Fort McKinley, Great Diamond Island

Name: Fort McKinley
Address: Great Diamond Island, United States

#1 among attractions in Great Diamond Island

Top attraction, Forts and castles

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Map

Facts and practical information

Fort McKinley is a former United States Army coastal defense fort on Great Diamond Island, Maine in Casco Bay, which operated from 1873 to 1947. It was named for President William McKinley. It included a sub-post, Fort Lyon, on Cow Island, just north of Great Diamond Island. Fort Lyon was named for Nathaniel Lyon. Both forts were part of the Coast Defenses of Portland, renamed the Harbor Defenses of Portland in 1925, a command which protected Portland's port and naval anchorage 1895-1950. In 1946 Fort Lyon was closed and turned over to the City of Portland. After Fort McKinley's closure it was transferred to the United States Navy, which sold the site to private interests in 1961. The Fort McKinley Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. ()

Built: 1897 (127 years ago)Coordinates: 43°40'45"N, 70°11'50"W

Address

Great Diamond IslandGreat Diamond Island United States

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Day trips

Fort McKinley – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, Eastern Promenade, Portland Observatory, Spring Point Ledge Light.

2.6 miSW
Museum, History museum
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, Portland
66 min walk • Tucked away in the picturesque city of Portland, Maine, the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum offers a unique glimpse into the bygone era of narrow gauge railroads that once traversed the rugged landscapes of Maine. This charming museum is dedicated to preserving the...
2.6 miW
Cycling, Bike path, Playground
Eastern Promenade, Portland
66 min walk • The Eastern Promenade is a historic promenade, 68.2-acre public park and recreation area in Portland, Maine. Construction of the Promenade began in 1836 and continued periodically until 1934.
2.7 miW
Observation decks and towers, Observatories and planetariums, Historical place
Portland Observatory, Portland
70 min walk • The Portland Observatory is a historic maritime signal tower at 138 Congress Street in the Munjoy Hill section of Portland, Maine. Built in 1807, it is the only known surviving tower of its type in the United States.
2.3 miSW
Lighthouse, Vernacular architecture
Spring Point Ledge Light, South Portland
59 min walk • Spring Point Ledge Light is a sparkplug lighthouse in South Portland, Maine, that marks a dangerous obstruction on the west side of the main shipping channel into Portland Harbor. It is now adjacent to the campus of Southern Maine Community College.
2.5 miSW
Vernacular architecture, Lighthouse
Portland Breakwater Light, South Portland
64 min walk • The Portland Breakwater Light is a small lighthouse in South Portland, Maine.
1.7 miSW
Park
Fort Gorges, Portland
43 min walk • Fort Gorges is a former United States military fort built on Hog Island Ledge in Casco Bay, Maine. Built from 1858 to 1864, no battles were fought there and no troops were stationed there.
1.6 miS
Specialty museum, Museum, Fashion museum
Umbrella Cover Museum, Peaks Island
41 min walk • The Umbrella Cover Museum in Peaks Island, Maine is a museum that pays tribute to umbrella covers. The museum was created and is curated by Nancy 3. Hoffman, who has collected more than 2000 umbrella covers from 66 countries as of July 2018.
2.8 miW
Park
Fort Sumner, Portland
72 min walk • Fort Sumner was a coastal defense fortification on Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine, United States. It was built in 1794 as part of the first system of coastal fortifications built by the United States.
2.6 miW
Church, Theater, Queen Anne architecture
St. Lawrence Arts Center, Portland
66 min walk • The St. Lawrence Arts Center is a performing arts center and community space at 76 Congress Street in the Munjoy Hill district of Portland, Maine. It is located in the former parish house of the St. Lawrence Church, a historic Romanesque church that was built in 1897 and demolished in 2008.
2.7 miSW
Universities and schools
Southern Maine Community College, South Portland
69 min walk • Southern Maine Community College is a public community college in South Portland, Maine. It is part of the Maine Community College System.
2.7 miW
Neighbourhood
Munjoy Hill, Portland
70 min walk • Munjoy Hill is a neighborhood and prominent geographical feature of Portland, Maine. It is located east of downtown and south of East Deering, the neighborhood it is connected to by Tukey's Bridge.