Fort Sumter Visitor Center at Liberty Square

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Visitor Centers Home Page

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GENERAL INFORMATION

The Fort Sumter Visitor Center is located next to Liberty Square, a pedestrian park located in downtown Charleston on the Charleston Harbor, or to be more precise, the mouth of the Cooper River. The address is 340 Concord Street. In addition to being the home of the Visitor Center, the park has fountains, shaded benches, and exhibits of local artists.

Fountains at Liberty Square in downtown Charleston, South Carolina

OPERATING HOURS

The Fort Sumter Visitor Center is open daily from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, except when closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Keep in mind that times can always change, so be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park.

AMENITIES

• Ranger-staffed information desk where you can ask questions and pick up a park brochure
• Purchase tickets for a tour to Fort Sumter
• Ferry departure point for trips to Fort Sumter
• Museum
• Restrooms

FORT SUMTER FERRY TICKETS

It is possible to buy a ticket for a tour of Fort Sumter in person at the Visitor Center. A ticket office is located on the second floor. However, to ensure you get a ticket, it is best to purchase one online in advance. To do so, visit the Fort Sumter Tours website. This is the only company authorized by the National Park Service to bring passengers to Fort Sumter. Any other company selling a “Fort Sumter Tour” is simply offering a cruise around the island.

Ferry boat departs from the Fort Sumter Visitor Center, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

MUSEUM

Museum inside the Fort Sumter Visitor Center, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Don’t worry about standing around bored while you wait for the ferry to Fort Sumter to leave because the Visitor Center houses a fairly large museum that focuses on what led up to the Civil War, particularly in relationship to South Carolina and Charleston (a museum specifically for Fort Sumter is located within the actual fort). There are exhibits on slavery and the plantation culture, the major players of the time, political dealings, and how the Confederate Army was formed. In addition to information panels, actual artifacts are on display.

Museum inside the Fort Sumter Visitor Center, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Display of Confederate / South Carolina uniform buttons and belt buckles at the museum inside the Fort Sumter Visitor Center, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

For most people, browsing through the exhibits while they wait for their tour of Fort Sumter is more than enough time for the museum. However, if you are a Civil War buff and want to read all the information, come an hour early.

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