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Location
Best time
Visit during Memorial Day through Labor Day when the fort is open daily (10am-4pm), as off-season hours are limited to weekends only. Plan accordingly if visiting November through March.
Visitor tip
Combine the underground Battery 519 bunker tour with the walking trails and Artillery Park to maximize your visit—the grounds are easy to navigate with scenic overlooks and you can view cargo ships and New Jersey across the water on clear days.
Visitor tip
Take a guided tour to fully appreciate the fort's significance in WWII history, particularly regarding German U-boat defense and the USS Arizona relic on display—knowledgeable staff provide context that transforms the experience beyond self-guided exploration.
About Fort Miles Historical Area
WWII fort with tours & a swing band. Old fort from WWII, in Cape Henlopen State Park, with tours, interpretive programs & a swing band.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Natural History Museum & Historic Site
- Location
- Overlooking Atlantic Ocean on sand dunes
- Main Attraction
- Battery 519 - 15,000 sq ft underground fortified bunker
- Historical Focus
- WWII and Cold War defense of Delaware Bay and trade centers
What visitors say
We visited Fort Miles while in the park on Memorial Day. The museum was doing a free self guided partial tour of some of the rooms inside the bunker. There was a paid tour that day but we missed it. I would check the website to see what…
A spontaneous stop at Fort Miles turned into a fascinating history lesson! We were surprised to learn about the critical role this location played in World War II, particularly its defense against German U-boats. It's a sobering…
The Museum was closed Sundays, but the exterior was cool. There are buildings you can walk around, and several huge guns that are set around the grounds you can look at. Some scenic overlooks as well as informational plaques. It's great…
From 634 Google reviews
Did You Know?
- Battery 519 is a 15,000-square-foot underground fortified bunker from WWII that serves as the centerpiece exhibit, accessible through guided and self-guided tours
- Fort Miles houses a relic from the USS Arizona, the battleship destroyed at Pearl Harbor, serving as a powerful memorial artifact connected to that historic attack
- The fort played a critical defensive role in WWII coastal protection, specifically defending against German U-boat attacks off the U.S. East Coast
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