Fort McHenry

Fort McHenry is a late 18th-century star-shaped coastal fort at the entrance to Baltimore Harbor in Maryland, United States, completed in the early 1800s. It is historically significant as the defended position during the British attack on Baltimore in 1814 that inspired the poem later set to music as the national anthem.

Visitors come to inspect the fort’s bastioned walls, walk the ramparts and see interpretive exhibits about the 1814 bombardment and the fort’s role in American coastal defence. The site includes preserved earthworks, cannon emplacements and a visitor center with displays about the battle and the flag that flew over the fort.

Construction began in the late 1790s and the fort was completed in the early 19th century to protect the deepwater approach to Baltimore. Fort McHenry saw action during the War of 1812 and continued to serve military functions in later conflicts before becoming a protected historic site.

The fort sits on a small promontory at the mouth of the Patapsco River on the south side of Baltimore’s harbor, within the city’s Locust Point area and very close to downtown Baltimore. It is reached by road and water taxi services from the Inner Harbor area.

• Star-Spangled Banner connection: A British naval and land bombardment in September 1814 failed to capture the fort and inspired the composition of the United States national anthem.
• Best viewing points: Ramparts provide open views over Baltimore Harbor and are often used for flag ceremonies and public programs, with best late-afternoon light for photography.

What to See #

• The fort: The pentagonal bastion fort with ramparts, dry moat and interior parade ground; the surviving fortification where the 1814 bombardment took place.
• Visitor center and museum: Modern visitor centre with exhibits about the Battle of Baltimore, the national anthem and coastal defence history, plus interpretive displays and visitor services.