Fort Zachary Taylor State Park - Key West

The United States began building the fort on this 54 Acres stretch of Key West in 1845.  Because of hurricanes, yellow fever epidemics, materials and manpower shortages the construction was not completed until 1866.

The fort was named for president Zachary Taylor in November of 1850 after his death.

Built out of limestone and granite the fort could house up to 800 troops and had a Battlement of 140 cannons.   The gun collection range from Columbiad and Rodman smoothbore cannons with 128 lb shot had a range of 2.7 miles.  The Parrot cannons which had a 300 lb shot had a range of five miles.

The US Government recognized the importance of holding the fort.   If the Southern states seceded, it became a key outpost for Confederate threatening blockade runners during the Union blockade.

In the late 1890’s Key West was the winter home for the North Atlantic Fleet, including the battleship Maine which was anchored a short distance from the fort,  before it left for Cuba on January 1898.   Three weeks later on February 15th 1898, a mysterious explosion sank the battleship in Havana Harbor.   This event led to the declaration of war against Spain in April of 1898.

During World War II the fort protected the Submarine and Destroyer forces at the nearby Naval Station.   The fort was heavily used during the Spanish-American,   World War I & II, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

It was part of Naval Station Key West until it was decommissioned in 1974.

The amazing Cannon collection here is the largest collection of Civil War armaments in the United States.

There are entertaining guided tours for 30 minutes or two to three hours.  You can feel the history here in the stone cold walls while walking the courtyard and climbing the stone spiral steps to the top of the fort where informative signs are everywhere.

While digesting all of this history, there is a beautiful nature walk surrounding the park which is wheelchair friendly and is full of Key West wildflowers, trees, shrubs and wildlife.

A great way to end your day at Fort Zach. That’s what the locals call it.