Reviews of Antietam National Battlefield (Park)

Mark Basniak

By far the best Civil war battlefield I've been to. Very informative with well maintained trails and lots to do and see. Would highly recommend to any history or civil war buff, or anyone who likes hiking or wants to learn about the area. Would definitely go back!

JM Bauer

Not Disneyland! The NPS has done a terrific job in preserving Antietam for our generation and ones to come. Plan on spending a few hours, there is so much to see. We drove but a lot of visitors came by bicycle, the site is easily reached from the C&O canal.

Michael Hough

This was a great experience for the whole family. The museum was great and there are so many things to see. Each sites has it information posted throughout. Would recommend the audio for as it truly takes you back in time. The experience is humbling and thought provoking.

Kathleen Stickel

Ask about the Junior Ranger program- it's a great way to engage with the park.

JD

Professional. Personable. Totally Informed and Informative are a few of the accolades that are deserved by our guide, Gary Rohrer. What began as a cordial email exchange culminated in an OUTSTANDING, 4-hour tour/journey back to the living hell that was Antietam. Gary brought the battle to life in ways you could not possibly get from a self-guided tour. His love of and for the history of this hallowed ground comes through the moment you meet him. I can recommend Gary – unconditionally – to anyone aiming for THE genuine experience that is Antietam. Sign on with Gary…and as an aside ask him if he remembers the lawyer joke I told him. Well done Gary!

Richard Lee Terry

ANTIETAM - Sharpsburg, MD - The Bloodiest One Day Battle in American History, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. Antietam ended the Confederate invasion into the North and led to Abraham Lincoln's issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. Executive Order issued by President Abraham Lincoln freeing all those enslaved in Confederate territory. 20-50,000 were immediately freed in regions where rebellion had been subdued already. Preliminary draft (unsigned) issued Sep. 22, 1862. 150 years ago, New Year's Day 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. The war measure had been publicly announced by Lincoln the previous September following the Battle of Antietam. The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation stipulated that any rebellious state that came back to the Union by January 1, 1863, would not be subject to the emancipation policies delineated within the document. None of the Confederate states chose to meet that deadline.

Thomas Huston

Great walking trails and nicely maintained property

Skip Howe

Standing there looking over the battlefields made me realize the price that was paid for our freedoms.

Richard Lambert

Beautiful

Glenn Duffield

Great place to visit and learn about one of the important battles in the American Civil War.

Stephanie Smith

Very neat!! A great tour and I highly recommend.

Rick paton

A must visit for anyone interested in American history. It has the size and impact of Gettysburg without the large crowds. An incredibly important battle in the war, the field has been wonderfully maintained and recreated. The area is also stunning in its beauty with the quaint little town of Sharpsburg nearby. Camp along the Potomac at Antietam Creek Campgrounds for an immersive realistic experience. The campsite is a few minutes drive from the battle and is located only a few yards from where the Confederate Army crossed the river prior to the battle.

Susie Hill

Beautiful setting but such historical significance. 23,000 people lost their lives in just one single day. Birth place of the Red Cross. And they put on a spectacular event for the 4th of July!!

Joe Caruso

Great place for some history, grandmother's old house still in the back of the battlefield. Was there earlier this year.

Angie Seaman

I visited on the night they light a candle for each fallen soldier on the battlefield. It was beautiful and haunting - really puts into perspective how many lives were lost there to see the whole place lit up. An experience I'll never forget.

Shirley Winget-Penrod

Lots great history here. I enjoyed it so much.

Victoria Smith

Great place to learn about the civil war. Really enjoyed the driving and walking tours available.

William Testerman

Park rangers were very knowledgeable and friendly, making history fun. Grounds are beautiful.

Kimberly Mauro

Absolutely beautiful.

Parker Coyer

Great history! Fourth of July fireworks are some of the best I have ever seen!

paramedic rkb

Wonderful place.

Rich Weaver

Lots to learn and see ...

Val J

Amazing site. Very informative and helpful park rangers and staff.

Whit Dodge

A great walk and place to learn some good old American history!

Cal Leon

A great experience. Definitely worth a stop. Our history is frightening and tremendous and definitely worth learning from

Robby Van Arsdale

The battlefield is pivotal in Lee's first northward campaign, and the whole field is owned by the NPS. It's a compact, meaningful battle that can be surveyed easily and understood readily. And it struck me, really hard. It's a good experience for a history buff.

john jensen

Beautiful place in antietam Maryland

Samuel Gregory

Great historical experience!

Bill Rizzo

The cemetary is the last stop on the self drive tour of the Antietam Battlefield. The whole experience is very nice, rivals Gettysburg. Make sure you catch the video in the visitors center to start your trip off right.

