Fort Macon is always on our list of places to visit while we are in AB and never disappoints. We were there in Nov. 2023 and it was peaceful and empty. We had a chance to really spend some valuable time seeing the exhibits and exploring the fort. We are always in awe of the feat in actually building the fort and the perseverance it took to accomplish that. in wool clothing. in the heat. with the refreshing ocean right there. Bring your kids, bring your grandchildren, this is a hands-on fort, but watch your step as the fort was built for war, not safety. read more

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Fort Macon is a great spot for a free and historic activity to take a break from the beach. The place is very informative and touches on the for various purposes throughout the years as well as local wildlife. There's an inside museum and when you walk the floor, you can go into different rooms to view different exhibits. There's some things that could use renovations as far as the exhibits go, but overall it's very informative. They have an on-site tour guide that will give you a free tour or answer any kind of questions you may have, she was very informative. The ocean view at the top of the fort is breathtaking. Bonus: there's a souvenir penny roller machine with various designs to choose from read more

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Worth a visit. Beach, views, walking trails. We had a good afternoon wandering and shelling read more

Stopped in before going to the beach. History is not really my thing but I enjoyed walking around and looking at the display cases of items. Found a couple Christmas presents in the gift shop too. read more

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Worth the visit, clean bathrooms, museums, good atmosphere, has a built in store , built in movies and small beach with access to biking . Worth the long drive out too. Don't speed on the way here.! read more

Great historic state park. It's worth a drive out to the end of the isle. Free self guided tours of the old fort. Lots of restored artifacts and history to explore. If you like history you'll enjoy this state park! read more

First of all - if you go here with children or older folks be careful! As the sign says at the moat (yes, they have a moat - if you appreciate moats then I especially encourage you to visit this moat). There are steep drop-offs and inviting places to climb so keep the kids on a close leash. Having said that this is an adventurous location. There is plenty to see and do. During the Summer months the Park Rangers are usually good enough to offer a variety of interesting special items as well as regularly scheduled tours. The last time I was there we were treated to the display of loading and firing a field rifle used in the Civil War. I am pleased with the restoration of the place. Though I wasn't alive at the time it was built I have to commend them on their accuracy in recreating the images we have in photos, drawings and paintings of the time. Visiting here is truly an adventure into the American past. You can get a real sense of history here and learn quite a lot. The fort is old and predates the Civil War. The forts battles during the Civil War, though brief, touched every aspect of the conflict - from citizen-soldier, to career military men from the North and the South. It is a nice place to visit. The people are very good and helpful and informative. I recommend it as part of a day trip as the park itself beyond the fort holds a lot of attraction for me as well. Excellent historical station covering a wide portion of Eastern Carolina history. The natural areas are either pristine or have reverted to that state. Birds abound here - both shore and inland. Beware the currents here. Fishing is good on sound and ocean sides but swimming and even wading is dangerous. The shore drops off precipitously and the currents can be savage. Something to see! read more

My visit to Fort Macon today was nothing short of spectacular. The unrivaled beauty of the site was something to behold. I was very fortunate to have Frank Ragsdale as my tour guide. He was engaging, witty and knowledgeable. He has that rare talent/ability to compile basic historical facts into a colorful story that draws you in. I look forward to another visit with my family and hopefully we'll get Frank! read more

Very nice and restored. This is one of the nicest state parks I've been to. If you are in the area and like history this is a must to check out. Plenty of video explanations and they do tour's as well. read more

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Such a neat place to visit. I recommend going on one of the free tours, as well as watching the video in the visitors center. Our tour guide, Dan, was very knowledgeable and was able to show and tell us about things we would have otherwise not known just from walking around. We've been a few times on weekdays, and it's never been overly crowded. As the sign there says...the fort was made for war, not for safety. So there are some uneven walkways and large drop offs...just would want to be very careful with little ones. If you walk across the parking lot you can get to the beach. read more

Totally worth the time to check out. A great museum and preserved fort with a lot of rich civil war history behind it. Our kids really enjoyed the learning opportunities and the guided tour was also excellent. Great picture opportunities if you can make it up the stairs to the top. In addition, there are nature trails that take you to the beach or alongside the beach - perfect for an easy family hike or a scenic run. read more

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We timed our visit to arrive for the 11 a.m. guided tour. The tour lasted about 1 hour, with the volunteer filling us with details of days long ago. Very interesting, and I'm glad we went. We had total freedom to walk about where we liked both inside the fort and outside. It was a great outing with beautiful views and very interesting history of this place on the tip of a barrier island. read more

