Perfect from start to finish. Easy to find and board the ferry. Ranger gave a great narration to the site. We had 1 hr to explore and look at museum. The flag raising happens if you do the first ferry of the day. This was a bucket list item and I'm very happy with how the day went.

We took the first boat of the day over at 930. They do a flag raising, and you have ~ 1 hour to see the fort, museum, and exhibits. A ranger gave a talk on the way over, and the rangers were friendly and knowledgeable at the fort. A ,little more time on the fort would have been nice, but you know you have an hour and you make your way to what you want to see. At least at this time of year, don't show up 45 mins in advance.. the visitor center isn't open and they don't start boarding till 15 mins before departure.

We enjoyed our visit and learnt some history. The national park itself is free. You have to book tickets to the island that the fort is located on via boat. We booked them online. It was absolutely full. They asked us to arrive 30 min earlier. We took the first tour at 9:30 am. The visitor center opens at 9. They probably boarded around 9:15 am. There is a queue as people line up. The visitor center has some information that you can walk through. Restrooms are located in the visitor center and the boat. The boat has three levels the upper level is open but with a cover and best views but freezing cold when the weather is 35 degrees. The mid level has snacks drinks and tables setup. It's temperature controlled. The lower deck has the most seating. We saw some beautiful views of the USS Yorktown and pickney island. Dolphins jumping in water. The ranger gives a briefing on the boat. We enjoyed an hour before the boat set back. Such interesting history. We enjoyed walking around and the flag raising as the first tour. There is a museum and gift shop. Do the junior ranger program. Its a 25 min boat ride. We parked at liberty Square aquarium garage.

This was a fantastic historic tour! Highly recommend for history buffs, that want to learn about our country’s past. The staff operating the boat were professional, and kudos to our excellent tour guide Woody; he was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge and we thank him for making this a memorable experience.

Particularly if you're just getting interested in Civil War history, this is a must-see NPS site. Easy enough getting there and back. Plenty of time on the grounds to see everything. Perhaps one of the real unique parts is seeing how the approach to costal warfare has changed over the centuries, including cannon and signaling technology, even up to WWII. Even talks about mine warfare, which is very unique for a NPS site. Lots of local / state SC history as well. Helps you understand how so many local traditions got started.

At 12:30pm we boarded the ferry and sailed to Fort Sumpter (highly recommended to pre-book the ferry tickets). The weather was spectacular, but warm sweaters or fleeces were much needed because of the wind. The ferry has a small bar and toilet facilities. I was sitting on the upper deck taking pictures, but my husband was hiding inside, where it was much warmer. We had one hour only to explore Fort Sumter and its very informative museum… not enough time for the place where the Civil War had started - it was quite an event, right? After a short introduction to the history of the fort we browsed on our own taking in all the events that had happened there. On April 15, 1861, just three days after the attack on Fort Sumter, Abraham Lincoln ordered to call up 75,000 troops, in order to suppress the Confederate rebellion and the fierce battles of the Civil War had started. The museum presents so many fascinating details of Fort Sumter’d history, but we only could only scratch the surface in the allotted time. Such a pity… The voyage back was very nice and the photos came out beautifully.

Great tour starting with boat ride out into the bay to the fort. Got to walk around the fort by ourselves or with a ranger talking about history of fort. Really enjoyed visiting this piece of southern history

The enjoyable boat ride with historical narration on the 20 min trip prepared you to view the last vestiges of the fort and why. The history of Fort Sumpter is in the details leading up to the day the war started and the day the Stars and Stripes once again were flown above the fort. Fort Sumpter was in service many decades before and after the Civil War. The short 5 year period is what makes The fort a Historic Site. See it in person and learn the details that make up the rest of the story……..

We really enjoyed our tour of Ft Sumpter last spring. The tour guides were engaging and we learned a lot, they also gave plenty of time to explore on our own. If we had any questions the guide was readily available and gave us hints of where to look on the fort. Be sure to look out for dolphin when waiting for the ferry in your way out!

What a nice ferry ride to Ft. Sumpter! Once you get off the ferry, you have about an hour to tour. There is a great museum and small gift shop too. We took the ferry from Patriot Point. There aren’t enough seats for all the tickets, so if you need a seat, you may want to get in line early. We had my mother in law, who can’t get around easily, and luckily there was a seat for her. However, I believe someone would have given up a spot for her. She was able to walk to the Ft, but then stayed in the shaded area.