Fort Sumter is a coastal fortification in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. It is made in a Third System masonry, which was a very ambitious sea coast defensive system built after the War of 1812.

Fort Sumter was named after General Thomas Sumter. It is best known to be the site of the Battle of Fort Sumter, which took place in 1861 and marked the beginning of the Civil War. Granted this, the site is also where the first shots during the said war were fired.

Today, Fort Sumter serves as a tourist destination and historic site. It is also commonly called as the Fort Sumter National Monument. It is accessed by visitors by taking a 30-minute ferry ride that starts from the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center.