On January 4, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt visited Fort Jefferson by ship and designated it a national monument. Thirty years in the making (from 1846 to 1875), this six-sided, 16-million-brick fortress remains one of the largest 19th-century

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On January 4, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt visited Fort Jefferson by ship and designated it a national monument. Thirty years in the making (from 1846 to 1875), this six-sided, 16-million-brick fortress remains one of the largest 19th-century masonry fortresses, although it was never finished. Built to protect strategic shipping lanes, at one point Fort Jefferson housed more than 1,000 men despite having no natural supply of fresh water. The majestic structure now dominates Dry Tortugas National Park, about 70 miles west of Key West and arguably America's most inaccessible national park. Visitors can climb the ramparts and the towers of this impressive if ghostly fortress on ranger-led tours. The neon blues and greens of the waters, as well as the abundance of birdlife, make this a special boat trip or seaplane flight from Key West.

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