★★★★★
Green St.
Fairhaven, MA
Phone: (508)992-4524
www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/southeast/ftph.htm 
 
squizno-sub-and-park-004.jpgYesterday while traveling from New Bedford my friends and I came upon Fort Phoenix Beach State Reservation. Since we’ve never been to this park, we decided to stop and see if it is wheelchair accessible. I was very pleased to see that it is fully wheelchair accessible. It’s a small State park and beach that is managed by the town of Fairhaven and it has beautiful views of Buzards Bay and  is  adjacent to Fort Phoenix.

squizno-sub-and-park-007.jpgYou will have no problem parking at this park for there are many handicap parking spaces located right up front in the parking lot to the right of the fort.

squizno-sub-and-park-023.jpgAdjacent to the parking lot is the New Bedford - Fairhaven Hurricane Barrier. There is a wide paved walkway that you can wheel along that takes you to the top of the hurricane barrier that extends into the water. My friends and I went all the way to the end of the walkway and I loved the beautiful site from here!

squizno-sub-and-park-010.jpgThe water front and beach at this park is part of Buzzards Bay. I’ve never come to this beach but I will definitely come here next summer. Since the beach is a State beach it is probably well maintained and has loaner beach wheelchairs too. In addition to the beach, there are grills for cooking, a Gazebo, basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts and picnic tables.

The restrooms were closed yesterday so I couldn’t see if they are wheelchair accessible but I assume they are for it’s  a State park and all State Parks have wheelchair accessible restrooms. Plus, the only parking that is located in front of the building with the restrooms are three handicap parking spaces.

squizno-sub-and-park-014.jpgFort Phoenix is located right next to the park  and this fort is an historical national landmark fort. A sign located in the fort states much of the history of this historical fort. In May of 1775, the first naval battle of the American Revolution took place off this shore and the town built a Fort with eleven cannons to protect the harbor. 

squizno-sub-and-park-015.jpgThe Fort was attacked and destroyed when 4,000 British troops raided the harbor in September of 1778 but the fort was soon rebuilt and named Fort Phoenix, after the mythical bird which rose from its own ashes.

squizno-sub-and-park-022.jpgA paved walkway allowed me to wheel right up to the cannons and I loved getting close enough to actually touch the cannons for it’s like touching a bit of history. The paved walkway is wide and would have been a great place to drive my Power Chair along it but I was in my manual chair today. My new Power Chair should be arriving soon and I am very excited!

squizno-sub-and-park-018.jpgThe Fairhaven Office of Tourism offers a free “Fort Phoenix Minuteman Tour” which is guided by Colonial Militiamen and Women. On the tour, you’ll hear the history of the fort, see a musket firing demonstration and learn about the equipment a militiaman carried. The guided tours are available June through September on Thursday afternoons at 2:00 PM. 

I give Fort Phoenix and Fort Phoenix Beach State Reservation FIVE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. I really enjoyed my visit because everything is very accessible and at the same time shows a bit of history.