots to see and read in the hour or so they give you to look around.

This should be a must see if you are in Charleston. The presentation on the ride there was very good. The talk by Ranger James when we arrived was excellent. One of the best Ranger talks I have ever heard. Exhibits were very good and well labeled.

The boat ride was so relaxing and the information and sites from the fort site were wonderful. The ranger on our trip was so personable and knowledgeable.

Easy boat ride, which included a historic narration. . Was in first boat of the day, which meant we got to raise the flag over the fort. Two of us participated in that. Easy to walk around. Definitely enough to read and look at to fill the hour.

Wonderful to see a piece of history. Wish the park ranger would stick to interesting facts about the fort and less chit-chatting about social opinions.

You have to take a ferry to see this fort which was fine. You don't get a lot of time to see everything though as you have to get back on the ferry. I think we were given about an hour. Would have loved to spend more time. But they had a short talk from one of the rangers (Ranger Shelby, I think) that was informative and gave some info even my history buff husband didn't know! One thing I found out was that enslaved labor handcrafted the more than 9 million bricks (you can still see their handprints in some of the bricks) and that the fort was originally three levels high.

Don’t expect a lot as most was leveled during Federal bombardment. You get a sense of what was there but difficult to picture today. Raising flag with other volunteers was cool. As the first shots of Civil War, you need to see it once. And only once.

Really get a feel of how it was like in 1861. The place is in ruins and you can still see remnants of the bombing. Ranger was great with her short story. Must see if you want to experience how this all started.

Take this trip as it is such an integral part of our history and it is quite fascinating.No matter how much you think you know about the history of the Fort you will learn something new.

The Fort is relatively small, without a lot to see. It was worth seeing once, but I wouldn’t need to do it again. Boat ride over was nice and the Ranger talk provides interesting information. If you are the first boat of the day, you can participate in the flag raising.

Took the boat ride, nice relaxing enjoyable ride. The fort was very interesting and like seeing in preserving our history!

This was a fun trip. I just wish (as many do) there was more time to spend exploring. Prepare to line up to board at least thirty minutes before your time. Get there early to go through the small museum at the wharf. There is plenty of parking in the area and a couple of places to eat within walking distance. the boat ride is fun because we are given history on the way over and back. Keep your eyes on the water because you just might see some dolphins playing close by. We went to the last trip of the day and was able to see the lowering of the flag. They do allow visitors to participate too.

Surprised by all of the added history I did not know such as the current fort was originally twice as tall, and long they were attacked!

I took my 70-year-old father and three sons, aged 9, 13, and 14, on this trip to the fort. The boat ride was great. It lasted about 25 minutes. You have the choice of sitting upstairs on the covered deck or below inside where it is air conditioned. There are bathrooms on board and a snack area to buy drinks and some snacks. We had a beautiful, clear day, although it was hot because it was June. A tour guide spoke over the intercom to give us the history of the fort and surrounding area. It was very informative. Once at the fort, my sons participated in the flag raising ceremony during the morning tour. It was hot on the island but there is an air-conditioned museum to look through which was very well done and laid out. We had a great time walking through the museum and my sons learned a lot. We explored the island a bit more and made it back on the boat to head back to the mainland. Overall, it was an excellent and memorable experience. Make sure to wear sunscreen and a hat. You can bring a portable mini fan it the heat affects you a lot.

Had always wanted to see Ft. Sumter and was really glad I did. My only complaint is that I wish we had longer out at the fort. The boat is pretty slow and takes quite a while. When you get to the fort, there is a short talk about it and then you can explore. There is also a small museum inside, but didn't have enough time to go through it.

Particularly if you're just getting interested in Civil War history, this is a must-see NPS site. Easy enough getting there and back. Plenty of time on the grounds to see everything. Perhaps one of the real unique parts is seeing how the approach to costal warfare has changed over the centuries, including cannon and signaling technology, even up to WWII. Even talks about mine warfare, which is very unique for a NPS site. Lots of local / state SC history as well. Helps you understand how so many local traditions got started.

Awesome!!! This is a great part of history. The 30 minutes boat ride is very relaxing. The tour guide is very knowledgeable about the Fort Sumter.

excellent tour and boat ride, national park rangers did a great job narrating, Flag raising done with the first tour group to arrive at the Fort each day is a highlight

Lasted a couple of hours. Cost is about $21 for adult plus tax. There is a 20 minute ferry ride over and they will give u some good info on your ride. It is a good 1 hour stop and is very very hot this time of year but u can find shade. The view is amazing on top, don't miss it. There is also a museum and gift shop on the island.

I had high expectations for a national monument, but there was really nothing there to see. I was expecting the Alamo or maybe Greenfield Village. Not sure where South Carolina is spending their money.

The first shot of the Civil War was fired here. Doesn't matter if you are from the south or north, so much to see and learn at his site and facility. I do wish they would rebuild at least one of the walls, back up to its original glory, including (non-functional) cannons.

Our adventure started with a 30 minute boat ride from Liberty Square to Fort Sumter. Upon arrival, we were invited to explore on our own or attend the Ranger talk. We opted for the Ranger talk which still left ample time to visit the museum and walk around the site. We were on the 2:30 ferry. Going at this time allows guests to participate in the lowering of the flag ceremony. Time at the fort is about an hour. Make sure you use the official park website to buy your tickets. It was seamless. Tickets can also be purchased at the visitor center. Covered parking is available for a small fee at the Aquarium garage. There are clean bathrooms available on the ground floor of this garage. If you take the 2:30 ferry, the Visitor Center will be closed upon return. Allow time before your ride to visit the interesting exhibits.

