How to Tour Maryland's Civil War Battlefields

One of the Civil War's major battles, the Battle for Antietam, took place in Maryland. If you are headed to this historical site, there are numerous other battlefields in Maryland worth a visit. Monocacy, Stone Mountain, Folck's Mill, Williamsport, Boonesborough and Hancock are some of the more notable battlefields you can tour in Maryland.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Tour the Antietam National Battlefield over the course of at least one day. Visit the visitor center and watch the "Antietam Documentary." Take a self-guided tour of the battlefield and visit the museum.

2. Spend a half day touring the Monocacy National Battlefield. Start at the visitor center, where you can view numerous multimedia presentations. Take a self-guided auto tour of the park. For additional information, call [phone].

3. Enjoy a day at South Mountain State Park. Look for Turner's Gap and Fox's Gap, which were additional battle sites during the Battle of South Mountain.

4. Visit the Gathland State Park, where a portion of the Battle of South Mountain was fought at Compton's Gap. Notice the Arch which was built to commemorate the journalists who covered the Civil War.

5. Eat pizza at Puccini Restaurant. The main building of this restaurant was built in 1819 and served as a hospital during the Civil War Battle of Folck's Mill, also known as the Battle of Cumberland.

6. Take a brief tour of Hancock, which was the site of the Battle of Hancock. Visit the Hancock Museum to obtain information regarding battle locations and sites in town. For more information, call [phone].

7. Stop at the Boonesborough Museum of History in Boonesborough for a review of local Civil War battles including the Battle of Boonesborough. Call [phone] for more information.

Resources

• Details about the National Battlefields.
• Information about Gathland State Park.
• Get more information about South Mountain State Park.