Fort Revere Park

Fort Revere Park is a DCR park at 60 Farina Road in Hull, on Telegraph Hill, with the remains of forts that guarded Boston Harbor from the American Revolution to World War II. It's open sunrise to sunset, has parking on site, allows dogs, and has picnic tables, grills and a scenic viewing area.

What's at Fort Revere Park

• Fort remains. DCR describes the park as a destination for history buffs, with the remains of forts dating back to the American Revolution. The National Park Service says the park still preserves the fort's water tower and some of its gun batteries.
• A history museum. The fort's old officers' quarters now hold a museum on the fort's history, according to the Park Service.
• Picnic tables, a picnic area and grills. DCR pitches the park to picnic lovers as much as history fans.
• A scenic viewing area on the hill.

Fort Revere History

Telegraph Hill was a lookout long before it had a fort. The National Park Service says colonists used the hill to watch the harbor in the late 1600s.

During the Revolutionary War, an earthen fort called Fort Independence went up on the hill, directed by the French Admiral d'Estaing. The site is also the grave of more than 200 French soldiers who died of smallpox after a prisoner exchange with the British army.

Fort Revere itself was built on Telegraph Hill in the late 1800s to defend the shipping routes into Nantasket, as part of the Boston Harbor defense system. In World War I the military used it mainly to train soldiers before sending them to Europe. It was put on maintenance status in 1923, with only a small crew to keep it up.

As the country moved toward World War II, the military expanded the fort again and added a submarine net and shoreline barricades. After the war, in 1945, it went back to maintenance status and many of its guns and buildings were dismantled. In 1950 the military sold most of the fort's land. Some became housing, and part of the old fort grounds is now Hull High School. A few fort buildings still stand as homes.

What's left, on the hilltop, is the state park DCR runs today.

Hours, Parking and Getting There

The park is open sunrise to sunset. DCR lists parking on site and calls the park transit friendly. Set your map to 60 Farina Road, Hull, MA 02045.

Fort Revere is in the same town as Nantasket Beach, and DCR lists it as a related park on its Nantasket Beach Reservation page. The same DCR phone number, (781) 925-1777, covers both. MBTA bus 714 runs through Hull between Hingham Depot and the Hull Ferry Terminal; check its stop list for the one closest to Farina Road.

Rules

• Dogs are allowed. That makes Fort Revere one of the closest places to bring a dog when Nantasket Beach is closed to them, April to mid-September.
• No alcohol.
• Fires only in the grills. State park rules allow fires only in grills or fire rings at designated picnic areas.

Pairing Fort Revere With a Beach Day

Fort Revere and Nantasket Beach are both in Hull, so it's easy to do both in a day. The beach is best planned around the tide, while the fort is a good stop for a picnic or for the view when the beach is crowded or the tide is high. For the beach itself, start with Plan Your Visit.

Check the DCR page for Fort Revere Park for notices and closures.