A wonderful journey into the history of the United State. You get to enjoy a nice boat trip each way and then explore the historic edifice. The rangers do a great job explaining the importance of the fort. Wandering around the fort is extremely interesting. The plaques, explaining the significant parts of the fort, are also interesting. The fort's museum is a must. This is a must for everyone interested in the history of the USA.

We scheduled the first ferry of the day from Liberty Square. We were hoping to see the flag-raising ceremony, but due to a bad storm the day before the flag was still up. Being among the first people to Liberty Square made it easy to park.
One of the park rangers gave us a history lesson while we road the ferry out to the small island. While the island is small, there is much to see and read. There is no way to see it all during the short time on the island.
Bring water and sunscreen because there is little shade. Wear comfortable shoes so that you can safely navigate the grounds.

This is a significant piece of American history. Information provided explained why the fort was built and its role before, during, and after the Civil War.

My wife, my daughter and I went did this tour yesterday and it was my daughters first time going to the Fort and she had a blast running around and seeing the fort. She really enjoyed the boat ride as well, running around the boat. We would definitely recommend this tour,

Nice boat ride on the bay. The fort was full of history with lots of informative signs. Short ranger talk. One hour on the island and 1/2 hour each way on the boat

Fort Sumter is a must when visiting Charleston. Specially for those of us who love history. There is not much left of the original fort but there are many artifacts in the museum and you are still able to get a sense of what it must have been at the start of the Civil War.

We reserved our tour online and were told to arrive 45 minutes to an hour early which was ridiculous. You do not need extra time. They opened the gate to the boat 5 minutes or so before it left. The boat ride was nice. It made another stop on the Charleston side and then arrived at the Fort. When we arrived there was a National Park ranger that gave us a great introductory history talk about the fort. We then had about an hour to visit the museum, store and the fort. It was plenty of time. There were dolphins playing in the water which provided lots of excitement as we watched them jumping up in the air near the fort. It’s well worth the money to view this important historical site.

Perfect from start to finish. Easy to find and board the ferry. Ranger gave a great narration to the site. We had 1 hr to explore and look at museum. The flag raising happens if you do the first ferry of the day. This was a bucket list item and I'm very happy with how the day went.

This was what drew me to Charleston. We parked at a nearby garage and took a ferry to the fort, and the staff was an absolute highlight. We got to see the raising of the flag over the fort, but it felt like there was a lot of information to soak in for the limited time we were given before the ferry was set to return.

The actual fort is a pleasant boat ride across Charleston Harbor and plan to immerse yourself in Civil War history. You are greeted by very knowledgeable park rangers who share tons of facts about the events that shaped American history on this ground. You are free to roam through the entire park at your own pace and return on the next boat or linger longer with details.

When I was a child we took a family vacation to Fort Sumter, located in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. Now that I’m older, with a deep interest in Civil War history, I wanted to return. I finally got that opportunity.

Until relatively recently I didn’t know that my hometown of Louisville, KY has a connection to Fort Sumter. Major Robert Anderson, whose likeness is on the flagpole in the fort, was born in Louisville. The Civil War was his fourth war. Anderson lowered the flag after two days of heavy shelling from the Confederates. On the fourth anniversary of his abandoning Fort Sumter he returned, days after the surrender, to return the flag to its rightful place. (It’s a buried footnote to history, because the date he did it was April 14, 1865, and there was more significant news later that day with the assassination of President Lincoln.)

That was interesting to me, personally. Don’t expect the details to go that deep. Instead, you’ll hear about the construction of the fort on a man-made island. Ostensibly the fort was planned in the wake of the War of 1812, to prevent foreign invasions. Instead, it was the site where the “war of rebellion” began.

The boat ride to the fort is a pleasure in itself, even without the visit of the historical site. A lovely cruise through Charleston Harbor from Patriots Point is worth the price alone (NOTE: discounts available for seniors and active military).

The ranger explains how the fort was, ironically, built for the U.S. government by slave labor. It would, a generation after its construction, play a pivotal role in the war to abolish slavery.

I’m so glad I got to return. Anyone with any interest in American history should have this on their “must-see” list.

It was a nice boat ride, and the guide (Ranger Andrew) gave a nice presentation. I am disappointed with how expensive it was for our family of five. You get one hour on the island to tour the fort, which is about enough time. The boat ride takes an hour round-trip, and is quite smooth and comfortable. Between parking and tickets, we were out $150 for two hours of activity. The museum at the beginning was very interesting, but it’s too bad they can’t use air conditioning. It felt like it was well over 100 degrees in that building.

Good experience and great learning experience. Had been here 25 or so years ago and it was worth a visit back. Ferry ride took about 230 minutes from the Charleston location. Along the ride out pre-recorded information was provided when coming up on something of interest. Rangers also got on PA system for some additional information.

You only get about an hour on the fort before having to get back on the boat. For those with casual interest this will be long enough. For true history buffs it will not be. Between all the informational signs outside and the museum, one hour is not enough to truly absorb it all. On top of that, a Ranger spent a significant amount of time doing a lecture, which we skipped. So make good use of your time.

Love Charleston! So much history and great places to eat! We stayed at Lodge Valley Inn so close to everything. You can walk to everything. Market is amazing. Had some great seafood at Hyman's.

Oh the history you will learn! This is a must see fort from the Civil War era and where the 1st shots of the Civil War were fired. The Ferry ride presentation over to the Monument was excellent and very informative.

Our trip to Fort Sumter was easily the highlight of our trip to Charleston. Purchasing the tickets was easy and getting on the boat was well organized. Just after arriving, one of the soldiers gave an extremely vivid retelling of the events from the Civil War which took place there. We had just enough time to walk around the island on our own and even stopped at the little gift shop. It was extremely windy up at the top. The exhibit was interesting especially seeing the flag from the Civil War. There were some pelicans and other wildlife around the island and we even spotted a couple of dolphins when we were returning to the boat!

