nps photo

Fort Massachusetts located on West Ship Island, MS is accessible by a passenger ferry from Gulfport.

Advanced Redoubt    Batteries

Fort Massachusetts   Fort McRee

The forts of Gulf Islands National Seashore span almost 150 years, from the Spanish colonial Bateria De San Antonio (1797) to the World War Two-era Battery 234. This reflects the historic value of the anchorages at Pensacola Bay, Florida and Ship Island, Mississippi. Most striking among these are the American Third System forts: Fort Pickens, Fort Massachusetts, Fort Barrancas, and the Advanced Redoubt, all of which saw action during the Civil War.