Stingernke Ocasek

Amazing battlefield. Truly a horrible wonder to behold.

justin

This is a must see for American history. The battlefield is meticulously maintained, expertly labeled with signs for everything of value and this is a great place for a classroom discussion of the Civil War. You will not be able to see or appreciate all of this battlefield in one day. Multiple trips is a must!

Barbara c

A must see for anyone interested in American history or the Civil war. Great Junior Ranger program.

Milton Hein

Impressive place to visit

Nick Seanguan

A great place to soak in our American history. Very somber.

Susan Kalina

Very somber place. Beautiful and peaceful. Visitors Center is extremely informative and we'll done.

Joe Miller

Hiked entire perimeter. Awesome experience.

Kellie Corcoran

Really cool place to visit. The talk that was given about the Battle of Sharpsburg in the visitor center was very informative and the speaker was very knowledgeable. The museum is small, but is very nice, and after hearing the speech, you can drive to the different sites and see where everything happened. This place is great.

Jason Hatch

Hallowed ground. One of the most amazing places to visit in this country. It feels like it could have been only yesterday that the fields were full of bayonets. Very humbling. It is extremely well cared for and expansive. The fields are still farmed and that adds so much to the feel of the place. Well worth a visit and reserve a full day to take everything in.

Patty Little

Small area and very easy to negotiate following the driving tour. We took our bikes and took in the entire area in one afternoon. Beautiful, scenic and serene. Solemn place and not commercialized at all so the history of the site is held pristine.

Brandon Scott

Great place to bring my kids and educate them on a bloody yet very important part of our history. Very well maintained and beautiful. I definitely recommend visiting.

Escobaria Gracilis

Interesting military park. Enjoyed my visit here.

william gay

Very beautiful park so much to learn

Brandon B

Very well kept, always has visitors. Bathrooms were clean.

Kunal Harmalkar

It's a sobering experience, but one everyone should experience. The cemetery nearby is worth a visit as well.

Ben Wallace

There is a little staircase that allows you to climb the wall on the southeast side of the cemetery. From there you can gain an excellent view of the southern portion of the battlefield.

Montana Diamondidis

It's absolutely beautiful! Great history and a gorgeous place to walk with my dog and family. We visit nearly every week!

Joseph Kline

If you love history, you'll love this place!

Jackie Richards

Went to graves. Kept nice and it is peaceful. And has restrooms.

Zachary Fenhaus

Amazing place

Bobby Wilbert

Great day trip back in time

Laura Warren

Get the scavenger hunt and enjoy the day of learning. Visit National Parks!

Kendrick Gibbs

My favorite battlefield to visit! Lived close to Gettysburg and now live in Richmond,VA but this one is my favorite. Nestled in the Cumberland Valley, you feel as though you have stepped back into 1862 when on the battlefield. Great preservation work done by the NPS over the last several decades!

Olu Akins

Great place to visit, great history and culture if you are into battleground.

google User

I had fun going to the battle of antietam reanactment. i also been to the battlefield itself what huge battlefield it is lots of monuments.Very well maintained! Love the battlefield historians are very helpful about what happen and why it happen. They are so knowledgeable, and are enthusiastic about imparting their knowledge on others. Grounds very well maintained though the clarity of understanding how the battle unfolded by reading the plaques and markers. all the staff at visitors center was super nice. An incredible moving place where you really get the full impact of the battle, a must stop for anyone who visits the battlefield

Miles Gombosi

Neat place to see the division between the North & South. The bullets/cannon balls can be seen in buildings.

Josh Shermeyer

Was nice, but the trail was a little lacking.

Ruthann S.

Beautiful scenery! Wonderful place for pictures! So neat to be somewhere where history happened.

Seth Galentine

Solemnity, picturesque beauty and loads of history. Thank you NPS for maintaining these amazing landmarks while preserving their natural beauty.

Chad Golden

Not much has changed in 150+ years.... beautiful

Greg Krawiec

Historical place, worth to see..

JD Yeh

Super cool historical site

Tim Cummings

More unique history of the US. A major milestone in the forging of our nation.

Joel Nelson

Historical and well kept up. Good job NPS.

John Charin

Great site with lots of good info and an excellent self guided tour. Great place to bring your bike and take the tour by bicycle since there are several miles of well maintained paved road that everyone drives slow on.

Jim Reamer

I was here 3 or 4 years ago. It was an excellent trip. While I was familiar with the battle, I hadn't studied it. Still, I could understand the layout pretty well. Since then I have read more about the day and I'm anxious to return to give it another look. It is a huge area, there were really three separate battles that were fought during the day. The scale makes it all difficult to absorb, but the separateness of the fights, north, south, and central, helps to get your head around it. If you are interested in the Civil War, this is a must see battlefield, in my opinion.

