The beaches of Fort De Soto Park draw many to fort near me, but the historic sites also have a sway over visitors. Visitors can stroll a 19th-century fort, visit a Spanish-American War outpost and even splash with their pups on a beach buffered by dunes and without a condominium or high rise in sight.
The North Blockhouse at Old Fort Niagara takes guests back to 1812 and into the confusion, drama and fear of the battle at this fort during the War of 1812. Military medicine exhibits at the park’s Post Hospital offer insight into changing nineteenth-century medical practices. And the Officers’ Quarters exhibition showcases period settings and displays of artifacts highlighting the training, duties and responsibilities of Fort Mackinac’s officers.
Journey Through History: Exploring Historic Forts Near Me
About 70 miles (by seaplane or boat) west of Key West, Dry Tortugas National Park is comprised mostly of water and coral reefs, but the largest lure on land here is Fort Jefferson. The 19th-century fort is the biggest coastal fort from that era and occupies most of a small key called Garden Island.
The fort’s cypress blockhouse and barracks are now a museum that reenacts daily life at the fort in 1721 to 1736, when His Majesty’s Independent Company of Scottish Highlanders occupied it as a southern outpost. It’s one of the few remaining forts where you can walk atop a grassy fort roof and see stunning ocean views.