Town Crier Articles

The Casemate Museum is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Inside, there are brochures, including one for a self-guided walking tour. There is a daily guided walking tour of the fort at 11 a.m. from Memorial Day through September forming at the Casemate Museum entrance. Guided tours for groups of 10 or more can be scheduled by calling 757-788-3391. The cost is $3 per person. Allow a two-week notice when scheduling.

For those who don’t know, construction on Fort Monroe began in 1819, and the fort was completed in 1834. It is the 396th unit of the National Park Service. It was established by President Obama on November 1, 2011 by executive order using the Antiquities Act, the first time he had exercised this authority. 

There are 259 buildings and structures at Fort Monroe; 169 are historic. Fort Monroe is the fourth fort on this location (known as Old Point Comfort).The earliest fortifications, Fort Algernourne, were built by English colonists in 1609. Today, Fort Monroe contains 176 housing units, and approximately 160 families live there.

In addition to the history, there are numerous and varied available activities. Guests can fish off Engineer Wharf, located on Fenwick Road adjacent to Continental Park. A Virginia Saltwater Fishing License is required, which can be purchased at the Old Point Comfort Marina, or online at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/licenses/.

There is one lifeguarded beach (Outlook Beach), though lifeguard service stops Labor Day.

In a 2009-2010 study, 89 species of birds were observed at Fort Monroe. Fort Monroe is home to a total of nine species of trees and a total of 249 species of flora representing 179 genus and 67 families of plants. The area has 136 native and 113 introduced plants meaning 55% of the plant assemblage of Fort Monroe is made up of native species and 45% of introduced species.

The Fort Monroe Event Calendar also provides additional information about on-site activities.

There is no fee at Fort Monroe National Monument. For more information, visit this website