We went over to check out Fort Pickens ~ what a great place to spend a few hours exploring the past. The cost to visit the Fort is the entrance fee into the Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Seashore which is $8 dollars a car unless you have the national Seniors pass then it is FREE. Fort Pickens was used during the Civil War and from 1886 to May 1887, the famous Apache Indian Geronimo was imprisoned in Fort Pickens, along with several of his warriors. As you enter the park you’ll drive past some of the battery locations. You’ll want to stop and check it out but keepdriving to the visitor center and get all the self-guided information and brochures first.
The peaceful surroundings--white sugar-sand beaches, clumps of golden sea oats, and the soothing sounds of coastal waves pounding on the shores of a long barrier island contradict the serious purpose of Fort Pickens, located on Santa Rosa Island in Florida. One of the largest brick forts built in the United States, Fort Pickens provided the setting for a serious effort by a small group of men to avert or at least postpone the outbreak of the Civil War. Months before the firing on Fort Sumter, the Southern forces at nearby Pensacola, Florida, worked to find a way of seceding from the Union without initiating bloodshed.
Fort Pickens and nearby Fort McRee, Fort Barrancas, and Advanced Redoubt today lie within Gulf Islands National Seashore. They provide an intriguing setting for the important events that occurred in the Pensacola area just prior to and during the Civil War.
Fort Pickens is one of the many old forts we have visited and we highly recommend going on the tour provided by the park service. Ranger David P. Ogden was full of historic information about the fort and was willing to answer any questions you might have. He is also author to several books about the forts in the area.
To read more about Fort Pickens go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pickens