Very well organized tour. Reservations were made in advance. After a brief lesson from the visitor center, the tour started promptly. Sat outside on the top tier of the ferry to the island which was quite pleasant. They also have inside seating with onboard restrooms and a snack bar. Interesting presentation by the rangers once we got to the island. There is some construction ongoing on the island but its easy to ignore. I consider this a must do trip if only to gain insight into US history. Inexpensive and nicely done.

I rented a car and visited Historic places in Charleston and throughout the area , I stayed there 3 nights, so I got to see many, many historical locations

My eldest daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed our foray to historic Fort Sumter. The ferry ride is a bit expensive ($29/adult), though if history is something you enjoy, it is time and money well spent. The ferry ride takes about 25 minutes each way, in our case, starting at Patriots Point. There are currently no amenities on the island and one needs to return to the ferry to access rest rooms, etc.

Great representation of many original items from the shelling of Ft. Sumter. FYI: there’s no food options at the Fort, so plan accordingly. Narrator on our boat was pleasant and very knowledgeable. Great trip to another amazing National Park!

Great historic site to visit. Well worth the trip. Lots to see in this well preserved piece of history . Rangers do a great job explaining all about the fort and soldiers living there and the battle. Lots of exhibits to see throughout.

We took the first boat of the day over at 930. They do a flag raising, and you have ~ 1 hour to see the fort, museum, and exhibits. A ranger gave a talk on the way over, and the rangers were friendly and knowledgeable at the fort. A ,little more time on the fort would have been nice, but you know you have an hour and you make your way to what you want to see. At least at this time of year, don't show up 45 mins in advance.. the visitor center isn't open and they don't start boarding till 15 mins before departure.

While my history-buff husband said that he was "underwhelmed" with Fort Sumter, I enjoyed it. The signage on Fort Sumter was very informative. The ferry ride was nice, complete with history lessons over the speaker. The whole trip took about 2.5 hours, including boat ride there and back and time spent on the island. I had no idea how long it would take so hopefully somebody will find that info useful. We were told to arrive for the ferry ride 45 minutes early - which we did, but it felt totally unnecessary as they didn't even board until maybe 20 minutes before departure, if that. But getting there that early ensured a front spot in line given that only a fraction of folks got there that early. You could visit Fort Sumter [leaving from Patriots Point] and the Naval Museum [on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, called Patriots Point Naval Museum] the same day since they use the same parking lot. Only problem would be that there is no food other than snacks in the gift shop and on the carrier. So you would need to go get lunch or dinner somewhere else I imagine. You could perhaps pack a nice picnic lunch and go eat near the faux submarine in the park across from the parking lot - there's an idea. Enjoy!

We really looked forward to visiting Fort Sumter. As you will learn, the fort was reduced to rubble during the war, but there are a lot of original artifacts there and it is well worth visiting.
Another 30 minutes would have been nice at the fort. I would have loved to spend more time in the museum there. You can't spend too much time at one place or you won't see it all. The original flags from the Union and SC militia are a must-see.
We left from Patriot's point, recommend that you depart from the Charleston side and go thru the museum there first.

This starts with a nice relaxing ferry ride to the island. We loved sitting on the deck outside and looking at the water and the city. Once we arrived at Fort Sumter, we were giving a brief overview by one of the Rangers about the monument. The Rangers are extremely knowledgeable and can answer almost any questions. There is a lot of history there and it is interesting to learn. It’s well preserved a great addition to our Charleston trip. We probably would not go back again but we were glad we went once.

My mom (82), daughter (19), and I visited Fort Sumter on an overcast Sunday morning and had a wonderful experience. We rode over on the first boat ride of the day, and the two National Park Service guides provided wonderful information about the Fort, how to make the most out of our visit, and pointed out interesting points we passed on the 30-minute ride over.

An hour on site was plenty of time for us - and being the first group of the day also meant our group was able to participate in the flag raising ceremony. The museum is fairly small, and my mom and I enjoyed learning a little more about the time leading up to the start of the Civil War. I enjoyed walking around outside and reading the signs along the back side of the fort that looked towards the ocean.

If you are able, I would recommend going for your visit on the first boat for the extra time with the NPS rangers and the flag ceremony.

Driving over the Ravenel Bridge to ferry out to the island is cheaper and well worth the effort. If possible hop on the first tour out to the area...It's a fresher time of the day and sun isn't quite so hot. Bring your camera to capture beautiful sailboats.

We enjoyed our visit and learnt some history. The national park itself is free. You have to book tickets to the island that the fort is located on via boat. We booked them online. It was absolutely full. They asked us to arrive 30 min earlier. We took the first tour at 9:30 am. The visitor center opens at 9. They probably boarded around 9:15 am. There is a queue as people line up. The visitor center has some information that you can walk through. Restrooms are located in the visitor center and the boat. The boat has three levels the upper level is open but with a cover and best views but freezing cold when the weather is 35 degrees. The mid level has snacks drinks and tables setup. It's temperature controlled. The lower deck has the most seating. We saw some beautiful views of the USS Yorktown and pickney island. Dolphins jumping in water. The ranger gives a briefing on the boat. We enjoyed an hour before the boat set back. Such interesting history. We enjoyed walking around and the flag raising as the first tour. There is a museum and gift shop. Do the junior ranger program. Its a 25 min boat ride. We parked at liberty Square aquarium garage.

A wonderful tour! I really enjoyed the ferry ride ans our tour guide was very informative. Fort Sumter is amazing! Full of history and stories of the past Noone tells you about.

Absolute must see. Recommend being the last tour as you get to help with taking the flag down for the evening. The rangers at the monument are very passionate about their job and the history and gave a great presentation. Worth every minute !

