Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Nagi Gumba
Top floor of castle.
Kifune Castle
 The front of Asian Garden Mall.
Asian Garden Mall
The cable car is one of two in Europe that crosses open ocean.
Dursey Island Cable Car
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A slice of cake is the perfect coda to a meal at Piatto Romano.
Piatto Romano
Crunchy and supremely satisfying, suppli might be the ultimate street food snack.
Supplizio
The pedigreed pistachios here are from Bronte.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
This tiny hole-in-the-wall serves one of the world’s most magnificent sandwiches.
Er Buchetto
Seafood features prominently on the menu.
Dakar NOLA
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Sheep at Colonial Williamsburg on a sunny day.
Little Lambs, Big Back Story
about 14 hours ago
View of Santa Monica Beach and Los Angeles in afternoon sun. Aerial view from above the pacific ocean water.
Why Did Celebrity Preacher Aimee Semple McPherson Mysteriously Disappear?
1 day ago
The glass-ceilinged atrium of the Bradbury Building was inspired by Edward Bellamy’s utopian literature.
The Bradbury Building Featured in ‘Blade Runner’ Was Inspired by a 19th-Century Utopian Novel
2 days ago
Berza gitana is one of the exemplary dishes of Gitano cuisine.
How Gitano Cuisine Found a Home in Andalusia
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Massachusetts Hull Fort Standish

Fort Standish

Overgrown ruins of a turn of the century island fort that sees very few visitors.

Hull, Massachusetts

Added By
Kastoory
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Inside Fort Standish   PassionsandPlaces / Atlas Obscura User
Inside Fort Standish   PassionsandPlaces / Atlas Obscura User
Decaying Staircase at Fort Standish   PassionsandPlaces / Atlas Obscura User
Ladders Outside Fort Standish   PassionsandPlaces / Atlas Obscura User
Outer Wall of Fort Standish   PassionsandPlaces / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Fort Standish was built was built just after the turn of the century as part of the Harbor Defenses of Boston—a series of forts and gun emplacements occupying nearly all of the present day Boston Harbor Islands. The defenses were upgraded frequently, but date all the way back to the Revolutionary War when Fort Independence was constructed by British colonialists on what is now known as Castle Island.

Fort Standish became an active military installation in 1907, and remained operational until 1947, as coastal gun emplacements were considered obsolete following World War II. The fort was protected by four M1900 10” artillery pieces, which had a range of nine miles. Several smaller guns were used to protect Boston Harbor’s defensive minefield and provide anti-aircraft cover.

Fort Standish once boasted sixty structures, but now the fort’s gun batteries are all that remain intact, along with a staircase leading up to the sky. The path along the east side of the island leads to this "stairway to nowhere."

Related Tags

Forts Ruins

Know Before You Go

Lovells Island and Fort Standish are accessible by public ferry between mid June and early September. Ferries depart from Boston’s Long Wharf and stopover at Spectacle Island before heading to Lovells. There are also ferries leaving from Hingham Harbor that stopover at Bumpkin, Grape, Peddocks, and Georges Island before going to Lovells. Outside of summer, the island can only be reached by private watercraft.

The crumbling infrastructure at Fort Standish can be dangerous to amateur explorers, so tread lightly and don’t expect the handrails to protect you in a fall. It’s also advisable to carry a flashlight if you want to explore all the fort’s nooks and crannies.

Community Contributors

Added By

kastoory

Edited By

PassionsandPlaces

  • PassionsandPlaces

Published

July 26, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://fortwiki.com/Fort_Standish_(1)
  • http://www.bostonharborbeacon.com/2013/06/29/lovells-island/
Fort Standish
Ft. Standish
Hull, Massachusetts, 02045
United States
42.329806, -70.927649
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Lover’s Rock of Lovells Island

Boston, Massachusetts

miles away

Hut of Refuge

Hull, Massachusetts

miles away

The Murder Holes of Fort Warren

Hull, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hull

Hull

Massachusetts

Places 11

Nearby Places

Lover’s Rock of Lovells Island

Boston, Massachusetts

miles away

Hut of Refuge

Hull, Massachusetts

miles away

The Murder Holes of Fort Warren

Hull, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hull

Hull

Massachusetts

Places 11

Related Places

  • Lisnagrave, Ireland

    Dunlough Castle

    The eerie remains of one of Ireland's oldest castles, said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who brings ill fate.

  • Red-stone castle ruins sit atop a green hill

    Allinge, Denmark

    Hammershus Castle Ruins

    Northern Europe’s largest castle ruins sit precariously on an island cliffside.

  • Spakenes kystfort

    Rotsund, Norway

    Spåkenes Coastal Fort

    The gnarled remains of an exploded German bunker from World War II sit along a breathtaking fjord.

  • Zsámbék, Hungary

    Premontre Monastery Church of Zsámbék

    The remains of a 13th-century Romanesque church lie abandoned on a hillside.

  • The view from the bottom of the hill

    Kilmichael Glassary, Scotland

    Dunadd Fort

    Believed to be the capital of the the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata.

  • Fort du Janus

    Montgenèvre, France

    Fort du Janus

    The ruins of a military fortification sit atop this mountain.

  • Bandra Fort

    Mumbai, India

    Bandra Fort

    Designed as a 17th-century watchtower, the former fort is now a popular sunset haunt.

  • Bowie, Arizona

    Fort Bowie National Historic Site

    The former home of the army detachment that captured Geronimo.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.