Located on a man-made island of sea shells and granite from northern quarries lies a pentagonal structure, fifty feet high, with walls eight to twelve feet thick called Fort Sumter. Just off of the Charleston, South Carolina harbor, it is best known for being the site of the first shots of the American Civil War.

Fort Sumter can only be accessed via a 30-minute ferry ride from Fort Sumter Tours. The tours sell out fairly quickly, even in the winter time. We were lucky and managed to get a few of the last remaning spots available for the hour we arrived so our ferry wait time was not long.

If you do happen to have a long wait time, watch the ocean. There are dolphins a-plenty in the Charleston Harbor! They were everywhere we looked!

Here is a quick video of our Fort Sumter shenanigans: