Description:

Built after the end of the War of 1812, the base now known as Fort Sumter National Monument was the site where the Civil War began. It is open to visitors as a historic site, rebuilt in the intervening years although after the Civil War it never again saw combat. The island fort is reachable either by private boat or by ferry, where a 30-minute ride is followed by a fantastic guided tour. Ferries depart from the Visitor Education Center, where informative exhibits and antique items are displayed, on the eastern edge of Charleston near the American Military Museum?.