Fort Sumter
Discover where the first shots were fired during the American Civil War as you cruise past Fort Sumter. Years of struggles between the North and South erupted on April 12, 1861 when Confederate artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. While it took Fort Sumter only 34 hours to surrender, Union forces would try to take it back for years to come.
Forts Moultrie and Johnson
See Confederate and Union Forts Moultrie and Johnson during your Charleston Harbor Cruise. Fort Moultrie is known as the first Fort on Sullivan’s Island and was still incomplete when Commodore Sir Peter Parker and nine warships attacked in June of 1776. Today Fort Moultrie has been restored to reflect the major periods of its past, from the Palmetto-lo fort of 1776 to the World War II Harbor Entrance Post. Contrary to Fort Moultrie, little evidence of the original Fort Johnson remains. Once located on James Island’s Windmill Point, the fort was built in 1708 and saw the French and Indian War, the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the American Civil War. Today a circa 1820s brick powder magazine and a section Confederate earthworks are the few relics that remain of Fort Johnson.
Patriots Point USS Yorktown
USS Yorktown is one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy. Learn about her service history and marvel at her majesty and mystic as you pass by her at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum.
St. Michaels Church
From the Charleston Harbor you can see the church steeple and bell tower of St. Michaels Church. Learn about the oldest church edifice in Charleston, South Carolina standing on the site of the first Anglican Church built south of Virginia.
The Battery
Boasting a scenic promenade, Charleston’s Battery is a fortified seawall at the southernmost point of the Charles River Peninsula where the Cooper and Ashley Rivers meet. While its strategic location once made it important, today the Battery is renowned for its stately antebellum homes that line the promenade. Notable homes on the Battery include: the Louis DeSaussure House, the William Ravenel House, the Edmondston-Alston House, the Charles Drayton House, the George Chisolm House, the Villa Margherita, the William Washington House, the Col. John A.S. Ashe House, the James Spear House and the Col. John Ashe House.
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
Replacing Charleston’s two obsolete cantilever bridges, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge connecting downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant Learn about the history and unique design of the state of the art span that accommodates some of the largest ships in the world.
Marine Life
In addition to its rich maritime history, the Charleston Harbor is home to magnificent marine life. Be on the lookout for dolphins, manatees and harbour birds.
- The Charleston Harbor Cruise is ADA compliant.
- Don’t forget your camera. There will be exciting photo opportunities during your Charleston Harbor Cruise.