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In the summer of 2023, we took a road trip that started at our home in Missouri, went north to Canada, and then made the trek along the East Coast. As the journey neared the final stretch, we found ourselves stopping in Baltimore for a night before heading into a three-night stay in D.C.
One attraction we definitely wanted to see was Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, home of the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem, “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” that would one day become our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Written September 4, 1814, after the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812, the poem was soon set to the tune of a famous British song, “To Anacreon in Heaven,” a melody we would recognize today as our national anthem, though arrangements over the years have varied slightly.
Because of the battle and the relief of many Americans, including Key, approximately 400,000 people now visit the fort each year to pay tribute to those who defended Baltimore and to see the fort that launched the song that, in 1931, became the national anthem. In 2023, we were among those visitors.
Arriving at the Visitor Center
When you arrive at the fort, your visit will begin at the Paul S. Sarbanes Visitor and Education Center. If you only want to see the exhibits at the visitor center, you don’t need to pay admission. To get to the actual fort, you’ll need to purchase a pass or show your America the Beautiful pass. If you plan on visiting more than one site in the national park system, it’s a good idea to consider purchasing the America the Beautiful pass.
As we approached the visitor center, we could see the Star Fort at Locust Point with the flag waving overhead.
After we showed our America the Beautiful passes and browsed the gift shop, we headed towards the exhibits in the visitor center. Below is Francis Scott Key himself. Or rather, his statue.
Next to him is a rendering of what the Star-Spangled Banner looked like at the time of the battle. Interestingly, we would see the actual Star-Spangled Banner a few days later in Washington, D.C., at the National American History Museum of the Smithsonian.
Side note: Nowadays, you can’t photograph the flag at the Smithsonian; you have to go inside a special display room that protects it from light damage, where you are only allowed to view it. When I visited Washington, D.C., in 1992, the flag was still shown hourly for a few moments just outside the place where it’s kept now. It was out in the open for several minutes every hour of the day during business hours. My dad used a video camera to capture the presentation, which included two versions of the “Star-Spangled Banner” played over speakers.
The visitor center does a great job of explaining the events leading up to the adoption of the national anthem.
My favorite part of the visitor center was viewing a film in the theater that ends with the screen moving away and this reveal below.
It was moving to see the reveal of the actual fort and flag. Now it was time to explore the fort for ourselves.
Walking to the Waterfront
The weather was perfect the day we visited Fort McHenry. Baltimore Harbor has changed over the years, but with some of the artifacts near the fort, you can visit the fort of the past in your imagination.
I always like taking a stroll near water; Fort McHenry is no different in this regard. It’s worth noting that the Seawall Trail is paved and accessible. It’s free to walk the one-mile trail, so if you aren’t planning to actually visit the fort, you can still walk and picnic at the waterfront of Baltimore Harbor and the Patapsco River.
The fort has two water batteries armed with 18, 24, and 36-pounder cannons.
According to the National Park Service website on Fort McHenry, “Each could fire a solid iron ball, or shot, at a rate of 1800 feet per second, or close to one and a half miles. A crew of 18 men were [sic] needed to load and fire each gun.”
Entering Fort McHenry
Built between 1799 and 1802, this Star Fort defended Baltimore from attacks from the harbor. The star’s points increased visibility for the soldiers and decreased the need for large numbers of watchmen.
Sally Port and Civil War Guardhouse
When you enter the for through the heavy doors of the sally port, straight ahead will be the parade grounds. There, you’ll see the flagpole. I learned that the sally port it the main entrance to the fort and part of the fort’s inner structure.
If you turn to the left as you enter, you can go inside the sally port structure and follow the exhibit down the stairs to the bombproofs. The Apparently, in 1835 a guardhouse was built to house prisoner. In 1857, it was expanded and ultimately, it was used during the Civil War.
We got this view of the flag when we emerged from the guardhouse.
Enlisted Men’s Barracks E Building
For our next adventure, we took a left to explore the enlisted men’s barracks. It made sense to us to explore clockwise.
Here you’ll also find the complete history of Fort McHenry. This was pretty interesting because I didn’t know very much about the fort beyond its use in the War of 1812.
Once you’ve completed the exhibit, you can enter through the third door of this building and see what the barracks for the enlisted soldiers would’ve looked like.
Junior Officer’s Quarters C Building
There is another barracks, known as Enlisted Men’s Barracks D Building, but I didn’t take any pictures inside. One of the groups of people who stayed there was non-commissioned officers. That building now shows the set-up for those men along with an exhibit of the structure of the buildings at the fort.
Of course, as you move up in the ranks, your living conditions improve. Dinner is served in the Junior Officer’s Building.
Artillery Company captains and lieutenants lived here. I love the detail on the floor of this room.
Commanding Officer’s Quarters A Building
Before you come to the commanding officer’s quarters, you’ll walk past the structure known as Powder Magazine B Building. I didn’t take any pictures here either. I guess you can see where my interests lie from this blog post.
In the commanding officer’s quarters, you’ll come face to face with George Armistead, who was the commander of the fort during the War of 1812. It was his successful defense of Baltimore against the British that inspired Francis Scott Key.
At this time, Baltimore was the third-largest city in the United States, so it was certainly a target. As Armistead prepared for an attack, he asked Mary Pickersgill to make two flag for the fort: a storm flag and a garrison flag measuring 30 by 40 feet so the British would be sure to see it.
In 1814, the British captured Washington, D.C., and burned the White House and the U.S. Capitol. The British then set off for Baltimore. They were unsuccessful on land, so the Royal Navy attacked Fort McHenry. For twenty-five hours, Armistead and his men defended the fort by firing their cannons at the British ships. When the British seemd to stop firing their cannons, Armistead gave the command to raise the garrison flag, the flag that Key saw on the morning of September 15, 1814.
Armistead kept the actual Star-Spangled Banner. For a while, the flag remained in the family, though his daughter, Georgeanna, sometimes arranged for its display for certain occasions. Finally, Armistead’s grandson, Ebenezer Appleton, donated the flag to the Smithsonian, where you can still view it today.
Sources:
“George Armistead.” American Battlefield Trust, 2026, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/george-armistead. Accessed 5 May 2026.
The Wrap-Up
Fort McHenry was a great addition to our East Coast road trip. If you’re into American history, and especially if you’ll be stopping at many historic sites on your trip, Fort McHenry will fit nicely into your itinerary. Though I’d been to D.C. in the past, I’d never been to Baltimore or the fort. I’m glad I got to see the harbor for myself and understand a little better what my history classes taught. I’d recommend this stop to anyone who loves history or wants to share the American story with their family.
Click the links below to check out other stops on this road trip.
Plymouth Rock and Plimoth Patuxet Museums
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell
Ghost and Gravestones Tour–Boston
