Now abandoned and falling into ruin, Fort Macomb once guarded the Chef Menteur Pass into Lake Pontchartrain.

Built in 1822 as part of the ambitious “Third System” seacoast defense plan enacted in the wake of the War of 1812, Fort Macomb was just one of 42 forts constructed at the time.

Later, the fort was occupied by Confederate forces during the Civil War. The fort was decommissioned and abandoned in 1871 following a fire four years previous. The ruins were further damaged during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Due to its dangerous and deteriorating condition, the fort is currently closed to the public

Also nearby is the historic pre-Civil War Fort Pike, built to an identical plan.