Fort McHenry Tours Guide

As one of the most famous forts in Baltimore, the Fort McHenry was named in memory of James McHenry, a citizen of Baltimore who became US Secretary of War in 1798. In 1925, the Fort McHenry was made into a national park. Today, visitors can explore the park to learn about its history or just for fun.

Convenient Transportation: Located within ten miles of Baltimore Washington International Airport and three miles southeast of the Baltimore Inner Harbor, the Fort McHenry is within easy reach. There are various transportations available to get there. For more details and directions, check this link:

Fort McHenry Directions

http://www.nps.gov/fomc/planyourvisit/directions.htm

Ticket Fees: The admission for adults aged 16 and up to the historic area of the park is $7. Children aged 15 and younger are free. This admission guarantees visitors a 7-day entrance permit to the McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. You need to have the ticket with you when re-enter the park in the 7-day time period.

Annual or Lifetime Passes are available for the Fort. You can purchase all passes at the Visitor Center Information Desk.

What to do in the park? Fort McHenry provides visitors with many things to do. You can explore the Visitor Center and Museums. The Visitor Center offers an orientation film about the fort's history, exhibitions, restrooms and a gift shop.

The Museums will offer more things for visitors including the fort, barracks and related structures. The barracks contain some exhibits: the Enlistmen's Quarters, an electronic map, uniform and weapons displays, videos, Junior Officers' Quarters, powder magazine, Commanding Officer's Quarters and the 1814 Guard House.

Besides visiting the center and museums, there are also outdoor activities for fun. If weather permitting, you can watch a flag change at 9:30am or 4:20pm every day. On the summer weekends, the costumed living history interpreters will dwell on stories of the fort and the people of Baltimore and the Fort McHenry Guard will perform drill, musket and artillery demonstrations. Other interpretive programs and events are scheduled throughout the year. Special events include twilight tattoo ceremonies, concerts and Civil War Weekend. Check events schedule for dates and times:

Fort McHenry Schedule of Events

http://www.nps.gov/fomc/planyourvisit/events.htm

If you take your kids to visit the park, you don't have to worry your kids would feel bored. Kids can also have a great time at Fort McHenry. A very popular activity for kids is earning the Junior Ranger badge and certificate. Plan to spend two hours with this activity.

Be a Junior Ranger

http://www.nps.gov/fomc/forkids/beajuniorranger.htm

Many locals just simply enjoy its spacious and waterfront grounds, which are free to the public for biking, jogging, picnicking or just watching the boats going by. Please note that there is an admission to the fort itself at the grounds.

After exploring the Fort McHenry National Monument, do you want to pay a visit to nearby attractions passingly? There are a lot of attractions near the McHenry Fort. Explore the nearby attractions from this page:

http://www.nps.gov/fomc/planyourvisit/nearbyattractions.htm