Quick Answer: The best forts to visit near Washington, D.C. are Fort Stevens (the only place a sitting U.S. president came under enemy fire), Fort Ward in Alexandria (the best-preserved of the capital's defenses), Fort Washington on the Potomac, Fort Foote in Maryland, and the earthwork parks of Fort DeRussy, Fort Dupont, Fort Reno, and Fort Totten inside the District itself. Most are free to visit.
Washington, D.C. has a fort story most visitors never hear: during the Civil War, the capital became one of the most heavily fortified cities on earth, ringed by dozens of forts and batteries on every hill commanding an approach. The armies left, the city grew around the earthworks, and today the survivors hide in plain sight as neighborhood parks. This directory holds 11 forts in the District alone, 10 of them open to visitors — plus the Virginia and Maryland anchors of the old ring.
Where Did a U.S. President Come Under Enemy Fire?
Fort Stevens — Brightwood, Washington, D.C. · est. 1861 In July 1864, Confederate General Jubal Early's raid reached the northern edge of Washington, and the fighting at Fort Stevens became the only battle fought inside the District — with President Lincoln himself present on the parapet under fire. Partially reconstructed earthworks and interpretive markers preserve the site today. If you visit only one D.C. fort, make it this one.
Which Fort Is the Best Preserved Near DC?
Fort Ward — Alexandria, VA · est. 1861 The star of the surviving defenses. Fort Ward's earthworks are largely intact, its Northwest Bastion has been restored with period artillery, and an on-site museum interprets the whole defensive ring. It sits inside a shaded city park, making it the easiest full-picture stop of any fort on this list. Virginia's Arlington sites — Fort Ethan Allen and Fort Marcy along the George Washington Parkway — preserve quieter earthwork remnants; see the Virginia forts page.
What Forts Can You Visit Inside the District?
The D.C. survivors are mostly earthwork traces in parkland — free, walkable, and best treated as a themed hike rather than a museum day:
Fort DeRussy — Rock Creek Park · est. 1861. Wooded earthworks reached by trail, with rifle trenches still readable in the terrain.
Fort Reno — Tenleytown · est. 1861. The highest natural point in the District, which is exactly why a fort stood here.
Fort Dupont — Southeast D.C. · est. 1861. Earthwork traces inside one of the city's largest parks.
Fort Totten — Northeast D.C. · est. 1861. Well-defined earthworks a short walk from the Metro station that borrowed its name.
Fort Stanton — Anacostia · est. 1861. Commanding views that explain the fort's placement at a glance.
Battery Kemble — The Palisades · est. 1861. A small gun battery site in a quiet ravine park.
The full eleven are on the District of Columbia forts page.
Which Potomac River Forts Are Worth the Drive?
Fort Washington — Prince George's County, MD · est. 1809 The one true masonry fortress on this list, and it predates the Civil War ring entirely — a massive stone fort built to guard the river approach to the capital after the War of 1812 embarrassment. Ramparts, a drawbridge gate, and sweeping Potomac views make it the most dramatic fort experience within 30 minutes of downtown.
Fort Foote — Prince George's County, MD · est. 1863 The Civil War's answer to the same river problem, built downstream with heavy guns — and two enormous Rodman cannons remain on site, among the largest surviving guns of the era. Quiet, wooded, and usually empty. Maryland's other sites, including Fort McHenry up in Baltimore for a longer outing — one of the headliners in our guide to the most popular historic forts — are on the Maryland forts page.
Are the DC Forts Free to Visit?
Almost entirely, which makes this one of the best free history days in the capital. Every earthwork fort inside the District — Stevens, DeRussy, Reno, Dupont, Totten, Stanton, Battery Kemble — is open parkland with no fee and no gate. Fort Ward's park and museum in Alexandria are free as well. Fort Washington is the exception, charging a per-vehicle entrance fee as a national park site (the America the Beautiful pass covers it); Fort Foote is free. Several of the District sites are also genuinely Metro-accessible — Fort Totten sits a short walk from its namesake station — which makes a car-free fort afternoon realistic in a way it isn't in most cities.
How Should You Plan a DC Fort Tour?
My suggested route for a single day: start at Fort Ward in Alexandria for the museum and restored bastion (the context makes everything else legible), cross to Fort Washington for the big masonry fortress, then finish inside the District at Fort Stevens for the Lincoln story. That's three very different forts — restored earthwork, stone fortress, battlefield — in one loop.
A few practical notes: the District's earthwork parks have no facilities, so don't expect visitor centers; Fort McNair, the active Army post at Buzzard Point, is not open for casual visits; and summer visits are best done early — these are open, sunny hilltops for the most part, which is precisely why the Army wanted them. For public forts beyond the capital region, the region-by-region list of forts open to the public covers the whole country.