This is a really cool place to walk around and gets some fresh air, as well as learn a little history. The volunteer staff does a great job with keeping the place very clean and the structure is in amazing shape for its age. Also pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic while here watching the boats pass by. read more

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We had some free time and wanted to explore and decided to try the fort. My 14 year old son really enjoyed this place. Lots of facts and artifacts to check out. Perfect place to fill a few hours in the area. And might I add that it is free to go to! read more

Great place to go walking! The fort itself is really cool, I went when they had a re-enactment and it was a cool experience, they even fire the cannon. The museum part is so-so, kind of confusing... there's a gift shop, a walk through part and the rest of the building is?? read more

Very easy to find and it has quite a bit to do (unlike the rest of Atlantic Beach). It is really worth the visit, Civil War buff or not. The parking is plentiful and the bathrooms are clean. The staff is cordial and helpful. You can walk onto the beach from here and it's lovely. There are different rooms in the fort itself showing life/artifacts. And it's free! read more

For what this is - a historical site - I don't see how this could have been any better. We went on a cool day that was not very crowded, so our conditions were ideal. The information center/museum had plenty of information and the fort itself was set up perfectly to explore and read information pertaining to the ENTIRE history of the fort, from it's beginnings to it's WWII activity. Interesting stuff. We always like to fit in a little history somewhere in our trips, and this was a great stop. read more

I've been visiting Fort Macon since I was a child in the 70's. This place still fascinates me, and a must visit anytime I'm near Atlantic Beach. If you're a history buff, or simply like to visit places of our past then you must see the fort! Beautiful beach that you can swim or fish at as well. You can make it a whole day of fun. If you bring children then you MUST supervise them. This was a place built for adults and war and has some unsafe places. I'm not advising to not bring kids as I went when I was 6, but you must keep an eye on them. read more

The fort itself was beautiful and pleasant to visit. Many of the rooms were restored and there was information to read or you could push a button to listen. The grounds were kept up beautifully and there is a gift shop and information about the Carolina coast inside the main entrance. However, our experience was dampened because a tour guide (Dan) told us that we should have brought our kids (ages 1 and 3) to McDonald's. This snarky comment made us uncomfortable, as we had 3 adults watching our kids closely and we were conscious to avoid other groups etc etc. state parks and historic sites should be placed to learn and enjoy, not to feel on edge and judged. read more

Fort Macon is a great place to visit. A wonderful historic site. The children and now the grandchildren want to go every year. Very educational , has the different rooms set has they would have been in different time periods. Makes you feel as if you are there, experiencing it first hand. read more

Mid-may was a fantastic time to visit. The free tour of the fort was a very informative and fun outing. read more

Fort Macon Historic Site - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Well taken care of Fort that is actually built into the side of hill. So rich with history and very well documented. The care takers and curators have done an exceptional job. Great learning adventure for the kids and adults too! read more

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Do yourself a favor and go here, was a great trip to unwind and learn a little bit too. Was a sunburn recovery day for me, but well worth it! read more

Fort Macon Historic Site - A place for thise who love history and amazing views. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

This is our go-to spot for all occasions! Lovely views, history and re-enactments, too. Plus they have trails you can walk or even bike along for a beautiful beach-hike. The kids will love the cannons and the adults will love to relax in the grass. Fort Macon is the perfect place for all. read more

Great place to bring your kids!!! So much history and great photo taking place!!! Enjoy a nice walk on the sand and maybe a dip in the water at the beach side. read more

What an outstanding spot to learn about the way of life for a soldier during the Civil War. Very well presented with guided tours! Miles of hiking/sight-seeing trails surround the property. Bring the family, but keep the kids on a short leash as there are many fall hazards. read more

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Way cool place to visit. This place is FREE which is unbelievable for all you can see and do. The visitor's center is huge and offers a movie to watch which plays every 30 minutes. They offer wheelchairs if you have someone traveling with you who is not able to walk very well. They have a walk through area where you can look at what life was like inside the fort and also check out what the wild life is like. There are interactive things which are great for kids. The fort itself is in great shape with being how old it is. They went out of their way to make it a great experience. You can walk in several doors and behind plexiglass will be a scene like you would see back in the day. There are buttons you can push that will play a recording with facts and interesting information about what you are looking at. You can climb stairs to reach a top level which gives you a breath taking view of the water and boats. The canons are cool to look at and they have a huge pile of canon balls on the lower level. If you are in the area, stop by! You can spend about 2 hours there if you watch the movie and walk through the vistors center and also the fort. SO COOL! read more

