Turn south off U.S. Route 1 on Eddy Road at the Edgecomb end of the Wiscasset bridge, then take the next right. The list starts with Old Fort Western, built in 1754, and ends with several World War II installations. Many are open to the public, and some are veritable museums. Most are worth at least a quick visit, and a few you should not miss. Old Fort Western in Augusta and Fort Knox in Prospect belong in the don't-miss category if you're planning a family outing.
Some forts complement a longer visit to a Maine town.
Fort William Henry is a replica, but it's near the fascinating archaeological site at Colonial Pemaquid. On Phippsburg's big toe at the mouth of the Kennebec River, forts Popham and Baldwin enhance a cluster of attractions including beaches, restaurants and the site of Maine's first documented European settlement. Few if any of these forts fired shots in anger, they were rarely finished to specifications, and all became obsolete even as they were being built. Old Fort Western Situated in Augusta on the Kennebec's east bank, Old Fort Western had a brief military role. A Boston-based land development company built this fortified storehouse in 1754, making it America's oldest surviving wooden fort.