Fort Negley - hidden Civil War hilltop fort

Fort Negley is a Civil War-era masonry fort built in 1862 by Union forces and conscripted labor, including formerly enslaved people; it is the largest inland stone fortification built in the continental United States during the war. The fort's ruins sit in a grassy, wooded hill southwest of downtown Nashville and were largely overgrown and overlooked for much of the 20th century before archaeological and restoration work. Today visitors can explore preserved walls, interpretive trails, and a visitor center that document the site's construction and role during the Union occupation of Nashville.