Brad Myers

Lived here all my life and just don't get stuck on that tower. We have to call a platform ladder truck from 15 miles away to get you down if it's bad enough that you can't go down the steps.if you can't walk over the edge you go at 110 feet.

southjerseycanoeclub

Very ghostly... You can sense their presence.

Paul O'Brien

Beautiful grounds and has a public restroom. Parking is just down the street.

Aleah Gibson

i rally liked it. it was very wierd being somewhere thatone of my ansestors could have fought

To NaN Or Not to Null

Absolutely gorgeous scenery all around this area. Really brings home the contrast with the immense amount of death and destruction that occurred here. The bridge was much smaller than I thought it was.

Jacob Allen

The battlegrounds were well maintained and informative they have a little tour where you can drive thru. It's definitely worth the 20 minutes to take

Michael Yates

Surreal place to visit. A must see to grasp what our country went through to ensure a better life for people.

Ave Miller

The history of our nation is incredible! Seeing this makes you really appreciate our freedom and the price that was paid!

David Wetzel

Great place for a day out with the fam...

ForsakenWolves

It's beautiful place

Andy Berks

Important place.

Aly Margeson

I live in sharpsburg so I literally live where the battle took place but I definitely recommend coming and visiting. Even though I've been here for most of my life, it still amazes me what happened here.

Matt H.

This quiet and remote battlefield – a monument to the sacrifices made in a war that now seems so distant – is highly recommended as a place to visit for anyone with an interest in American history. The park is beautifully maintained and there is clear respect for what happened here. Historical information abounds; signs, statues, and relics all tell the tale. One can spend a day hiking the trails amid the mix of forest and open farmland with the blue mountains of western Maryland rolling away into the distance; or, stop by the visitor’s center on the north end of the park to see a historical movie, talk with rangers, and gain a better perspective on what happened here. About the only recommendation I have is to improve the signage that directs people to the visitor’s center when approaching from the east (Boonsboro); when coming from that direction, the visitor’s center was tricky to find.

M V

Ce site n'est pas plus intéressant que les autres champs de grandes bataille. Toutefois, comme les Nordistes ont remporté la bataille, Lincoln a pu saisir cette occasion pour déclarer que l'esclavage serait désormais totalement aboli. Antietam est donc un lieu important qui mérite le détour.

Patrick Earley

Although nearby Gettysburg gets all the attention, Antietam National Battlefield is hands down my favorite. Sadly this was the site of the largest loss of life of the Civil War, but being at this park you can feel and understand how it got this notorious title of being the bloodiest battle.

Carson Charlton

It's really nice. So pretty, so much wildlife, lots of nice monuments. Definitely recto mend touring the battlefield especially bloody land

Brandon Simmons

A great spot for a quick visit, connected to Antietam battlefield, make it part of your visit. You can find the area where soldiers of your state are buried, there's a book that even lists the names and has a map of their location.

Debby Mullins

Avoid this place. The congressional delegation has introduced legislation to remove Gen. Lee's statue from the battlefield. Apparently, the Federals fought themselves.

Camille Rhodes

A reminder for all of those who lost their lives on Bloody Lane...

Voxle

Be sure to bring a good pair of hiking boots. I went on the 16 mile hike this year and there was a lot to see however I could see how miserable you would be with bad boots. the camping spots where alright and I would definitely recommend seeing the stuff at the visitors center.

Lori Wiener

Beautifully kept grounds, nice place to visit, especially if your into the history. Only downside was people walking their dog off leash and not picking up after them.

Kelly Miller

Loved it

ThePUMPKIN2113

As a civil war buff this was on my list of battlefields. I should've skipped it...to say it's "lackluster" is an understatement. The grounds had trash all over and very few markers and lots of dog s__. It was an homage to NY 9th infantry....we should honor all men that fought in the Civil war apparently Antietam doesn't feel that way. I spent 45 minutes there and in the words of Lynyrd Skynrd "been there, done that....ain't ever going back."

Kenneth Gordon

This was a real eye opener. Seeing this beautiful countryside and peaceful hills and valleys, it is hard to believe that at one time this was the site of the bloodiest one day battle in American history.

Vanessa Ingram

Beautifully kept..

Heindrick Sillix

Very well maintained! Love the battlefield historians that are posted throughout the area

Bill Meltzer

Stare down into barrel of one of the cannons made in 1862 by the copper company REVERE and walk the bloodiest battlefield in our nations history, right in Maryland.