Learned some history on the ferry ride to the fort. Pretty interesting and I like that they help pass the time on the ferry this way. We were the first tour of the day so we were able to partake in the flag raising ceremony. The speech the ranger gave was touching and full of pride for our country and what our flag represents. Once you get off the boat, you have about an hour to walk around the fort and explore. If you want to stay longer you can, but you have to wait for the next ferry boat to come with a new group of people, stay for their tour time, and then leave. We decided to only stay the hour because of how hot and humid it was and that we were with 3 small children and making it a 3 hour tour would have ended in meltdowns! An hour might not be enough time to explore everything, but you can get in most of it. All in all it was a great experience.

We visited Fort Sumter and enjoyed the activity. The boat trip to the fort was great, the boat was modern and clean with an informative narrative provided on the way over and back.

The fort itself was interesting and again, the narrative by the Park Services ranger was very informative. As we were the last group of the day, a number of guests were invited to participate in taking the American flag down and folding it. A nice touch we participated in gladly!

I recommend the visit and encourage visitors to Charleston to discover a bit of history!

More interesting than I'd expected (not that interested in the Civil War) - learned a lot about the site and participated in the flag-lowering ceremony after an inspiring talk by the ranger - very moving. Although there were signs on the boat about masks being required, we were among the apparent half dozen of 100 passengers actually wearing a mask - even the rangers not very diligent.

We finally found the time to tour the fort.
We made our reservations on line and no issues. We found the address for the parking area in the posted information. The GPS took us right to the lot. You have to pay to park with a phone app and it does make things easier if you have Apple Pay. We had no issues with it (instructions posted on sings around the lot) but a couple in line behind us struggled with it.
The ferry ride is scenic and relaxing. Loved it.
You can tool around the entire fort in an hour but there is still much to see and learn.
Give it a try?

Written on iPhone. Please ignore typos.

Took ferry over to fort. Ride was enjoyable. Saw lots of dolphins playing. Fort was interesting. Worth seeing.

Boat ride out to Ft Sumter takes about 30 minutes from Patriot’s Point. The Fort is full of historical items and lots of displays. They only allow you an hour to walk through the Fort and this really is not enough time to be able to walk the Fort and see all the displays in the museum and walk back to catch the boat back to Patriot’s Point, but still a must see!

This was a great tour. There was so much information and the raising of the flag was very special. The boat ride was pleasant with both indoor and outdoor seating. We saw a dolphin which was “extra”.

the national park representative is very helpful.

however, the placard information (which is now 20 years old) is presented in a way that diminishes slavery, it was not really that bad, most people were for it, the people of the south were somehow heroes against oppressors, etc.

it needs to be updated and reflect the history as it is.

This was an amazing piece of history; we went in April 2021. Coincidently we happened to come on the 160th anniversary of the start of the war. We got to ask questions to reenactors/ historians on site.

Fort Sumter is a critically important historical site and was great to visit.
However, the trip experience was pretty disorganized. Upon arrival, we couldn't find staff to let us know where to go if you have bought tickets online.
The ferry ride is nice but there was no historical information provided during the ride - seems like a good time for some history. And upon arrival at Fort Sumter, there was a reference to a flag ceremony but didnt realize that it would also involve history, which we missed part of.

Definitely a great visit, but the trip could have been better organized.

This was very informative and Ranger RJ made it fun and entertaining. However they do not give you enough time to really experience the Fort. Not enough time to really read and explore everything there.

Above all else, I cannot recommend enough how worthwhile it is to visit Fort Sumter. On the day we went, the guided portion was provided on the ferry ride over. It was interesting to walk around the fort, but the museum was the best part. The flag raising ceremony was rather touching, too. The park ranger administering it offered some poignant words beforehand...not to sound too hokey but standing there, listening to how our national banner means something different to each of us and seeing them hoist it in the air filled me with an unexpected sense of national pride. This is a piece of American history that you shouldn't miss!

"Ranger" gives gory details that made me feel sick. If you come in this neglected national monument in twos, one can console the other. Big mistake I went solo.

The ferry ride and Sumpter National Site were very good. National Park speakers were excellent. Great for history buffs.

Very interesting and the park ranger was extremely knowledgeable and he was funny! The ferry that takes you to the fort had restrooms and snacks for purchase.

Childhood dream fulfilled. I've wanted to visit here since 1970s...finally got opportunity and am entirely pleased. Fort is relatively small, but well marked with lots of historical information. Only have about one hour, so don't daudle around. Make sure to cover all of fort.

If you are a history nerd or just love learning more about our Country's heritage, then add this to the list of places you stop at during your time to Charleston, S.C. It was a great ferry ride over and there is so much to learn while at the Fort, a lot of which is original.

It was a nice day for a boat ride and to take in some history - overcast and not too hot for July.

There is a museum on the aquarium dock location and it's worth taking a few minutes to visit the thorough exhibit there. It probably tells you more than by actually going out to the fort.

The half hour ferry ride was fine except they weren't serving beer or wine on the outbound voyage, probably to keep a check on people's inhibitions so they don't harm the historical site.

The guides on the island were very knowledgeable even though the storyline is a little confusing about who occupied it and why. I'm sure they have it straight, I found it hard to follow (and I have an MBA!)

The fort itself is underwhelming because the entire top half of it was destroyed in battle. There are glimpses of actual history with the occasional finger print in the slave-fabricated bricks. Also, some cannonballs are lodged in the walls from battle.

They opened the beer and wine bar on the trip back.

In January I asked my sons where they wanted to go on vacation. One said Charleston. He always wanted to see Fort Sumpter. We hit that the first day there. The boat ride out there was fun, and walking around the fort was fun.

Wonderful place to visit, even if you don't really like history. Not only do you get to learn about this site, you also get to ride a ferry out to it!

