National Historical Park · South Carolina · est. 2017

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park

The Reconstruction era,1861-1900 the historic period in which the United States grappled with the question of how to integrate millions of newly freed African Americans into social, political, economic, and labor systems, was a time of significant transformation. The people, places, and events in Beaufort County, South Carolina, reflect on the most important issues of this tumultuous time period.

Free to enter Open · 9:00AM - 5:00PM 3 visitor centers

Photos: National Park Service

1alert
active

Darrah Hall Temporarily Closed Starting 10/14/2026

All 1 alert ↓

Alerts

Closure
Darrah Hall Temporarily Closed Starting 10/14/2026
Darrah Hall will be closed for a construction rehabilitation project on the building starting Wednesday October 14, 2026.

Fees & passes

Free. No entrance fee here.

Hours

Park Hours

Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM

Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.

Dates	Hours
Standard hoursNow	9:00AM - 5:00PM
Nov 11, 2026Veterans Day	9:00AM - 5:00PM
Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day	Hours not published
Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day	Hours not published
Jan 1, 2027New Years Day	Closed
Jan 18, 2027Martin Luther King, Jr Day	sun Not published mon 9:00AM - 5:00PM tue Not published wed Not published thu Not published fri Not published sat Not published
Feb 15, 2027Washington's Birthday	9:00AM - 5:00PM
May 31, 2027Memorial Day	sun Not published mon 9:00AM - 5:00PM tue Not published wed Not published thu Not published fri Not published sat Not published
Jun 19, 2027Juneteenth	9:00AM - 5:00PM
Jul 4, 2027Independence Day	9:00AM - 5:00PM
Sep 6, 2027Labor Day	sun Not published mon 9:00AM - 5:00PM tue Not published wed Not published thu Not published fri Not published sat Not published
Oct 12, 2027Columbus Day	sun Not published mon 9:00AM - 5:00PM tue Not published wed Not published thu Not published fri Not published sat Not published

When to go

Month by month, 1979 to 2025 →

March draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2022 to 2025.

Bars are the average recreation visits in each month over 2022 to 2025. The line is the average temperature at Beaufort Wwtp, 3 miles from the park's reference point at 25 feet, station USC00380559 in the NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals.

See every month and year since 1979.

Visitor centers

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The visitor center contains exhibits and information about the Reconstruction era in the low country, as well as information about visiting the various units of the park.
Darrah Hall ↗Passport stamp
Darrah Hall is the oldest building on the campus of the Penn Center, and is the park's base of operations for the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District.
Pinckney-Porter's Chapel Visitor Contact Station ↗Passport stamp
Pinckney-Porters Chapel is a Reconstruction era Freedman's Chapel located in the Naval Heritage Park just outside the main gate to Naval Hospital Beaufort.

At a glance

Established: Jan 12, 2017
States: South Carolina
Designation: National Historical Park
Coordinates: 32.3869° N, 80.6511° W
Visitor centers: 3
Visitors (2025): 23,206
Phone: (843) 962-0039

Cell signal

Verizon: 4G LTE
AT&T: 4G LTE
T-Mobile: 5G (fast)

Outdoor coverage as modeled by carriers in FCC filings as of 2025-12-31, at the park's reference point and its campgrounds. Terrain and trees change everything. This product uses FCC APIs and/or Data but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC.

Official links

All 9 links

Sister site

Campsite Atlas

Every campground on federal land, whether it takes reservations or is first come.

Open Campsite Atlas →

Sister site

Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge

Every national wildlife refuge, wilderness area, national forest and BLM monument.

Open Wilderness Atlas →

Built from official data and refreshed daily. This site is independent and is not affiliated with the National Park Service. Confirm anything critical on the official park page before you travel. How the data is built

