Fort Armistead

This place is trashed. It’s like the state said screw it and gave up maintaining the park. There’s tons of spray paint, the iron gates blocking the inside of the fort have all been broken or have had bars removed, there’s trash everywhere, etc…I was told quite a few stories about this Spanish-American War-era fort, and while I don’t normally believe such things, I have to wonder about this place.

Things I heard:

The fort is home to large rats.
A colony of feral cats live there and the homeless take care of them. Homeless people live there too.
Drug use & deals are commonplace.
Prostitutes – most commonly gay men – and their clients meet up there. If you pull in a spot in reverse it means you’re available and looking. Head first means you’re not.

Normally I dismiss such stories as nonsense, the kind of thing certain magazines like to line their pages with because they need content and anyone who has actually bothered to visit such places knows the stories are complete crap. I mean, come on, it’s just a historical city park. How bad could this place be?
But when I pulled up – head first, just to be on the safe side – there was a group of dudes standing on the side of the parking area, and they didn’t take their eyes off me until I took out my camera. Not sure what they were doing there, but they were hanging out the entire time I was there, and once I began walking around the ruins they huddled over by their minivan. Dunno if I stumbled upon some of the fabled fort hookers, a drug deal, or just some other shy tourists, and honestly I’d rather not know.
While I didn’t see any giant rats, we did find a syringe on the ground. On the one side of the fort, along the water, we noticed some tiny shelters with lots of food and water bowls…and then we saw 3 cats. So the feral cat colony story is true at least. And so is the drug one apparently.


Some of the feral cats and their shelters.

Author: Stu

11 thoughts on “Fort Armistead

  1. I live right near fort Armistead, and most Marylanders are just as disappointed to see the fort fall to ruin. The fort didn’t look this bad until the early 2000’s.

  2. I was stationed at fort Armistead, 1954-1955 as a communications sgt. Discharged at fort meade,1955. Went back to boston ma. and cofounded ( 1955 – 2005 )seven electronic mftg.companies. sold them all at various times. Fort Armistead should be restored to at least its 1952-1955 level. Its present condition is a disgrace. I am willing to help. jhg

  3. I went there to do Geocaching, this particular cache there hidden is one of the toughest ones there! I saw this place it was pretty a mess and restoring would be cool although I must admit visiting in this state was very adventurous!

  4. I just went to this place for the first time last week, and to be honest i was excited to explore a new place but that quickly turn into fear lol.It would be great to see it fix up for attractions or family adventuring.But my physic senses was up the the whole time, especially near them tunnels….Jus bcareful to anyone going out there.

  5. Everytime I go up there, old men are sitting in there trucks parked reverse in the parking spots just sitting in there trucks and they always walk around the old fort , I seen two older men walk out of a tunnel before. I believe that gay men go to the fort

  6. Yes,gay man hang there all the time. The story’s are true,everything you wrote Is fact. There is drug use,sales,prostitution and gay/straight prostitutes. This place I have known since a child. I can say the best part is the free boat ramp…lol..If your ever down that way, feel free to stop and have a look!!

  7. We had a bicycle club when i was a younger boy and we would ride to the Fort to play. Few know of the underground tunnel that went out to Ft Carroll. How sad it was left to ruins. It has been replaced with drug using and sexual activity. I hope to see it somewhat restored to be a part of our war history

  8. Yes indeed men have sex there and sometimes in the open , i saw a man do a women there orally as others watched. He than fluffed another man to get him ready to have sex with here.

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