I have been waiting along time to visit Ft Sumter- I guess all the hype has my expectations very high- it is well put together museum and the remains are in good shape- 20 minute ride to get to it

A wonderful experience. The boat ride gives lots of information about the Fort and the Charleston area. The Ranger providing commentary was excellent. The half hour boat ride was very relaxing. Arriving on the island gives an immediate sense of history. The walls are in good repair but you can imagine the battering they have taken. Inside is an assortment of cannons to examine and great views of various areas of the water. The museum is fill of interesting displays and artifacts. The flags are nicely displayed and give an connection to the people who served under them. Raising the American Flag is inspiring. It is about a 2 1/2 hour commitment with the boat rides but well worth it.

I've visited many civil war sites and I wanted to visit Fort Sumter for many years. I finally got to see it. We took a 30-minute ride on the boat to the fort. They left us off where we were lucky enough to listen to a park ranger and see the lowering of the U.S. flag. After that we were on our own to wander around the fort and see the sights.

There was a small gift shop and a very nice museum inside the park. The museum explained everything that happened at Fort Sumter from the time it was built until the end of the civil war. I highly recommend.

Very educational and informative. To get the opportunity to actually see where the first shots were fired starting the Civil War is a moving and enlightening experience. The ferry ride was quite relaxing and we enjoyed the views. I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in history.

Historic Place with a museum that has some of the original artifacts from the Civil War. A Pleasant boat ride to the island fort. The guides know their stuff.

I've seen Gettysburg, and now I've seen Fort Sumter. Gettysburg is bigger. Very interesting. Park Ranger gave an excellent talk about fort. Many more visits than I expected since interest in Civil War seems to be declining. Glad to see it, though.

We went on a rainy day which limited our outside time but found it very interesting. The Ranger's talk was very informative and the ride over although wet was very pleasant. Overall we learned a lot and found it interesting

Fort Sumter easy to visit on ferry. Make sure to visit the museum in liberty square and the museum out at fort Sumter.
Ferry ride over is spent with a historical over view by park service employee. As 300 dolphins live in Charleston harbor year round ( or so the park service ppl said) there’s a good chance you’ll see dolphins on ferry ride. My husband gets sea sick and had no problems with the ferry ride.

Your choice of departing from Liberty Square or Patriots Point. We departed from Liberty Square. We bought tickets upon arrival and boarded right before the first departure of the day at 9:30. Saw some sights out to the Fort. Snacks, drinks, and restrooms are on the ferry. No restrooms at the Fort, but you can just walk back to the ferry if needed. The actual fort and area is not large, but the historical significance cannot be ignored. A bit of a history junkie, I enjoyed the experience very much. The museum and bookstore added to the enjoyment. Park guides were helpful and friendly. The first ferry group to arrive gets to the option to participate in the flag raising, which I did. I will assume the last group can help with the flag lowering.

The ferry ride over had options to sit outside or inside. The rangers were very informative and new the history well. Take the first ferry out to raise the flag or the last one out to lower the flag.

We spent a week in Charleston, and by far our favorite thing was the morning flag-raising ceremony at Fort Sumter. The park ranger (Ranger John) gave a very thoughtful and moving explanation of the history of the fort, without a whiff of any Lost Cause BS, and then invited 20 volunteers to help raise the flag. We gathered around, holding the edges of a huge flag, parallel to the ground. Then an ex-Marine started hauling on the rope and as the flag pulled at our hands we let go and watched it ascend the pole. It was a bucket list event I did not know was on my list until I did it.
Catch the 930 boat, the ceremony is 1030 and you're back for lunch.

We took the boat from Patriots Point to Ft Sumter. About a 30 minute cruise. The Ranger at Ft Sumter provided an excellent briefing on the history of Ft Sumter and the Civil War. Excellent information.

You have to take a ferry out to see this monument, so it is not accessible to everyone and quite expensive to get to. It is worth it for the historical significance and the ferry ride is very nice and informative due to the interpretive speaker onboard. An hour is allotted to tour the Fort. I enjoyed the museum and artifacts within it.

Historical and important part of the history of our country. There isn't much to see while at Fort Sumter as a lot of the prior fort is no longer there. It doesn't take long to go around or through any of the exhibits. However, I highly suggest going there on the last tour of the day and taking part in the lowering of our flag. It is a moving experience for those who are patriotic.

This is a top rate ninja place. That whacky butt Ranger guy was cool as hell. The place was a little run down, need some repairs on the fortress wall.

Rode the ferry over, saw a few dolphins. It was cool to see the fort and especially the small museum

What an awesome experience! Loved hearing all the interesting history from such a knowledgeable and entertaining park ranger guide! He handled our difficult, sad, and tarnished history namely slavery with such candid honesty. This tour was so well done! We learned so much about the history of the civil war and the confederate states. The ferry was clean with great seating both outdoor and in shaded areas. The ferry also had clean bathrooms and a great little snack shop. This was a must do tourist spot for Charleston.

One must take a 30 minute (ish) boat ride to island. Fort itself has struggled with age and hurricanes but to just be there is very impactful. Museum on island is very well done. Takes about 60 minutes or so to see everything on the island.

We did the tour while visiting Charleston for the day. It was informative and had several interesting history facts. The ferry ride over and back was nice but a full hour on the island is to long. There isn’t much to see. It was extremely hot the day we visited and there was really mo good place to escape the heat for very long.

No improvements necessary. The short boat ride out there was enjoyable, with plenty of good information shared by the volunteers. Once on site, you can't help but feel nostalgic, regardless of your geographic orientation (North/South). Very interesting piece of history. Great job by the NPS rangers, sharing a lot of good information, answering questions, and getting the tourists involved with the flag ceremony.

