About Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
by the dawn's early light, a large red, white and blue banner? Whose broad stripes and bright stars... were so gallantly streaming...over Fort McHenry! The valiant defense of the fort during the Battle of Baltimore on September 13-14, 1814 inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the U.S. national anthem. The fort's history holds many other stories too, from the Civil War to WWII.
Quick Facts
Location & Map
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is located in Maryland.
Entrance Fees
Access to the historic zone (where the star fort is located) requires an entrance fee.
There is no group rate for the entrance fee. All groups must pay $15 per adult. Children in the groups are free, however, they must be accompanied by an adult in the historic zone. Interagency passes are allowed to be used to assist with group entry fees.
All commercial groups wishing to visitor Fort McHenry NM&HS must first obtain a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA). Groups with an active CUA are subject to the same $15 per person fee to enter the historic zone, however their employees conducting business (tour guides, bus drivers, etc.) are not subject to the entrance fee. Interagency passes may be used to assist with fee payment.
Operating Hours
Park Grounds and Parking lot: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Park registers for purchasing Star Fort Historic Zone entry or America The Beautiful Passes are open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. Star Fort, Visitor Center, gift shop, and restrooms close 15 minutes before the park closes. Closing times indicate when the gates will be close; all visitors must exit by this time.
Activities
Getting There
The park is three miles southeast of the Baltimore Inner Harbor and just off I-95. Follow the brown Fort McHenry directional signs along all major routes to the park. From I-95 northbound, take Exit 55 Key Highway and follow Fort McHenry signs.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
Entrance Passes
The Fort McHenry Annual Pass covers the pass holder plus three adults to enter the Fort McHenry NM & HS Historic Zone for 12 months. The pass is both available at the park visitor center, or a digital version is available on recreation.gov. In order for the pass to work, it must be physically on the passholder with a valid photo ID. To purchase the pass, visit the visitor center desk which is open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on weekdays, or 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekends during the summer.
Topics & Themes
Things To Do
Ranger's Choice Programs
Daily programs being offered at Fort McHenry NM&HS!
Fort McHenry Movie
Fort McHenry's introductory film is one of the most popular activities at the park.
War on the Chesapeake
This free 45-minute ranger program focuses on the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812. Follow a dramatic story of…
Fife and Drum Music Demonstration
Music played an important role in the daily lives of soldiers garrisoned at Fort McHenry. A soldier's entire day would…
Battle of Baltimore
This 45–60-minute, ranger-led walk guides visitors from the Chesapeake Map to the Historic Star Fort. Along the way, visitors will…
Fort McHenry's Defenders
This year, Fort McHenry celebrates its 100th anniversary as a National Park Service site! On this program we'll explore the…
This guided walk with begin at the Visitor Center and travel to the historic star fort.
Visitor Centers
Paul S. Sarbanes Visitor and Education Center
The Paul S. Sarbanes Visitor and Education Center is open daily from 9:00 am - 4:45 pm. Inside the visitor center is an introductory museum,…
Hours: The 10-minute orientation film plays every half hour with the first showing at 9:00 AM and the last showing at 4:00 PM. Park registers for purchasing Star Fort Historic Zone entry or America The Beautiful Passes are open from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
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