Old fort has reopened at Fort DeSoto
The historic fort at Fort DeSoto Park has reopened! Time to take your kids back to climb on cannons and pretend they are in the jail cell of the old fort, which closed in October for handicap access renovations.
Built in 1898 to defend Tampa Bay in the Spanish American War, the fort was never used in a battle and the cannons were never fired in a conflict. Historical records show the 125 or so soldiers stationed there were made miserable by the swarms of mosquitoes, not to mention the heat and humidity.
So appreciate your modern conveniences as you can walk around the old barracks and see (and climb on) the eight 12-inch mortars that were made in 1890 and set at a 45-degree angle to shoot a target 6 miles away. To find it, take a right at the park’s entrance near Tierra Verde in Pinellas County, and follow the signs for the fort and museum on the western tip of the island.