ats ) ▁with ▁extensive ▁out works ▁between ▁the ▁d itch es . ▁On ▁the ▁para de ▁stands ▁a ▁cit adel , ▁a ▁def ensive ▁bar ra cks . ▁ ▁A ▁Confeder ate ▁States ▁Army ▁g arrison ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁and ▁occupied ▁the ▁fort ▁starting ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁January ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁the ▁Union ▁Army ▁reg ained ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁fort ▁and ▁also ▁occupied ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁the ▁bar ra cks ▁caught ▁fire , ▁after ▁which ▁the ▁fort ▁was ▁largely ▁abandoned ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army . ▁It ▁was ▁de comm ission ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 . ▁ ▁Pres ervation ▁ ▁The ▁fort ▁and ▁its ▁land ▁are ▁now ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Louisiana . ▁While ▁some ▁efforts ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁open ▁it ▁to ▁limited ▁tour ism ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁decay ing ▁condition ▁of ▁the ▁fort ▁was ▁jud ged ▁too ▁ha z ard ous ▁for ▁public ▁vis its . ▁The ▁similar ▁but ▁better ▁preserved ▁Fort ▁Pi ke , ▁some ▁ ▁away ▁at ▁the ▁R igo lets , ▁is ▁the ▁regional ▁coast al ▁fort ▁that ▁is ▁open ▁to ▁visitors . ▁( current ly ▁closed ▁for ▁budget ▁reasons .) ▁ ▁A ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁fort ' s ▁old ▁mo at ▁had ▁been ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁canal ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁small ▁mar ina . ▁The ▁w akes ▁from ▁incoming ▁and ▁out