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Fort Delaware, Delaware City, DE

Photo: combatphoto44, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffFamily Favorite

Fort Delaware

45 Clinton Street (ferry dock and ticket office) · Delaware City, DE

Why you should go…

Fort Delaware stands on Pea Patch Island in the middle of the Delaware River and is reached only by ferry from the dock in Delaware City. The pentagon-shaped fort held Confederate prisoners of war during the Civil War, and costumed interpreters now explain daily life there. You can climb the ramparts to watch the Columbiad cannon fire. The Prison Camp Trail leads to an observation platform over a large nesting colony of herons, egrets and ibises.

  • #civil war fort
  • #living history
  • #ferry ride
  • #state park
  • #birdwatching

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Fort Delaware, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Wilmington & the Brandywine Valley

    Free

    Delaware's largest city and the du Pont family's Brandywine Valley estates, gardens, and museums.

    11 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Delaware Art Museum

    Under $25

    See Pre-Raphaelite paintings, Howard Pyle illustrations and John Sloan works, then walk the sculpture garden and labyrinth outside.

    12 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Delaware Museum of Nature & Science

    Under $25

    Natural history museum near Wilmington with dinosaur, shell, and bird exhibits plus a planetarium.

    12 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Nemours Estate

    Under $25

    Tour Alfred I. du Pont's 77-room mansion, stroll French formal gardens, and see vintage cars in the Chauffeur's Garage.

    13 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Hagley Museum and Library

    Under $25

    Tour the original du Pont gunpowder mills on the Brandywine, the family's first American home, and a gallery of patent models.

    13 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Delaware County

    Free

    A Philadelphia-suburb county nicknamed 'America's Garden County' for its public gardens and historic estates.

    23 mi awayMore like this