• The Garrison Flag flies over Fort McHenry.

    Fort McHenry

    National Monument and Historic Shrine Maryland

History & Culture

Fort McHenry Library

Visit the new Fort McHenry Library website for additional historical information.

War of 1812

1. A Nest of Pirates

2. The Carcasses Red Glare

3. The Great Garrison Flag

4. The Star Fort

5. The Star-Spangled Banner

6. To Anacreon In Heaven

The Civil War

1. All The Laws But One: A Writ of Habeas Corpus, May 1861

2. Baltimore Bastille

3. The Pratt Street Riot

World Wars

1. U.S. Army General Hospital No. 2

2. U.S. Coast Guard Training Station, 1942-1945

Additional Items of Interest

1. Archeological Treasures

2. Discover Fort McHenry - A Walking Tour of the Fort - Although the locations of both the Visitor Center and the Statue of Major Armistead have changed, this walking tour guide is still quite useful.

3. History of Fort McHenry

4. Orpheus: Who is he?/Why is he at Fort McHenry?

5. The 1814 Appearance of Fort McHenry

6. Various Plans/Drawings of the Fort

Ordering the Fort McHenry Videos

"The Defense of Fort McHenry" - Although no longer shown as the main feature in the Visitor Center, this film is still available in DVD format. Order from the Harpers Ferry Historical Association.

"The Battle of Fort McHenry" - The new Visitor Center video is now available in the Gift Shop. Call (410) 625-2330 for additional details.

  • Fort McHenry - Fort McHenry - "O'er the land of the free"

    National Park Service, Historical Handbook Series No. 5, Washington, D.C., 1954 Read More

  • The Journal of the War of 1812 The Journal of the War of 1812

    An International Journal Dedicated to the Last Anglo-American War, 1812-1815 Read More

  • Fort McHenry NM&HS Fort McHenry NM&HS

    The 1940 Fort McHenry Guidebook Read More

  • Star-Spangled 200 Star-Spangled 200

    Official Web Site of the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission Read More

Did You Know?

The Wonderful Human Flag

On September 12, 1914, the 100th anniversary of the British attack against Fort McHenry, 6500 local school children cloaked in red, white and blue, formed a giant replica of the Flag, which was appropriately named, “The Wonderful Human Flag.”