We booked the 10:30 am cruise to Fort Sumter at the last minute, but there was plenty of room. The narration was good, but a bit hard to hear indoors. The cruise to the island was very pleasant, but the highlight was the ranger talk given upon arrival. She did a great job setting the stage and bringing the fort to life. The museum is excellent, and covers all time periods for the fort with good exhibits and just the right amount of detail. After that, we finished our one hour stay with a tour around the grounds which were dotted with yet more illuminating info placards. You might bring binoculars, because there are skimmers, gulls, pelicans, osprey and more on the adjoining sandbar. A very good trip that anyone should enjoy.

The boat ride to the fort was interesting. The park rangers were friendly and knowledgeable. A must for all history buffs.

Excellent tour . Worth the money . We’ll narrated and very informative. Gives a very accurate depiction of what actually happened at Ft. Sumter. A must for young children and teens to learn accurate history !

We were in Charleston for 10 days on vacation, and had seen Fort Sumpter from afar and thought we didn't need to see it up close. Wrong. The trip out to the national monument was fun and inspiring. Not to be missed.

This was a fantastic historic tour! Highly recommend for history buffs, that want to learn about our country’s past. The staff operating the boat were professional, and kudos to our excellent tour guide Woody; he was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge and we thank him for making this a memorable experience.

The visit was worth the time although slightly high priced. I learned a number of facts I did not know about the siege which I enjoyed knowing. The museum was the highlight while the fort was good to see it is not much to look at. Great views!

Great experience. From the ferry ride to your time at the fort, everything is well done. You will enjoy this piece of history.

Didn't expect it to be as wonderful as it was. You have to pay to ride the ferry over there, so it is a bit pricey, but it is worth it. The museum is exceptional, and you learn way more than you do in a history book!

Very disappointed. There wasn't much to see at all and the place is in need of maintenance. The Park Ranger went way overboard stressing the enslaved laborers. We understand and regret the mistakes made in our history however she did not need to keep making references to that very bad reality in our history. She created a tension that was not necessary.

Informative and fascinating tour of a small fort that was the site of the first shots fired in the civil war. So much history in a small location. The ferry fried is fully narrated to include all the noteworthy places along the way.

great outing, cold on the ferry but so happy we went, toured, and watched the flag folding. It was crowded but fine. But dress warmly.

Like so many, I knew only the basics of Fort Sumter. The park ranger did a great job of providing details and telling the stories of named and unnamed heroes of the recapture of Fort Sumter. We were the first tour out, so we got the opportunity to see the flag raised. That was a good experience. The 3 rangers on the tour were accessible and knowledgeable. It is a must do for history buffs, but honestly anyone would enjoy it.

I'm a History Nerd, so I was excited to see where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. The boat ride to and from the fort is fun in itself, you'll get great views of Charleston and surroundings. The fort itself is surprisingly small compared to other historic forts I've seen, but then again its been mostly destroyed. It used to be 3 stories tall, now its just one. Still, it was a fascinating to walk through history. The small museum is full of stories, some artifacts, and very good air conditioning! Charleston summers are hot! I did the early 9am departure to avoid some of the blistering afternoon heat. $40 for an adult is a bit pricy, but still good for a once in a life time visit.

Maybe it was because it was the last tour of the day…….
We had 1 hour, more like 45 minutes, to see a flag ceremony, the museum, the gift shop, and the grounds. Felt very rushed. The cruise out is nice, but eats up the majority of the time 2 hour ticket time in travel. Would have liked more time to visit the museum and read all the history.

Ranger RJ provided an interesting ranger talk highlighting one of the Privates in the war. After the 10-min tour, you were free to walk around on your own. There was a nice museum there as well. Great visit with so much history to learn and see. Definitely worth the time to visit. Book your ferry ticket in advance online. Unfortunately, while the site is no fee, there was a fairly high ticket price for the ferry out to the fort and it is NOT covered by a park pass.

We went on a boat tour on a rainy day. It took 30 min on the boat and they gave us an hour at the Fort. The NPS gave us a briefing and then, you are on your own. There is an observation deck and museum.

We enjoyed the really nice boat ride out to Fort Sumter from Liberty Square in Charleston Harbor. It was scenic and the narrator kept us informed of what we were seeing around us. I especially enjoyed the park ranger chat when we got to Fort Sumter—I think most people know that the Civil War began there, but he really helped us better understand the significance of what we were seeing. Both the visitor center in Charleston and the museum at the fort were informative and well-done. This isn’t a tour I’d probably want to do repeatedly, but it was definitely one of the things at the top of my Charleston to-do list and I’m really glad we went!

I would not have expected it, but this tour turned out to be one of the best things we did on our entire trip to Savannah and Charleston. The ferry ride was relaxing, the National Park rangers friendly and informative, and the fort itself interesting. I wish I had made more time for the museum exhibits at the Visitor Center, which appeared to be very well laid out, not too daunting for a brief visit, and full of fascinating (yet sad) details of events leading up to the Civil War.

The cruise across the bay was very calm, docked at Fort Sumter and headed into the fort via giant wooden doors. The flag raising on the first morning 930 trip was very cool. The signs around the fort gave you something to read and visualize what happened there. You were on your own to move around the fort but you only had about 20 minutes to do it in.
If you want to get the most our of the trip start reading the information signs as soon as you get into the fort, observe the flying of the flag, but stick to reading the signs. Then, you will get the most out of your trip.

While visiting Charleston, we knew we wanted to see Fort Sumter. We bought the tickets online, and that process want very simple. Had a both ride over to the island, had a 10 minute introduction when we arrived. Then had about 45 minutes to view the island. That was probably enough time, as the Fort is actually very small and there is not that much to see. There is a museum but everything there was covered in the introduction. Still, it was worth visiting history.

