23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led to Abraham Lincoln's issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
The Basics
Hours:
Memorial Day To Labor Day: 8:00 am. - 7:00 pm. Labor Day To Memorial Day: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Phone 301-432-5124
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day
Special Programs: Memorial Day Commemoration, Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), September 17. Independence Day Commemoration (Saturday closest to the 4th) The Memorial Illumination on the 1st Saturday in December.
Season:
Open year-round.
Address:
PO Box 158
Sharpsburg, MD 21782
Phone:
301-432-5124
Phone:
301-432-7648
Fax:
301-432-4590
Map
Directions
Traveling East on Interstate 70: Exit 29A onto Rt. 65 south. Ten miles south on the left is the Visitor Center.
Traveling West on Interstate 70 from the Baltimore/Washington area: Exit 29 onto Rt. 65 South towards Sharpsburg. Travel about 10 miles south to the Park Visitor Center entrance which will be on your left side.
Optional Route: Exit 49 onto Alternate Rt. 40 West towards Middletown. Continue through Middletown, over South Mountain to Boonsboro. Turn left onto Rt. 34 to Sharpsburg. When you enter town, turn right (north) onto Rt. 65 and the Park Visitor Center will be on your right a mile north of Sharpsburg.
Traveling North-South on Interstate 81: Exit 1, Rt. 68, six miles east to Rt. 65. Turn right at the light on Rt. 65. Five miles south on the left is the Visitor Center.
Climate
Summers can be hot and humid with sudden thunderstorms possible. July and August are the hottest months with average temperatures in the 90s. Winters can be cold with average temperatures in 30s and 40s with snow possible. Average annual precipitation is about 40 inches. Spring and fall are generally more comfortable with milder temperatures. On the day of the battle, September 17, 1862, it was foggy and damp in the morning, clearing with light winds and temperatures in the 70s.
Three Day Pass: $4.00 Per Person, $6.00 Per Family Annual Pass to Antietam Battlefield: $20.00
Things To Do
Antietam Visit," an award-winning film, is shown on the hour. This 26-minute movie recreates the battle as well as President Abraham Lincoln's visit to the Union commander General George B. McClellan. Every day at 12:00 noon a new one hour documentary about the battle of Antietam narrated by James Earl Jones is shown in the visitor center theater.
The best way to view the battlefield is to take the self-guided driving tour. The tour road is 8½ miles long with 11 stops. Most visitors drive the route, but walking and biking are encouraged. Audiotape or CD programs, which enhance the self-guided tour, may be purchased from the bookstore.
>p>Interpretive Programs: Talks are conducted daily by park rangers. During the summer season Ranger programs are expanded and scheduled more often. Check at the Visitor Center for a daily schedule.
Be sure to visit the new Pry House Field Hospital Museum. This new museum is located in the historic Pry House which served as Union Commander General George B. McClellan's headquarters during the battle. The museum is sponsored by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and is open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Outdoor Camping
Camping at the Rohrbach Group Campground requires a permit. Only organized groups (such as Boy Scouts, Church, and School Groups) are permitted to camp. Applications are available at the Visitor Center. Camping in other park areas is prohibited. Fires are prohibited in all park areas except for the Rohrbach Campground and areas approved for use by NPS living history employees and volunteers.
Picnicking is prohibited in the Antietam National Cemetery, Mumma Cemetery, inside the Dunker Church, inside the Observation Tower, on the Burnside Bridge, and on any monument.
Outdoor Boating and Fishing
Boating or tubing on the Antietam Creek is permitted. Docking, removing or putting in a boat or tube, or loading a person within 500 feet of the Burnside Bridge is prohibited.
Fishing is allowed on the Antietam Creek with a valid Maryland Fishing License. Fishing from or within 500 feet of the Burnside Bridge is prohibited.
Horseback riding, in groups of five or less, is permitted on all paved roads and the Snavely Ford Trail. Riding on paved foot trails, parking areas, or on agricultural lands is prohibited. Groups of six horses or more must obtain a Special Use Permit. Horse trailers must park in the field south of the Dunker Church.
Bicycling is permitted on paved park tour roads and parking lots. Riding is prohibited on all sidewalks, agricultural land and the Snavely's Ford Trail. Maryland law requires riders under the age of 16 to wear an approved D.O.T. helmet. Cyclists are subject to Maryland Traffic Law.
Hunting and/or harassing wildlife is prohibited. Firearms and other devices capable of launching a projectile are prohibited. Discharging any weapon from private land onto the park is forbidden. Possession of an edged-weapon which exceeds six inches in length is prohibited.
Nearby Attractions
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
On September 15, Stonewall Jackson with about 35,000 Confederate soldiers surrounded the Federal Garrison at Harpers Ferry and forced the surrender of 12,000 Union men and 73 cannon.
Gettysburg National Military Park
The small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the site of the largest battle ever waged in the Western Hemisphere. Fought during July 1863--just 10 months after the Battle of Antietam--this battle resulted in a Union victory that marked a major turning point in the war. Never again would Lee be able to mount such an offensive attack. Over a three-day period 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured.
Monocacy National Battlefield
The Battle of Monocacy took place on July 9, 1864, and marked the last time that the Confederacy invaded the North. Although technically a victory for the South, the delay caused by the battle allowed Washington to be reinforced against further invasion.
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park
This 185-mile canal towpath, constructed shortly before the Civil War, acted as a superhighway of the 1800s and provided access between the 3.5 million residents living west of the Allegheny Mountains and Washington, D.C.
Civil War Medical Museum
In addition to the Pry House Field Hospital Museum located at Antietam, the main Civil War Medical Museum is located in nearby Frederick. It provides interesting insights to the care and treatment of soldiers wounded at the Battles like Antietam.
Be sure to visit the new Pry House Field Hospital Museum. This new museum is located in the historic Pry House, which served as Union Commander General George B. McClellan's headquarters during the battle. The museum is sponsored by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and is open daily during the summer from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. A $2.00 donation is suggested.
Exhibits include a re-creation of an operating theater, interpretive panels and objects relating to the care of wounded and the effects on the civilian population in the area, and information on the Pry House. Take the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln, who visited the house two weeks after the battle.