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Beautifully preserved coastal fort that is easily accessible for young and old alike. Located right at the end of Bogue Banks, the only east-west segment of the North Carolina Banks just south of the true Outer Banks, Fort Macon was one of the earlier forts retaken by Union forces in the Civil War. It's a traditional moat and earth embattlement fort with good displays of officer and enlisted quarters, gun emplacements, and earthworks. The surrounding State Park has some beautiful public beaches. One other note, I cannot confirm but have heard rumors that men who enjoy the company of other men favor this beach after nightfall. I guess a week with the family will drive some men to the end of the island, if not the end of the earth! read more

Not a far drive out of Atlantic Beach proper and you'll find this beautiful area complete with beach views and an old Civil War fort. There wasn't a whole lot here, but it took us 1-2 hours to get through all the rooms and displays and walk through the original fort rooms. It was pretty neat to walk through the actual bunkers and see the period displays. There apparently are church/school/day care groups that come here, so it can get a little hectic with all the kids running around making noise. I would highly recommend going on a cool day because that place can get blazing hot during the mid-day summers. They do have guided tours which wold have probably been helpful so we knew what each of the rooms were and how they were used. There's also a movie every 30 minutes, but we weren't able to time it right to see one. I would definitely recommend taking a little time to go see this. Don't plan on a full day for this place, but for a free activity, it's worth the time. This IS NOT a place for the handicapped or people with strollers. If you go up to the cannons, you really need to have a hold on your small kids because there are no safety rails at all and a child could fall over the really tall wall. This is an original fort, and has not been retrofitted to be a museum with handicapped access. They have signs when you go in letting you know it's not meant for the physically disabled and that there will be uneven ground and steep stairs. read more

Ft. Macon was constructed in the 1800's and is a great example of the forts on the coast lines that with stood enemy attacks. It was actually used in the Spanish-American war, and is now a State Park. Admission is free.They have re-enactments as well as a great self-guided tour of the facility. When we have company visiting, I always take them here. It's also right on the beach, so when your done at the Fort, you can go dive into the Atlantic Ocean! It is wheel Chair access able. read more

Fun and easy to access from the beach. As people have said, it's absolutely free. You can basically just wander on in and all of the sudden you're inside a bunker from the Civil War. They have some neat historic features such as the rooms in which the men ate their meals, where they slept, etc. I unfortunately brought a digital camera with me at a time when digital cameras were in their infancy, so the photos I got are barely worth having, but still decent enough to have captured the moment. read more

We were lucky enough to visit during their once a year "cannon firing". Awesome experience. Fun for all ages. A interesting piece of history! If you have small children watch them carefully! It was built for war not safety-as the sign says! read more

We loved our visit to Fort Macon. Very well done exhibits that were interesting and informative. We stayed for firing of one of the cannons and that was definitely worth it! read more

This is a great attraction for the entire family. It's completely free, very nicely restored and there are several great exhibits showing the history of the fort. The exhibits show life at the fort through several wars (it was used as recently as WWII). Once you're done touring the fort the surrounding beaches are wonderful and offer a great view of the boats coming and going through the inlet. read more

Very cool place to explore while you are in the area. I was amazed at how well preserved the fort, moat, and artifacts are. Great displays of war history; all ages can enjoy these. You can walk around here for a few hours reading, going in various rooms/displays and checking out the moat, and cannons on display. The best part about this, its FREE! The banks across from the site provide a pretty view of the inlet. read more

Great place to spend a couple of hours. It's free also! Lots of exhibits detail the history of the fort, including uniforms, and enlisted and officer quarters. The few times we've gone they have had demonstrations of shooting a flintlock rifle. There are a lot of places to explore that have nothing in them, just underground rooms. It is sort of spooky walking around the underground area because it is so dark, even though there were no deaths related to war at the fort. read more

This exceeded my expectations. Was free (donations only), well preserved, and very interesting. I recommend the guided tour (12pm, 2pm, 3pm) and on Wednesdays at 4pm, they fire off the cannon. Would've been cool to see but we didn't stick around for thAt read more

If you are looking for a place that makes rest of the outside noise disappear, this is the place to visit. The Fort overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, so to climb up a Fort that soldiers once fought at, and be able to look down at the ocean and hear the waves rolling in is a luxury in itself. The fort is so green because the grass is maintained well. Then separating the ocean is a thicket, that might not feel the best to walk barefooted around, but the contrast of the green, rustic thicket, white sand, then the ocean is an artist's dream. The trees near the fort are beautiful! Just walking around this place feels so serene, it was one of the FEW times I wish I had one of my textbooks to sit back and study because for once my mind was at ease. read more

Best deal on the Island...completely free!!!! Very educational and enjoyable. Take note though, as the sign says, "Fort Macon is made for War not safety" read more