This is a very nice NPS visitor and education center. Lots of history inside with a lot of cool artifacts to see. The old flag was my favorite. Be sure to watch the Fort Sumter informational video outside underneath the visitor center. The views out back behind the center are really nice too as you can see the bridge and the aircraft carrier at Patriots Point.

Take the ferry ride, see the harbor, arrive at Historic Ft. Sumter. Dont take the last ferry like we did, I felt rushed the whole time and we ended up having to jog back to the ferry to make it on time because it was the last one for the day. Make sure to use the restroom on the ferry as there are none on the man made island. The gift shop only allows 4 (?) people at a time so make sure to plan for that wait. The ferry offers a snack bar and adult beverages for on the ride home. Very fun and informative.

One of the nicest National Park Facilities Ive seen. Beautiful park in front with nice exhibits and little garden spots to burn some time up waiting for the next ferry. Dont worry about what to do for 30 minutes if you arrive early. Kids will not be bored and they will likely drag you to the Aquarium next door. I did and AWESOME place as will. Spent the whole day with Ft. Sumpter and Aquarium in one convenient stop. Huge parking lot right across the street.

The Fort Sumter National Park Service Visitor Education Center is a great place to learn about the history of Charleston and of South Carolina. There are many displays and panels that are really educational and you can really learn about many different aspects of history and culture in addition to just Fort Sumter. I really like the big flag that they have on the wall. The best part is that it is free to visit and it is well worth your time to see all that they have to offer. The staff here is very friendly and knowledgeable and can answer questions you have about the history of Charleston. I look forward to being able to come back here in the future and learning more.

Fantastic experience! Most of it was handicap accessible. EVERYONE was friendly and helpful.

Nice place to visit with kids. I enjoyed taking the boat out to explore the fort and learn some american history. The rangers were also knowledgeable and ready to answer questions. I would recommend this place. If you have kids the Jr Ranger program is a great way to get them to interact with the location. When they complete the packet they even get a Jr Ranger badge. Its a great free program the park service offers.

Loved going through the museum. Would had to loved to go the fort,but didnt have the time.

The place is historic but very underwhelming. Almost nothing is original or recreated to represent the original. I was expecting exhibits of some kind (After all this is the spot where the north and south collided).

An important part of American history. Well worth visiting.

If youre going to the fort you will want to stop in here. Great information throughout. Arrive 30 minutes early and you should be able to see everything in here.

Nice display good information great boat trip to the fort

Nice stop on our US tour. Beautiful flag. #reedsontheroad

You can learn alot by going there

Anyone that knows me knows that I am not a history buff. But this place, was just an awesome experience. Going through the visitor center looking through all the pictures, the memorabilia and reading the story of Fort Sumter was eye-opening. The ferry ride over was nice, it’s about a half hour ride and you get an hour on the island, then half hour ride back.Amazing how they made their own island to build this on. Lots of areas to go over and see the distance between the other forts that helped form this barrier and strategic maneuvering of the Civil War.The total time for the tour - two hours. Well worth it. The ferry ride alone was worth the price.

Great experience go early for the flag raising.The rangers are great and the ferry ride is nice also.

This is a pretty small center, but overall there is a lot of good information packed in. I appreciate the opportunity to educate my children about our countrys ugly past. Its important to look our mistakes in the face so that we do not repeat them. I very much recommend a trip here.

Cool place to check out even if you dont take the tour.

Very nice tour - very educational

Lots of fun if you like history or riding on a boat to get there.

Very nice. Young lady ranger was very well informed & helpful

This is a nice, but small museum that talks about the history of Fort Sumter and the beginnings of the US Civil War. Many people think of this Visitors Center as somewhere that has the primary purpose of being a waiting/staging area for the ride to the Island where Fort Sumter is located; however, given its location and proximity to other tourist attractions such as the aquarium, I believe that it easily holds its own merits as another museum. Even if you dont go out to Fort Sumter, make it a point to stop here to learn a thing or two. It is free after all.

Very educating. Not a lot there, but what was worth the trip. Very good view from there also.

This is a must for history buffs and for anyone passing through Charleston in general....

Truly an excellent place to experience an important part of the American Civil War history! There is a ferry ride from the visitor center to the fort. They have preserved the original walls and canons very well. The rangers do a flag lowering (evening) and raising (morning) ceremony every day, and the visitors can participate. Recommended for both old and young.

Park rangers were friendly. Good facilities. I am thankful we preserve such places. We love our National Park Service!

Awesome tour for all ages! Make sure you check the times for when the ferry runs

A must go for history lovers.

Needs better concessions

Beautiful place to having fun with the family

I saw dolphins jumping out of water there so its five star.

Nice place. Gives you some of the history of Ft Sumter.

