13 Historic U.S. Forts Worth a Visit

If you're a history buff, you'll want to consult this list of fascinating forts before your next road trip.

Several of them figured in the Civil War, one played a role in the American Revolution, and another was built in the 17th century.

1. Bent’s Old Fort, La Junta, Colorado. Reconstruction of the 1840s trading post.

2. Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine, Florida. Famous Spanish 17th-century fort.

3. Fort DeRussy, Marksville, Louisiana. Site of a Civil War battle.

4. Fort Fisher, near Wilmington, North Carolina. Site of 1865 battles; partly washed away.

5. Fort McHenry, Baltimore. Birthplace of the national anthem.

6. Fort Morgan, near Mobile, Alabama. Take the ferry from Fort Gaines.

7. Fort Phil Kearny, Banner, Wyoming. Indian Wars site on the Bozeman Trail.

8. Fort Pulaski, near Savannah, Georgia. The walls are still full of cannonball holes.

9. Fort Scott, Fort Scott, Kansas. Important Western and Civil War fort.

10. Fort Smith, Fort Smith, Arkansas. On the Native American “Trail of Tears.”

11. Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Carolina. Worth it for the boat ride.

12. Fort Ticonderoga, Ticonderoga, New York. Important colonial and Revolutionary War site.

13. Fort Union, Mora County, New Mexico. Beautiful spot on the Santa Fe trail.