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Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine

Baltimore, US

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine

Really a must-visit for any tourist in Baltimore, this is the birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner, the United States National Anthem. The fort's military history is best known for it's central role in the defense of the country in the War of 1812, simply named the Battle of Fort McHenry. At the t

ime, Baltimore was the industrial powerhouse of the United States, and was a critical producer of ships and armaments. While of lesser importance in future wars, Fort McHenry remained relevant: a prison for captured Confederate soldiers in the Civil War, a military hospital during WWI, and again an active Coast Guard base during WWII. Since 1925 it has been designated as a National Park (and since 1939 doubly listed as a National Monument), and is today a museum, with plenty of cannons and nooks and crannies to explore. Back to the National Anthem, its Francis Scott Key, who was escaped here from British captivity in the War of 1812, joins Edgar Allen Poe, Thurgood Marshall, and H L Mencken as a preeminent icon of the city and the eponym for dishes at restaurants, bridges, and one impressive golden statue in Bolton Hill. He might be a little sad to see that the flag is ''not'' still there. It was getting extra raggedy after all these years, and was moved to the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. for preservation.

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