Museum Collections

Artifacts from the Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park's museum collections and archives.

NPS/Chapman Hughes

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park collects, preserves, and researches natural and cultural resources to provide access to staff, researchers, and the public. The Museum Collections and Archives include over 60,000 of these important objects including archeological artifacts, photographs, historic objects, and fine art. The collections also house over 170 linear feet of archival documents that preserve the history of the park. Several artifacts from the collection are on display at the Liberty Square Museum, the Museum on Fort Sumter, on exhibit at Fort Moultrie, and at the Visitor’s Center at Fort Moultrie.

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie Museum and Archives staff are currently working on a wide range of projects to ensure long-term preservation and access to museum collections and archives. In addition to the history of Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter, the collections also preserve the history of Indigenous Peoples, Gullah Geechee culture, enslaved peoples, and the eras of the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. Collaborative work with National Park Service conservators has identified preservation needs and guided staff in best practices for proper collections care and safe storage.

Online Collections:

Public benefits from the collections are provided through permanent exhibits, as well as through efforts to digitize some of our collections for public use. Digital collections are made available through NPGallery and through our partnership with the Open Parks Network.

NPGallery is a platform that allows users to search, view, and download digital assets from various national parks. Users can access various digital archives, including a large collection of photos from Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, which can be found here.

The National Park Service and Clemson University have collaborated on the Open Parks Network, which is an Institute of Museums and Library Services funded project. This project has resulted in the digitization of several of our collections, including the Thomas Benton Brooks Papers, Photographs of Sergeant Jesse Herring, Jr. during WWII, Civil War Era maps, and others, which can be found here.

Researching Collections:

For any research requests, please email us. Access to the Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie collections are available by appointment only. Research visits are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Research registration forms will need to be filled out and signed through email or hard copy. If you have any questions, you can email us at [e-mail].

 

Learn More Here

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  Navigate Through the NPGallery

  NPGallery

  The NPGallery is a platform that allows users to search, view, and download digital assets from various national parks.

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  Check out the Open Parks Network

  Open Parks Network

  This project has resulted in the digitization of several of our collections, such as the Thomas Benton Brooks Papers.

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  Explore Our Archives

  Fort Sumter & Fort Moultrie Archives

  Our archives are available to researchers. Find out more about our collections for research purposes.