Fort Zachary Taylor is located at the end of Southard street in Key West. Named after U.S. President Zachary Taylor, the fort is a perfect example of the wealth of history Florida has to offer. Construction of the fort began in 1845, shortly after Florida became a state. Throughout the 1850's construction was slow. Yellow fever, shortage of materials and men, remoteness and hurricanes had slowed down progress. The fort, located in Key West, was an important outpost during the Civil War. Numerous blockade-running ships were detained at Key West harbor and guarded by Fort Taylor's cannons. Twenty-one years later (1866), construction was complete on the fort offering many impressive features. Items such as sanitary facilities flushed by the tide and a desalination plant which produced drinking water from the sea were available. With the coming of the 20th century, more sophisticated weapons and eventually radar took the place of guns. By 1947 the army turned Fort Taylor over to the Navy to maintain. Beginning in 1968, excavations for old armaments in the gun rooms uncovered guns and ammunition from the Civil War. This represents only a fraction of the buried arsenal, which is the largest collection of Civil War cannons in the U.S.. Fort Taylor was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and in 1973 was designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1976, the Florida Park Service began managing the fort which was officially opened to the public in July of 1985.

FOR MORE PARK INFORMATION

Telephone number: (305) 292-6713
Camping: no
Boat Ramp: no
Concessions: yes
Pets: can't go into the fort or on the beach.
Equipment Rentals: none
Activities: fishing, snorkeling, swimming, picnic area.
Gates open at 8:00a.m. and close at sunset daily. Guided tours at noon and 2:00 p.m.. Admission is $1.50 for walk-ins. By automobile, the fee is $2.50 per person for the first two people and .50 for each person in excess of two