Oh Say, Can You See? A Day at Fort McHenry

I spent an afternoon with a friend at Fort McHenry last weekend, and it was way more fun than I thought it would be. For those not familiar with this particular national monument, Fort McHenry was the site of a  battle during the War of 1812. The story goes that as the smoke cleared after a booming battle with the British navy, Francis Scott Key, a Baltimore lawyer who had been watching the action from vessel on the Patapsco River, saw the stars and stripes flying and was inspired to write the words to “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Fort McHenry opened a new $15 million Visitor and Education Center in March, which includes a library, gift shop and exhibits. I recommend beginning by watching the video about the battle and studying the exhibits before heading out to explore the fort. It has some interesting artifacts, including the handwritten lyrics of the National Anthem.

Admission to the visitor center and park grounds is free, but there’s a $7 fee (for adults) to visit the fort. We trekked across the field just in time to experience an artillery demonstration. Ranger Jim Bailey led a gun crew (dressed in 1800s-style uniforms) to show exactly how soldiers of that time would fire a portable cannon. First they walked through a dry run to explain all the steps, and then (after moving the gun away from the crowd of spectators) they fired. Those concerned with safety will be happy to know they used only gunpowder without a cannonball. Even though I knew it was coming, the flash and BOOM was startling. And this was one of the small cannons! I can imagine how thunderous it was the day of the battle.

We then explored the fort and it was interesting to notice little differences from modern life, such as the bunks in the sleeping quarters—they were tiny!

It was a fun and relaxing afternoon, but a curious thing happened as I watched the film at the visitor center, which set the tone for the day—as the National Anthem played and the screen lifted to show a giant American flag waving over the fort, I actually got a little choked up. A song I’d heard a hundred times at baseball games and 4th of July celebrations suddenly felt new. I hadn’t even toured the exhibit or explored the fort yet, but something about being in the place where that song originated was unexpectedly powerful.