Honestly… we went here not expecting much. It was a fort and it had historical significance… but then our park ranger spoke about the history of Fort Sumter from the start of the Civil War to its completion and then as the American Flag was raised once again. The plan to celebrate the reunion of the union and how it was overshadowed by the assassination of Lincoln… I’m not doing it justice, but it made me feel how significant this fort was in our country’s history. Then they showed us the fingerprints of the enslaved people who made the bricks by hand, and it was powerful to feel the indents of women and children. This was an incredibly powerful and moving experience not to be missed.

We spent three wonderful nights and 3 1/2 days in the Holy city! I guess you could say we ate our way through as well. We checked into the Fulton Lane Inn. This is a charming old boutique hotel that we recommend. You won’t get everything you want but almost! Waiting for our friends we grabbed a quick bite at port of a call food and beer hall. We recommend it!
Then on to Husk for a legacy dinner that night. Husk has a great reputation but there are better choices. We found that the cornbread there was out of this world! Saturday we had a great walking tour of Charleston and took lunch at Amen Fish House & Raw Bar. It’s another one we would recommend. The food highlight of the weekend was the brasserie La Banque.
This restaurant has only been around about six months but the service was impeccable and our entrées and appetizers were delicious. We rounded out our weekend by going to church at Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Mount Pleasant and then visited the Boone farm plantation—a must see!

Not enough time at the fort so really and 1 hour boat ride with a 40 minute stop at Fort Sumter. Our boat late leaving and very full, when we got to Sumter it took 15 minutes to unload the boat which gave us only 40 minutes on the island. They really need to configure ferry to unload from two points to speed this up. On the upside, on a sunny day, great way to see the Charleston harbor.

My family visited Fort Sumter on a Tuesday and did the 1200PM boat departing and had no problems getting tickets for the ferry to go to the island. Here are some tips for you:

The ferry boat departs at 9:30, 12:00, and 2:45. They start boarding 15 minutes before. The ferry is rather large and can hold a lot of people so if you are interested in going, I would think you could just walk up and buy tickets before you get on. (We did with no issues).

Tickets cost $40/person for adults and your national park pass will not help with the cost of the tickets. The ferry is run by a private company and is not owned by the NPS.

Keep in mind, you will have to pay for parking too ($7/hour).

It will take about 30 minutes to get to the island, and of course, 30 minutes back. You get 1 hour at the fort before you have to get back on the boat, which is plenty of time.

They do have a museum and shop at the fort, but no bathrooms, so go before you get on the boat. There are bathrooms on the boat, but they are limited.

You will get a briefing from the ranger on the way out about the history of the fort which was very informative.

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Took the boat out to the fort which was built on an artificial island in the middle of the bay, and was still under construction at the start of the Civil War hostilities.
About 95 Union soldiers moved into the fort with about 45 dependents (after abandoning other poorly defendable gun batteries at other shore locations), to await relief supplies and reinforcements. After four months of bombardment from Confederate forces, the commander accepted safe passage to the union ships off shore and thus surrendered the fort to the confederacy, thus the fort WAS NOT bombarded into rubble.
The destruction of the fort occurred 4 years later where the Union did that job as they retook the island / fort back near the end of the Civil War.

The center sections of the today’s fort consist of two LARGE ugly gun platforms that were installed in the 1888 as part of the Spanish American war timeline defense. The BIG disappearing guns of that era are now gone to scrap during WW II.

The Ranger gave us an excellent outline of the history of the fort.

Fort Sumter is of huge historical significance being the site of the first shots fired during the Civil War when Confederate forces laid siege to the garrison of US troops stationed here. Union forces tried multiple times during the war to retake the Fort but couldn’t do so until it was finally surrendered at the end of the war. In the process, the once impressive Fort Sumter was reduced to absolute rubble. When visiting today, it is essentially a ruin. Much archeological excavation has taken place. You have to use your imagination to appreciate what it looked like in 1861. Nevertheless, it is well worth visiting because of it’s historical importance. Pick up a brochure when arriving for a map and self guided tour. Make sure to go into the museum for a quick overview but spend most of your time outside as I found most enjoyment just walking the premises trying to picture what it must have been like here during the war. You can watch the flag raising ceremony if you are on the first boat of the day. However, you only get 1 hour at the Fort and the park ranger appreciating the time limit reassured the group that it was okay to skip the 10 min ceremony if you prefer to immediately start touring the grounds which is what I chose to do. The boat ride out and back was as enjoyable as visiting the Fort especially if it’s a beautiful sunny day. Nice views of the Ravenel Bridge, USS Yorktown at Patriot’s Point and historic Charleston plus dolphin sightings in the harbor. 30 min each way. There is also a free museum located at Liberty Square from where the boat docks which would be helpful to visit before visiting the Fort if you need to learn more about the history Fort Sumter.

Great experience, especially if you love history. Who made the first shot to start the civil war? You will learn about it from the park rangers. The boat ride was nice and relaxing. The park ranger give a “quick” presentation. This is a must see!

I learn a lot of the history. I would have liked to be able to spend more time. It was a bit cooler than I though it would be getting there, bring layers. Take the time to go through the history before the ferry. You can visit the gift shop after the trip. It 'm more convenient that way.

The ferry tickets can be purchased online or at the ticket window. $32 per person. The monument itself does not cost anything extra. Ferry ride is about 30 minutes, we liked to be at the top level. Open air and good viewing.

Once at the monument you can explorer on your own. We found the whole thing a bit disorganized. Not sure what could be done, maybe a bit of directional flow?? You really don’t have a full hour to see everything, so tip is to move along and don’t linger.

Use the facilities at the visitor center before you board the ferry so you don’t lose the precious limited time at the monument. We went on a glorious weather day, the view is amazing and sweeping. Read up on the history of Fort Sumter to get a sense of the importance.

