The Magical History Tour

This is part of a continuing series of articles detailing free or inexpensive historic sites for you to visit. The reason for this series is from an article I posted on my Facebook page about attendance at historic sites on the decline, several friends with children and others stated that it was prohibitively expensive to visit historic sites. So I made it my mission to find inexpensive and free sites in the states around where I live in Pennsylvania. The sites listed below are free to the public, unless they are marked as inexpensive, the price rating for inexpensive is adult prices of $10 or less, and a child price of $6 or less. Below are sites located in Maryland, for those in Western Maryland, I’d also suggest looking at the West Virginia article since some of the sites overlap.

Fort Frederick – Big Pool, MD – Fort Frederick served Maryland during the French and Indian War, the American Revolution and the American Civil War. The stone fort and building are open to the public and offer programs most weekends. The park office has a $5 parking fee per vehicle, but the rest of the site is free. Fort Frederick is part of a state park and has camping available for additional fees. See my article on Fort Frederick Here!

Antietam National Battlefield – Sharpsburg MD – Antietam is the site of the bloodiest battle in United States History. The Union Army repelled the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in their first attempt to invade the North. The victory at Antietam prompted President Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It is free to tour the Battlefield, however there are fees for the museum.

Pry House, National Museum of Civil War Medicine – Sharpsburg MD- The Pry House museum tells the story of the surgeons, civilians and soldiers who helped the injured at the Antietam Battlefield. The Pry House served as a field hospital at the battle of Antietam and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine maintains the site and offers programming. The Pry House is an inexpensive site.

Monocacy National Battlefield – Frederick MD – The Monacacy Battlefield is the site of a Confederate invasion of the North late in the war. The plan was for the invading force to attack and capture Washington D.C. while a large number of Union forces were fighting at Petersburg. The Confederate forces met Union resistance at Monocacy Crossing and though the Confederate forces were victorious, the strong work by outnumbered Union Forces allowed the Union defenses in Washington to get better prepared and repel Confederates. I have a blog article written about this battle for more information see: Monocacy.

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park – Church Creek MD – Visit a monument to the work of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. The Museum has a museum with exhibits highlighting Harriet Tubman’s work as leader and liberator of enslaved peoples.

Baltimore American Indian Center Heritage Museum – Baltimore MD – A museum dedicated to preserving the heritage and contribution of Native Peoples to the rich history of this country. The BAIC Heritage Museum is an inexpensive site.

Historic St. Mary’s City – St. Mary’s MD – Experience what life was like in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland during the 17th Century. Exhibits include colonial times, shipping and Native Peoples. You can explore archaeological sites and a working plantation. Historic St. Mary’s is an inexpensive site.

We hope you take the opportunity to explore some of these historic sites in Maryland.