Nestled In Boston Harbor Is Massachusetts' Abandoned Military Fort That's Now A Historic Island Gem

If you're a history lover, chances are you've either been to Boston or have it near the top of your U.S. travel bucket list. The city is one of America's best destinations for history, dating back more than four centuries. While there's a lot of history to explore on land, you'd be remiss not to venture offshore as well. A 45-minute ferry from Long Wharf takes you to Georges Island, where you can explore Fort Warren. It's one of America's most prominent coastal fortifications and was part of the U.S. Civil War, Spanish-American War, and both World Wars.

Georges Island is actually one of the 34 islands and peninsulas comprising Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park, an idyllic Massachusetts oasis for outdoor recreation and harbor views. While the island is also great for walking and picnicking amid harbor views, its main attraction is the historic Fort Warren. Construction of the fort began in the 1840s and finished around the start of the Civil War in 1861. During this war, it functioned as a training facility and coastal defense for the Union, as well as a prison camp for Confederate soldiers. After the Civil War, Fort Warren received numerous upgrades to its defenses, which were actually never tested during multiple wars until it was deactivated in 1950.

Today, you can explore this 1800s fortification at your leisure, learning more about its history as you see various elements of its Third System-style design. The fort's Visitor Center is the best place to start your journey. It's located at the dock and was originally a submarine mine storehouse in the early 1900s. Now it houses exhibits sharing stories about the soldiers, workers, and prisoners who spent time here. From here, you'll walk through the sally port into the heart of Fort Warren.

After the sally port, Fort Warren welcomes visitors into its parade ground. From here, there's a lot to see throughout this historic site. Visitors can enter many of the rooms and areas, including the infirmary, lookout towers, and an interior magazine built after the Civil War, and the main gun sites. One of the most noteworthy features is a 15-inch Rodman cannon. You can find this impressive weapon guarding the sally port. Maps are available at the Visitor Center if you want help finding your way around.

Once you've seen enough of the interior, you can circumnavigate the entire fort by following a trail around its exterior. This is also where you can soak up sweeping views of Boston, America's best sports city, as well as the harbor's only deep-water channel, The Narrows. If you want to learn more about the fort, listen to the Georges Island Audio Tour online as you explore. It includes information about various structures and stories of lives lived and lost here, including soldiers composing "John Brown's Body," which became the Unionist anthem "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

You can reach Fort Warren by catching the Georges Island ferry from Long Wharf. It takes about 45 minutes one way and costs around $25 per person for a return trip. You can book ferry tickets through the Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park site. The schedule is limited, though, with two services from Thursday to Sunday in the spring and three services every day in the summer. The public ferries stop running between mid-October and mid-May, but you can still get there via private boats. If you're looking for a place to stay in Boston, consider booking a room at the Mandarin Oriental Boston, crowned one of the best hotels in the U.S. for 2026.