At the mouth of the Charleston Harbor, two forts stand guard once ready to defend the waterway. Fort Sumter‘s construction began in 1829, and by February of 1865, the fort lay in ruin after the Union bombed the stronghold. Today only the lower level remains, and the cannons were dug out of the rumble and displayed. You can only get to the for via the ferry.

First attacked in June of 1776, Fort Moultrie defended the harbor through various conflicts. The fort was used in the Civil War and rebuilt in 1870 and 1885. Today you can tour the fort and walk backward in time from World War II to the Revolutionary War.