Bordy Macallister

Love the battlefield historians that are posted throughout the area

Jacob Kohrs

This is the most preserved battle field of the civil war and just by the landscape you can see why this was the bloodiest battle of the war.

Jason Hiew

Great historical place to visit!

David Thompson

Very well marked tour through the battlefield. The Visitor Center is near the Dunker Church, and the marked tour takes you chronologically through the battle, from the Cornfield-Dunker Church area, past the Sunken Road, and around to Burnside's Bridge. Just being there gave me a new appreciation, for instance, of what the men in the Sunken Road must have felt like, looking up that slope, or how Burnside's men must have felt having to go past the embankment at the end of that bridge.

John Nupp

Reflective space to consider past

Travis Buffington

Amazing the sacrifice given on these grounds.

racheal myers

Very well maintained! Love the battlefield historians that are posted throughout the area. They are so knowledgeable, and are enthusiastic about imparting their knowledge on others.

Emily Shermeyer

Great place to visit! Storyteller was intense! Made history alive...

Michael Rucker

Some of the Bloodiest Battles during the war. Check out the Clara Barton memorial. One of the pictures is of the Medal of Honor winner Bugler John Cook.

Paul Bartow

I absolutely loved Antietam. After having read much about this in school, it was a pleasure to be able to see the single bloodiest day of battle in the Western Hemisphere. As part of Robert E Lee's Peninsular Campaign, it is extremely significant and the NPS does a great job interpreting the battle in its larger historical context. You can do a driving tour of the park, and I would recommend making several stops along the road. You will probably need around 2 hours to see the park at a modest pace, but can do it in a short a time as 45 minutes if you move quickly. Be sure to see The Bloody Lane, where the most vicious fighting occurred. The area is scenic, beautiful, and heavily adorned with historical monuments and markers. There is also a great tower where you can get a great vantage point of the entire battlefield. The battlefield is a brief drive away from Harper's Ferry, another great sight to see.

Myranda Hill

Nice experience. Everyone in the main office was very helpful and nice. So much history.

Patricia Butcheck

A beautiful and serene memorial; full of history, memorial statues, stones, and markers. You can do a lot of hiking/walking around these grounds as well.

john white

Was there a number of years ago. Was about the only one in the park at the time and there was a thunder storm going on which sounded like cannon fire. Really cool.

Justin Trogdon

A stunningly amazing place. The gravity and sheer weight of all the death and slaughter that happened on such a beautiful landscape will impact your soul and shake your emotions to the core. An excellent primer to the walking/driving tour of the battleground is the 30min movie in the visitor center and a walk through the museum on the lower floor as well as the observation deck upstairs. If you’ve never been, then this definitely needs to be on your list of places to go see.

Jonathan Fernandez

Visited last year and was my first battlefield to visit. I was impressed. So much history! Easy to navigate as well.

Tony Camuti

Walking the fields just knowing what happened there, looking around and being so peaceful and thinking what it must have been like that day, the bloodiest day in American history. It's been years since I've been there and still can't get over it, we owe a great deal to theirs boys for giving what they did for peace!

Jon Tenca

An incredible moving place where you really get the full impact of the battle, a must stop for anyone who visits the battlefield

Leanne Brown

Standing there, you could imagine and almost "see" the troops converging on each other. It was very surreal and almost spooky being there. We have been to many, many civil war battlefields; Antietam was one of the most memorable.

Joshua McDaniel

We did a mix of the driving route and walking trails. There's a lot to cover! I'd recommend starting at the visitor center, donating, hearing from a guide from the observatory, and maybe watching the film. You can easily spend the day exploring.

JOHN KEARNEY

Its very nice place

David Brake

Amazing historical dire with knowledgeable staff!

Sasha Harman

Somber, sobering and sadly beautiful. I shed more than one tear for the soldiers and civilians who died. Majestic beyond measure.

Joseph NewYork

So beautifully maintained. So sad to consider how many people died here.

Barry Buttrey

Must see if in the area

Owen Smithmyer

Nice visitors center, cemetery, gift shop, and staff.

Erik V

Outstanding. The landscape of Antietam is not riddle with monuments, this allows visitors to see the battlefield as the soldiers did 150+ years ago. It is a fascinating and sacred place.

Robert Andrews

Took a day trip here from DC after seeing the movie "Lincoln" and starting on a Civil War kick. There is so much history in the DC area and I hope to see much more. Antietam is a fascinating and very sad place to visit. Hard to imagine that in this now bucolic place such an awful tragedy took place. The movie is very informative at the visitor center and we did the self-guided auto tour through the battlefield which was a great way to see the area. Did not do a ranger tour because of our schedule but I am sure that would be great, as they were very helpful in the visitor center.

