Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area

Sunset sky for Fort Miles Museum logo

 

a couple of large green guns sitting on top of a cement ground
Lying amidst rolling sand dunes, on a high bank overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, is the Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area. The central features of the museum include Battery 519, six barracks buildings, a fire control tower, an orientation building, and the Fort Miles Artillery Park.
With more than 2,300 soldiers stationed on high alert, the heavy guns, mine fields and searchlights of Fort Miles defended the vital trade centers of Wilmington, Philadelphia, and beyond. Huge guns, both above and underground, were designed to defend against the powerful German navy. As the Cold War began the role of Fort Miles shifted to highly classified missions, including the development of new weapons technology, and listening for Soviet submarines.