Key West in Monroe County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Touring Fort Jefferson

— Dry Tortugas National Park —

Photographed by Pete Skillman, November 20, 2023

1. Touring Fort Jefferson Marker

Inscription. A self-guiding, easy-to-moderate tour of the fort's three levels takes about 40 minutes. Use this diagram to devise your own route. As you walk, think about the construction obstacles that confronted the US Army Corps of Engineers—shifting sands, hurricanes, severe heat, lack of fresh water, and distant supply sources—and imagine what life was like on this small island in the 1800s. Though never completed and never fired upon, the fort incorporated the latest military technology of its day and successfully served as a US defensive bulwark in the Gulf of Mexico.

Safety Tips
• Beware of loose mortar and bricks and wall edges.
• Watch children closely.

Park Regulations
• No food, drinks, or pets inside the fort.
• Do not climb on cannons or masonry.
• Do not move or collect historic objects.
• Stay out of closed areas.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles.

Location. 24° 37.679′ N, 82° 52.354′ W. Marker is in Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. It

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can be reached from no nearby street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Fort Jefferson - Key West, Key West FL 33040, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Keys.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Deadly Crossfire (here, next to this marker); Dr. Mudd's Cell (a few steps from this marker); Water in "Dry" Tortugas (a few steps from this marker); Building a City on the Sea (a few steps from this marker); Gunrooms (within shouting distance of this marker); Makeshift Living Quarters (within shouting distance of this marker); Intricate Gun Rooms (within shouting distance of this marker); Mariners Beware! (within shouting distance

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of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Key West.

Also see . . . Dry Tortugas National Park. National Park Service (Submitted on February 1, 2024.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 29, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. This page has been viewed 179 times since then and 37 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on January 29, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Wide shot of marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?