Complete information about visiting Fort Monroe National Monument is now available on National Park Planner.
Fort Monroe was constructed between 1819 and 1834 to protect the waters between Hampton and Norfolk, Virginia, known as the Hampton Roads. A young Robert E. Lee was in charge of the later years of construction, Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at the fort in the late 1820s, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis was imprisoned here after the Civil War on charges of treason.
The Fort operated as a military base until 2011, when it was decommissioned. That same year, President Obama designated the fort as a National Monument and it is now open to the public, though activities are currently limited to a museum and a fort walking tour. Plans are in the works for more visitor activities, but all moves at the pace of the Federal government.
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Last updated on March 24, 2019
