About Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Fort McHenry is a pentagonal bastioned fort built in 1798 on Locust Point, the peninsula that guards the entrance to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Its moment came on September 13-14, 1814, when the fort withstood bombardment by the British Royal Navy from the Chesapeake Bay and kept the fleet from reaching the city. The garrison had flown a 17-by-25-foot storm flag during the attack; early on the morning of the 14th it was replaced with a 30-by-42-foot garrison flag, and Francis Scott Key, who witnessed the bombardment, wrote the verses that became "The Star-Spangled Banner."
The fort stayed in military use far longer than its fame suggests. It remained in continuous use by the armed forces through the Civil War and World War I and was used by the Coast Guard in World War II. Congress made it a national park in 1925 and on August 11, 1939, redesignated it a National Monument and Historic Shrine, the only unit in the National Park System with that title. The 43-acre site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and named a Baltimore City Landmark in 1986. It drew 635,736 visitors in 2018.
Visitors tour the Star Fort itself and the surrounding grounds, which the park also manages for the many plant and animal species that live along the harbor. Rangers lead flag ceremonies and guided tours through the year, there is a Junior Ranger program, and the one-mile Seawall Trail around the point is open to walkers, runners, and cyclists.
Collections and Research Services
Fort McHenry does not operate a public research library. The visitor center introduces the 1814 battle, the writing of the anthem, and the fort's later roles, and the park's website carries a detailed history and culture section. The Star-Spangled Banner flag itself is at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington. Researchers tracing a soldier who served at the fort, a Civil War prisoner, or a World War I hospital patient will need the National Archives for service and medical records; our guide to free family history research explains where to begin. Baltimore city directories, which list Locust Point residents and the harbor trades that grew up around the fort, are covered in our article on old city directories.
Planning Your Visit
The park is open year-round except Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. Hours change seasonally; in the fall shoulder season, from Labor Day to September 30, the grounds and parking lot are open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with last entry at 4:45 p.m. and the Star Fort, visitor center, gift shop, and restrooms closing fifteen minutes before the park. The registers that sell Star Fort entry and America the Beautiful passes are open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Entry to the Star Fort Historic Zone costs $15 per person for ages 16 and older and is free for those 15 and under; an annual park pass is $45, and passes can be bought online ahead of time to skip the line. Plan about an hour for a self-guided tour of the fort and two hours for the whole visit. Current hours and alerts are at nps.gov/fomc. Two other Maryland institutions in our directory are the Maryland Historical Society on Park Avenue in Baltimore and the Annapolis Maritime Museum.
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