This man-made island at the entrance to Charleston Harbor saw the first shots of the Civil War in 1861. Named for Revolutionary War hero Thomas Sumter, the pentagonal brick fort was the focal point of tensions between the North and South and hotly disputed itself during a long battle. The garrison and its casemates can be visited on a self-guided tour. A museum charts the history of the fort and its role in the Civil War through informative panels, weapons and artefacts.