However, Fort McHenry was in service long before and after the Battle of Baltimore. Today, Fort McHenry is a national park where visitors can learn about its lengthy history through special events, displays and presentations by the Fort McHenry Guard, a band of historical re-enactors that brings to life the fort's stories every weekend in the summer.
Many Baltimore-area visitors simply enjoy its spacious, waterfront grounds, which are open free to the public (there is admission to the fort itself), for biking, jogging, picnicking or just watching the boats go by. The Water Taxi makes a stop here.
Visiting Fort McHenry
First stop is the visitor center to pay admission and pick up a booklet for a self-guided tour. The visitor center also offers a video presentation about the fort's history and some interactive exhibits. Inside Fort McHenry the open, grassy center is frequently used for presentations. The rooms of the fort contain permanent displays of historic artifacts.
Admission to the Fort and Visitors Center is $7 for ages 16 and up. This fee buys a 7-day pass. Children are free. There is no charge to visit the grounds. Parking is free.
Both the Visitor Center and the historic areas of Fort McHenry are wheelchair accessible More on accessibility
Dogs are permitted on the grounds but not in the historic areas or visitor center. Dog must be on a leash at all times.
Location
The 43-acre national park is 3 miles southeast of the Inner Harbor at the mouth of the Baltimore Harbor on a peninsula in Locust Point neighborhood. The driving route from the Inner Harbor to Fort McHenry goes to the end of Fort Avenue through the Federal Hill neighborhood, which is filled with a variety of restaurants and shops. Visitors can also access Fort McHenry via Water Taxi, which also makes stops in the Inner Harbor, Canton and Fells Point.
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
2400 East Fort Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-962-4290
Events and Recreation
Every day, weather permitting, there is a flag change at 9:30 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. On the summer weekends, the costumed living history interpreters of the Fort McHenry Guard tells stories of the fort and the people of Baltimore. Concerts and other interpretive programs are scheduled throughout the year. But holidays are when the Fort is at its best. Fireworks, concerts and ceremony are all part of the program during these holidays.Hours
Daily, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (Fort and Visitor Center close 15 minutes prior to grounds.)Summer Hours (June 7 to September 1, 2008): Fort and Visitor Center hours remain the same but grounds are open until 8 p.m.
Closed: Thanksgiving Day, December 25 and January 1. Holiday Hours of Other Baltimore Attractions
History
Built with brick and mortar, Fort McHenry's star-shaped construction is not quite as evident from ground level as the aerial view, but the design meant that the fort could be manned with as few as five lookouts. Each point on the star is visible by the two points on either side.Construction began in 1798 on the masonry walls of the Fort McHenry we see today. However, it was constructed on the site of a star-shaped earthworks fortification, named Fort Whetstone, hastily built during the American Revolution.
Named for George Washington's Secretary of War, James McHenry, a physician and soldier in the American Revolution, Fort McHenry was one of a series of forts built along America's coastline at the close of the 18th century as Britain and France engaged in the Napoleonic Wars.
During the War of 1812--only two weeks after the British has captured Washington, D.C., and burned the White House--Britain made its move on Baltimore. However, after a two-day naval and land engagement U.S. forces and the prepared citizenry of Baltimore forced British to retreat.
More on the Battle of Baltimore
During bombardment of Fort McHenry, prominent Maryland lawyer Francis Scott Key, watched from aboard a British ship. He was inspired by the victory to write a poem was later set to music and titled "The Star-Spangled Banner."
While Fort McHenry's shining moment came during the War of 1812, visitors to the Fort will learn about its many incarnations throughout history including its time as a:
- Port defender until 1848
- Prison during the Civil War
- Hospital in World War I
- Coast Guard base World War II
- National park since 1925.