One of two 6-inch guns with steel shields at Battery 234 at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands National Seashore
See the Military Forts and Batteries web page for an interactive location map.
Battery 234 and its neighbor, Battery Cooper, are the most interesting of all batteries at the Fort Pickens unit of Gulf Islands National Seashore because they have actual guns in place. Both are located on Battery Cooper Road, a short, U-shaped loop road that branches off of Fort Pickens Road between the Fort Pickens Campground and the actual Fort Pickens. Signs on the main road point the way. Allow twenty minutes for your visit.
Battery 234 is completely buried in the ground and covered with vegetation, camouflaging it from enemy ships in the Gulf of Mexico. The two doors that open into the interior of the battery are shut tight, so all you can do is explore the exterior. From the road you cannot see much of anything, so you must walk around to the ocean side on a short trail that runs along the right side of the battery. Just keep walking until you come to the first of two 6-inch guns housed in cast steel that protected the gun crews from machine gun fire. You may have to walk out to the beach to get a good look, though you can also bushwhack your way to the gun carriage for a closer inspection. If you continue around the battery, you will come to a second gun on the other side.
One of two 6-inch guns with steel shields at Fort Pickens’ Battery 234, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida
6-inch gun at Fort Pickens’ Battery 234 aims out into the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Islands National Seashore
The battery wasn’t built until 1943, making it the most modern of all batteries at Fort Pickens. However, no guns were ever mounted during the war. It wasn’t until 1946 that the carriages and steel shields were added, but no actual guns ever arrived. What you see today are guns installed by the National Park Service in 1976. Though these guns were manufactured in 1903, they are the type of guns that would have been used in the 1940s.
Back side of the steel shield on the 6-inch gun at Fort Pickens’ Battery 234, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida
Closer look at the back of a 6-inch gun at Fort Pickens’ Battery 234, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida
6-inch gun of Battery 234 at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands National Seashore
Behind the battery is the remains of a tall, steel tower with a concrete observation deck. This was used to help direct fire from the batteries below. The tower was closed to the public in 2013 due to safety concerns, and it was just recently disassembled. Plans are to renovate the tower and restore the observation platform—if possible—so it can once again be opened for climbing.
Disassembled spotting tower of Battery 234 at Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands National Seashore
Spotting tower at Battery 234 when assembled, Gulf Islands National Seashore
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Last updated on March 6, 2025