We also suggest you combine the visit with the aquarium next door. Park at the garage. We only paid $13 for parking and did both. It was worth the convenience.

Total waste of time & money. Though it’s “run” by the National Park Service, you can only get “there” by a ferry that’s a private concession for about $30/ person plus another $21 to park your car.
The ride out is pleasant but hardly worth the cost.
Ft. Sumter? Well it was largely destroyed during the civil war. What’s left is a ruin that over subsequent years and hardly resembles the pre civil war fort.
Go see Ft McHenry in Baltimore or Spanish Ft Maranda’s in St Augustine for free with a National Parks pass & sVe your money.

Highly encourage this tour, but disappointed that not enough time to really appreciate all of the history at the fort itself to read and absorb the impact of this monument.

Great history lesson. The park rangers are a wealth of information as well. The exhibits at Fort Sumter are great. Plenty to see and learn.

The boat ride is nice and slow and we even saw dolphins on the side of the boat. We went on a crummy, rainy day but the boat had covered space as well as at the fort.

Just a heads up to use the restroom on the boat on the way back if you are on the 2:30 tour as the National Park building closes at 4 - after the ship gets back and no restrooms are available.

Not much left of the actual Fort as it was decimated by Union bombardment later in the Civil War after initially being attacked by Confederate forces. But much of the walls and some cannon are left. As is a small museum. Ferry to the fort is 25-30 minutes each way, pleasant trip,

The National Park Service provided a comprehensive account of the South's actions leading up to S Carolina's initiating the war by bombarding the fort and eventually capturing it. The NPS guide did a masterful job recounting those dreadful days and he culminated his presentation by including a number of visitors in the raising of the Stars and Stripes over this national treasure. Would definitely recommend this visit to anyone visiting Charleston---it reflects a very important period in our history and the bloodiest I might add as it was fought to preserve the Union and rid the country of slavery.

You are limited to 1 hour on the island, and must leave with your boat. That's moving pretty quickly to get through everything, so don't waste time. There's civil war history here, but also WWI and WWII as well.

Took the first tour of the day. Ferry ride was pleasant. When we got to Fort Sumpter you had the option to wander on your own or listen to a speaker give a brief history of the fort. We listened to the speaker and got to see the flag being raised for the day. Very cool. Lots of information for anyone wanting to know about the Civil War.

The rangers were very knowledgeable, and the place is very historic. It had a lot of interesting history and they've done a good job with it. We enjoyed the story and the views. I would have loved to see it before it was turned into rubble.

We stood on the bottom deck of the boat and got to see dolphins jump six feet away. That was really neat!

The worst thing about the tour was the other tourists. It attracted some less than enjoyable people on a Friday morning. We are talking the kind of people that are just right there beside in your space no matter how hard you try to get away from them. Eesh.

Loved this. Kind of a bucket list item. Park ranger presentation was great! You have about an hour to wonder around. Learned quite a bit. Skip the gift shop here. The one back at Patriots Point has a far better selection.

Surprised how interesting this was! Took the ferry over- it was nice to see Charleston from the boat!. EXCELLENT Ranger talk for the flag raising- strongly recommend you go for the first or the last tour group to witness the flag raising or flag lowering ceremonies. Multiple rangers on location were very helpful. You are only on the island for an hour- but that’s about enough time.

Great experience, loved going to the fort by ferry, smooth ride. The Fort is preserved very well, grounds are kept neat, lots of care taken. Nice that there are even restrooms on the grounds. Park rangers are very helpful with information. Great history

Very good history provided of the fort. Water was rough, but nice to see the town from off shore. I had read up on the history which allowed me to appreciate walking in the fort.

Our park ranger was an excellent speaker who had no notes but gave an informative and entertaining talk for 15-20 minutes. And she had only been there for a year!
It was an extremely windy day and I lost a hearing aid while there but didn’t realize it until we had left. The staff looked for it and found it! Going above and beyond their duty!!

This is a very interesting and fascinating place, where history comes to life! If you're in Charleston, you will not regret making time for this one-of-a-kind experience! The ferry is a pleasant 30 minute ride to Fort Sumter, and once you're there you get to spend time looking around at your own pace. The museum on the site was great, but we could have used more time reading about all the facts and interesting pieces of information, but they were boarding the ferry to return to Charleston harbor. Over all, this was a great value, much enjoyed, and hassle-free. Granted, we did not go during the peak season or heat. It was a beautiful February day, though! Get your ticket and go!

Decided to get a little history today. Went to visit Fort Sumter and the museum. Nice ferry ride to the fort. The time at the fort is very limited, so don’t waste time. Your time there goes fast.

Go on the first 9:30am tour from charleston . When you get there go right to the flag and volunteer to help raise the flag. Its something you will never forget. Very educational and historic.

We took the tour to Fort Sumter and were very happy with it. The time we spent there seemed to be short at first glance; however, it was more than enough.

So glad we went on this tour. Beautiful ferry ride out to the fort and once there we had a park ranger give a historical talk that was very interesting.

This was a fun side trip out of Charleston. The ferry ride was wonderful. The Park Ranger Randy was great. He was highly knowledgeable about Fort Sumpter and very entertaining to listen to! Would highly recommend!!!

Because we took the first tour of the morning (9:30), we got to be a part of the flag raising at the fort. It was very cool - educational & inspiring! Learned a lot from the park rangers both at the fort & during the ferry rides to & from the fort. It was fascinating.
As an aside, the ferry terminal is right next to the Charleston aquarium, so it’s easy to visit both on the same day if you’re so inclined.

It’s such an interesting part of history and I learned new things…the park ranger was awesome. The boat ride was a Lott long, but what do you do?