Old Fort Jackson

Georgia's oldest standing brick fortification perches on the banks of the Savannah River so its guns could fire on any vessel coming into Savannah. Chances are good that you will get an up-close view of an oceangoing ship during your visit. Walk on the parapet of the fort and investigate the structure's many nooks and crannies. Two powder magazines and most of the casemates are open to the public, and they contain displays of weaponry and tools used at the fort and artifacts from the CSS Georgia, a Confederate ironclad whose remains lay on the river bottom a few hundred feet away. The 9-inch Dahlgren cannon is one of the largest functional pieces of pre Civil War–era heavy artillery in the United States. Cannon-firing programs are presented daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. throughout the spring and summer. 

Construction of Fort Jackson was begun in 1808. It was manned during the War of 1812, and Confederate forces used it as headquarters of the Savannah River defenses during most of the Civil War. It was garrisoned by Union troops after the city's surrender in December 1864.