Forts – Momma Wanderer

I’m a history buff so I’m not sure how many other people out there like visiting forts while traveling. I love to! I visit cemeteries too (maybe that can be a future blog post). Visiting forts has become something I’m fond of doing while away from home. I think it’s important to learn from history. I think it’s good for the soul to remember the past. The forts vary in age, many built after the revolutionary war. Some older! Here are some of my favorite forts I’ve been to.

Fort Adams, Newport, RI

This is the fort I recently visited in Newport, Rhode Island. I’ve walked around the outside before, but never went inside. It’s definitely a fort you have to see inside! It is gigantic. As in, you can fit all the other forts I mention here inside Fort Adams. Highlights include Newport Bridge and harbor views from the top, seeing the old officer quarters and adventuring through the dark tunnels underground. Fort Adams was built during/after the War of 1812 and never saw battle.

Fort Adams is a Rhode Island State Park and charges an entry fee. Parking is free, and plentiful, on site. There are clean restrooms and a small store. In the afternoons a Dells lemon ice truck is there! Have to have Dells when you visit Rhode Island.

El Morro, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Officially know as Castillo San Felipe del Morro. The oldest fort I’ve been to! Five centuries old, like, wow. I visited in March 2025. There is a fee to enter, but you can use your America The Beautiful Pass to enter since it’s a national park. Parking is a nightmare! Read more about my trip to Puerto Rico here.

I didn’t get to go in the lighthouse because it was under construction, boo! Just have to return is all. The oceans views are breathtaking! There are restrooms and water refill stations around the fort.

Fort Point, San Francisco, CA

This was a fort I visited in 2024 (see here). It is free to park there and free to enter. It’s a smaller fort, but worth a visit. The fort is under the Golden Gate Bridge and worth a visit just for that view! The fort was there first :) The views of Alcatraz are pretty cool too.

Fort William Henry, Lake George, NY

Here is a link to my trip to Lake George and the fort, back in 2023. The family and I did a haunted tour (the haunted history ghost tour) and it was cool! Creepy! There is free parking on site. I recommend visiting in the evening if you are doing the ghost tour. It adds to the spooky nature.

Fort Trumbull and Fort Griswold, CT

Grouping these two together because they can be visited in one day in Connecticut (even half a day). See my blog post here. I have not been inside Fort Trumbull yet!

Fort Sumter, Charleston, SC

I visited Fort Sumter in April 2021 (hence the masks in the pictures!). This fort felt different. I think because it was built by slaves, the visit was somber and a stark reminder of the past of the U.S.A. The boat ride over to the island gives you pretty views of the Charleston harbor. I was particularly moved by the fingerprints of the slaves in some of the bricks.

While visiting Fort Adams (above), the tour guide talked about the Irish immigrants who came over to built the fort. A major contrast to how Fort Sumter was built, around the same time frame too.

Fort Wetherill, Jamestown, RI

This fort is fun because it has become an art installation! I recommend visiting during the day in summer when there are lots of other people there. It’s popular for water activities, like scuba diving. I had a great time kayaking from there last summer. See my past blog post here about a visit with the kids to Jamestown, RI.