North Carolina Historic Sites

Until the last few months of the Civil War, Fort Fisher kept North Carolina's port of Wilmington open to blockade-runners supplying necessary goods to Confederate armies inland. By 1865, the supply line through Wilmington was the last remaining supply route open to Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. When Ft. Fisher fell after a massive Federal amphibious assault on January 15, 1865, its defeat helped seal the fate of the Confederacy. Continued

The Site

• Site Overview
• Historical Gallery
• Exhibits
• Exhibit Photos
• Fiber-Optic Battle Map
• Site Area Map
• Tour Map Front
• Tour Map Back
• Other Websites
• Eastern Regional Map
• The Powder Magazine Winter 2013

The Port

• Wilmington
• The River Defenses
• The Cape Fear Estuary and Approaches to Wilmington
• Confederate Map of Civil War Wilmington
• Federal Map of Civil War Wilmington
• Running the Blockade

The Fort

• Ft. Fisher
• Map of Ft. Fisher
• Armament
• The Crimean War Connection

The Civil War at Ft. Fisher

Politics

• A Joint Attack Upon Wilmington

1st Attack

• The Powder Vessel
• Battle Chronology
• Casualties and Other Numbers
• Union Command Gallery
• Confederate Command Gallery

2nd Attack

• Battle Chronology
• Casualties and Other Numbers
• Union Command Gallery
• Confederate Command Gallery
• Black Troops at Ft. Fisher

Battle Maps

• Bombardment of Ft. Fisher
• Opposing Lines on Federal Point
• Attack of Federal Sailors and Marines
• Federal Infantry Attack
• Advance of Abbott's Brigade
• Surrender at Battery Buchanan

Aftermath

• Aftermath
• Magazine Explosion
• The O'Sullivan Images

The Forces

• Federal Army and Navy
• Confederates

WWII

• Ft. Fisher During World War II
• Gallery

What's New

• Fort Fisher Weddings!
  Make your special day even more so. Contact John Moseley about Fort Fisher's new special event rental program at john.moseley@ncdcr.gov.
  

Upcoming Events

• July 13: Hidden Beneath the Sand
  Saturday 10 am - 4 pm
  Fort Fisher Archaeology on the Land and at Sea. Explore the history of Fort Fisher through the archaeological record found both on land and in our local waterways. Listen as a maritime archaeologist speaks on the amazing historical finds in the Cape Fear region, and the work that is underway mapping the Civil War era ships. This event is part of our summer "Second Saturdays" series, and is free and open to the public.



• August 10: Information Technology in the Civil War
  Saturday 10 am - 4 pm
  How did information move from one location to another during the Civil War? This program will focus on the movement of information through a secure network by using a signal flag alphabet, creating and using cipher disks, and using other codes. During this program, a communications demonstration will connect the Cape Fear area's three fortifications (Fort Fisher, Fort Anderson, and Fort Johnston) and teach visitors about the telegraph by actually running messages. This event is part of our summer "Second Saturdays" series, and is free and open to the public. Program components subject to change. For more information, contact the site at 910-458-5538.

Fort Fisher Information

• Map & Directions
• Weather at Ft. Fisher
• Special Events
• Facilities

Contact Us

Ft. Fisher
1610 Ft. Fisher Blvd. South
Kure Beach, NC 28449
Phone: (910) 458-5538
Fax: (910) 458-0477
Email: fisher@ncdcr.gov

Hours of Operation

Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Closed Sunday and Monday and most major state holidays.

Admission

No admission fees. There is a suggested donation at some special events.