Very nice visitors center, grounds are in great shape

A very nice self guided tour. Recommend you visit while in Charleston.

Museum very educational. Didnt have time to go out to Fort Sumter, so cant say anything about that tour.

Great place. Only giving 4 stars because of the revisionist historical spin the rangers try and put on things , even if it completely contradicts the exhibits being shown. This , unfortunately seems to be the pattern while visiting southern historical sites.

Amazing place and so full of history!!!

Informative, next time we are going on the boat trip, Center was pretty warm more A/C or better circulation

Lots of historical signifigance is displayed in this park and the areas around it. Displays comfortable and mind opening vibes to the history thats past in these breathtaking places.

Fun tour

Enjoyed the walk through history before boarding a boat to see the actual fort. Great detail and use of actual materials found to bring the past to life. Gift shop available. Trip on fort was a hour - seemed short - but certain times / days are available to extend visit time, to get a better experience.

The place is small, but interesting, and they have a cute little gift shop. The main attraction is the ferry ride that they provide, out to Fort Sumter. The tours leave out the back door of the building, and go down the back steps to board the ferry. They could use a little more indoor seating for people waiting to board the ferry on hot days, but there is also a landing outside the back doors, where you can wait with a lovely view of the harbor and nice ocean breezes.

I enjoyed the exibits and info plus the ferry ride and actual visit to the fort itself

Nice

Very friendly host. I enjoyed the visit

This is a must go for everyone. Really learned a lot and Rangers very very informative.

The experience was awesome and educational. Its a great place for the family and kids. I would definitely come back again.

The education center is the launch point to Fort Sumter. While theres good historic value in the visit, the Fort itself is a little underwhelming. Enough static display but it theres a video of the events surrounding the Fort, it would have been heaps better.

Really cool historical fort!

I love history! The Civil War has been my favorite war to study. Being able to visit this place and see the historical buildings and Fort Sumter just makes me be in awe.

The park ranger was extremely helpful so much appreciated

Decent museum depicting the start of the Civil War.

Very nice..... Great museum!

Air conditioned museum with basic content. If you Ride the ferry to the fort, sit on the starboard side as 100%of the audio describes what you can see from there; if you sit on the other side you wont see much.

Gift shop worker asked what side we were for..

Very family oriented and friendly staff.

Love the quotations, artifacts and general information not only from the time period, but specifically from the local region. Serves its purpose- very educational. Visitor center is free. Tours to the island/Fort Sumter are not free, but are well worth the price and time.

Excellent museum

The visitor center was small but the boat ride or ferry was better two hours long.

It was an interesting visit to a very historic site. A definite must visit if in Charleston.

While the visitor center is educational the flow of the room is awful and theres a but too much praise of the brave southern lads defending the confederacy/holding off the northern attackers for my comfort. Much of the text is also very small, meaning you have to stand very close - and block other people- in order to read it

Rangers are awesome and knowledgeable

Ive been to Charleston several times. This was the first time at Fort Sumter. It was excellent. Make sure you take the short tour by the staff while you are there.

Small museum

Breath taking historic site of the onset of the Civil War!

Probably one of the more concise and fair presentations of the civil war that Id ever seen

Really nice Museum and area, definitely make time to view all of the displays if you cant make the boat ride to the actual Fort.

Super hands on and the rangers where great !!

We unfortunately missed the ferry however a very informative visitors centre.Plan ahead to avoid any disappointment.

Such great history

Friendly and informative staff, plenty of information on some of Charlestons history.

,good to see to know the historical information

Fantastic experience. Beautiful boat ride out to the Fort.

Lots of information about Savannah and fort Sumter. Quick and nice boat ride to the fort.

Very interesting exhibition although quite small. Very friendly and available staff!

Good place to get background

Great place for a history lesson, guides were very knowledgeable and helpful.

If you even think you like history you will love it here.

Great tour

Very detailed information about the Nations history. Staff was very helpful from rangers to gift shop attendants!

Rustic and informative.

Lots of cool history.

Just wow! Great place

Great tour!! Educational and fun for the kids.

Really educational.

I learned some details of Americas history here that was never taught to in school.

The fort was great but it was disappointed that the wheelchair lift is broken and cannot access the upper levels

Everyone should visit! So much history on display.

Wonderful historic tour.

If you go early (9:30 AM), you get to see the flag raising ceremony, my favorite part of the Sumter experience.

Great place to learn more about the area.

Plan time for this if youre a Civil War historian. Lots to see.

Good place to visit

Ferry tours take about 2 hours and only leave 3 times a day. This information isnt clear on their website so make sure you plan ahead.

Excellent museum orientation center.

Love history

A great compliment to the Fort

Great history lessons

History is history. Sad but true..

Helpful staff

This is a must-see