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Categories: Arts & Culture; Sports & Recreation; History & Heritage; Local Highlights
Overview. Built during the 1790s, this fortress, whose outer walls surround the structure in a star pattern, was named for Secretary of War James McHenry, who served under presidents Washington and Adams. On September 13-14, 1814, Washington lawyer Francis Scott Key nervously looked on from a truce ship as the fort suffered an assault by British naval guns. The hard-won battle by the Americans provided the inspiration for Key to write the U.S. anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. The fort has been restored to look the way it did before the Civil War, and displays, weather permitting, a copy of the flag that flew above the fort during the War of 1812.
What to see and do. A visitor center and five fort buildings offer an interpretive film, exhibits, and audio programs. Open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM, the monument also has extended summer hours. Picnic areas are available at the site, as well as a seawall jogging and walking path. You can enjoy self-guided walking tours or join ranger talks during the summer season; call ahead for group arrangements and information. The Fort McHenry Guard presents demonstrations, in 1814 costume, of life at the fort, on weekend afternoons in the summer. Used as a prison for Confederate soldiers and Southern sympathizers, the fort also has a Civil War earthworks nearby. From I-95, take Exit 55 Key Highway and follow signs to Lawrence Street and then Fort Avenue.
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