Explore

Things to do

Visit the Frontlines of Freedom Exhibit30-60 Minutes
Explore the “Frontlines of Freedom” exhibit at Pinckney-Porter’s Chapel to learn about the legacy of Camp Saxton and the 1st South Carolina Volunteers.
Opens on the Park Service site
Explore the Lay of the Land Exhibit30-120 Minutes
Learn about the Reconstruction era in Beaufort at beyond at the "Lay of the Land" exhibit in the park visitor center in the Old Beaufort Firehouse.
Opens on the Park Service site
Birding on the Capers Creek Trail30-60 Minutes
Grab your binoculars and bring them to the Capers Creek Trail. More than 100 different bird species have been observed along the Capers Creek Trail, in the forest surrounding Darrah Hall, and throughout the historic grounds of the Penn Center.
Opens on the Park Service site
Join a Ranger Program at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park30-60 Minutes
Join a ranger for a program at any of our three sites: Downtown Beaufort, Darrah Hall, or Pinckney-Porter’s Chapel. Program time and days vary at each site; check our calendar to find out what’s happening.
Opens on the Park Service site
Hike the Capers Creek Trail30-60 Minutes
Walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr. and the students of the Penn School on the Capers Creek Trail. This 0.25 mile trail through the woods of Saint Helena Island leads to a sweeping view of the marshes.
Opens on the Park Service site
Become a Junior Ranger at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park1-2 Hours
Learn how you can earn your Junior Ranger badge at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.
Opens on the Park Service site

Show all 7

Become A B.A.R.K. Ranger at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park15-30 Minutes
Bring your dog with you as you learn about the Reconstruction Era in Beaufort, South Carolina and they can earn their very own B.A.R.K. Ranger badge.
Opens on the Park Service site

Films

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park Overview · 10.3 min · on NPS.gov ↗

Martin Delany at Brick Baptist Church · 5.8 min · on NPS.gov ↗

National Park Service productions, public domain.

Events

10th Anniversary Celebration01/12
10:00 AM · free
To Be Announced

News

Reconstruction Era National Historic Network Welcomes Three New Sites ↗2026-07-14
In July 2026, the National Park Service announces the addition of three new sites to the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network.

Map

Interactive map by the National Park Service

Historic landmarks nearby

All South Carolina landmarks on Register Atlas →

National Historic Landmark · 3 mi

Beaufort Arsenal

Beaufort

National Historic Landmark · 3 mi

Marshlands

Beaufort

National Historic Landmark · 4 mi

Brick Church

Built 1862Open to visit

National Historic Landmark · 4 mi

Smalls, Robert, House

Beaufort

Public land nearby

All of it on Wilderness Atlas →

National Wildlife Refuge · 10.1 mi

Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge

FWS3,972 acres

National Wildlife Refuge · 21 mi

Ernest F. Hollings Ace Basin National Wildlife Refuge

FWS12,181 acres

National Wildlife Refuge · 26.2 mi

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge

FWS31,613 acres

National Wildlife Refuge · 27.6 mi

Tybee National Wildlife Refuge

FWS664 acres

National Wildlife Refuge · 37.3 mi

Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge

FWS10,206 acres

Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.

Guidebooks for the South

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Rail-trails Southeast
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2024
Find at Bookshop.org
Moon Nashville to New Orleans road trip
Margaret Littman, 2021
Find at Bookshop.org
Cherokee heritage trails guidebook
Barbara R. Duncan and Brett Riggs, 2015
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.

Reference

Activities

Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks

Guided Tours Self-Guided Tours - Walking Hiking Junior Ranger Program Shopping

Weather & climate

Winters can be mild, with periods of cold weather. During the Spring and Fall, weather is typically nice, with highs in the 70s and 80s. Summers can be very hot, with high temperatures and high humidity. Located in a coastal region, the park is susceptible to hurricanes during the Summer and Fall.

Questions people ask

Does Reconstruction Era charge an entrance fee?

No. Reconstruction Era is free to enter.

Source: National Park Service

What are the hours at Reconstruction Era?

Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.

Source: National Park Service

Is anything closed at Reconstruction Era right now?

1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Darrah Hall Temporarily Closed Starting 10/14/2026.

Source: Alerts

How busy is Reconstruction Era?

23,206 recreation visits in 2025, number 319 of 387 units that report visitation.

Source: Most visited parks

Is there cell service at Reconstruction Era?

At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

When was Reconstruction Era established?

2017.

Source: Wikipedia

What is the weather like at Reconstruction Era?

Winters can be mild, with periods of cold weather. During the Spring and Fall, weather is typically nice, with highs in the 70s and 80s.

Source: Weather & climate

Follow this park

Alerts feed (RSS): Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
Add dates to your calendar (.ics file): Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.