Matt Hiserodt

Stopped here on a Sunday afternoon around 3:30. Visitor's center closes at 5 but you can drive the auto route around the park until dark, but you do need to get to the visitors center to pay admission ($10/car or $5/individual). Grounds very well maintained though the clarity of understanding how the battle unfolded by reading the plaques and markers is not as comprehensive as somewhere like a Gettysburg (but that's understandable as Gettysburg is special). Was there with my 3 young kids who found it interesting and the staff at visitors center was super nice. Got our passport stamps in the bookshop, viewed the exhibit room below and observation room above then spent about 1 - 1 1/2 hrs doing the loop. Of course their favorite part was the observation tower which was much nicer than some of the open air glorified fire towers you get at other sites - this one is brick and totally enclosed. My son also liked the fact that he had learned about Clara Barton in school and that the 2nd stop on the loop specifically highlighted her. Overall worth a stop if you are driving through the area - scenery alone beautiful.

Larry Witham

Worth the drive for Civil War history. Displays consistent with other sites. Friendly people. Nice countryside

David Litrenta

History, History, and more history. Was a bit discouraged at seeing a sign with rates on it, but we were able to explore without needing to pay for any service. Smaller than Gettysburg, easy to traverse freely, and just as significant in American history

ytcarol

Absolutely beautiful land. Detailed descriptions of battles posted. Moving to think of the blood of young men shed here.

Thomas Meyer

Great spot to capture the essence of war in holographic images

Jason Boothe

The little brother to Gettysburg is often overshadowed and overlooked but is well worth it. The park sits just outside of Sharpsburg, just a bit south of I-70 and a bit east of I-81, signage off of both and on the roads leading clearly marked. So getting to it from either DC or Baltimore isn't much of a hassle. Parking looks like it could be an issue on days where they could be really busy, but for the sunday afternoon i went, with perfect weather, i didn't have any issues finding a space. The main parking area sits just outside of the visitors center, which i can't say much on being i have yet to step a foot in it. Right from the get your within spitting distance of several monuments and battlefield sites. But don't let this fool you, this park is expansive. I would recommend getting a map from visitor center. The main tour is a self guided auto tour, you'll see the blue markers around the roadways. Don't stay in your car the whole time ,get out and explore the sites and monuments. There are also a number of trails that run though the park, many of which are interconnected. Most will run you though parts of the battlefield, while others (like the farm trails) will take you more into the wilderness areas along Antietam Creek. Speaking of the wilderness, don't think Antietam is all about the battle. This is a great spot for enjoying nature in Western Maryland. The views from many of the high points of the park into the surrounding areas are stunning. On top of it, there is a lot, and i mean a lot of wildlife to observe. A number of species of butterflies pass through or are residents of the parks. Not uncommon to see dear or rabbit as well. Also a number of bird species, all of which the Park Service can help you out in identifying. But the most ubiquitous furry creature is the groundhog, and you will see many of them in the summer. If you see a big hole in the ground somewhere, it's more than likely a groundhog burrow. One of the big things i like about Antietam as opposed to Gettysburg is that the area surrounding it isn't significantly developed. Not a number of hotels, resorts, shops, and related things. The area has kept its small town, Western Maryland, rural character. With that, i would also recommend checking out the small (and i do mean small) town of Sharpsburg if you have a chance, it's right adjacent to the park. The town is quaint and small with a couple of shops and taverns on the main drags. Your also not to far away from Shepherdstown, Boonsboro, Williamsport, and Hagerstown (it being the largest of the communities).

Joseph Buckles

We kayaked along the battle field on the Antietam.

Scot Prehn

Should be required visit for all kids in school. You can spend 2 hours or two days and not run out of monuments to visit and things to learn. They have a great companion app for your phone that lets you get info based on where you are.... very cool!

Kristen Burch

It’s a beautiful battlefield and being there were so much history took place is just amazing

RNMorton

Nice clean park, the driving tour is off the main roads, everyone was nice at the main office. Only complaint was the CD that came with the field book sort of babbled about other stuff and didn't really focus on what happened at the spot you were at, so I'm still not quite sure how and why the battle developed as it did. I would give it a big ole 5 if it had a Gettysburg-quality auto CD.

Jessica Casto

Staff wasn't super friendly, but still a great learning experience.

rose tyler89

I was there today :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Kimberly Farley

If you bleed history or sightseeing, this is the place to go. This is the true place to see. It's free to go to.

Rusty Burke

A very moving place with information everywhere and beautiful landscape

John A

Love history. But this place is nothing more than a big field with memorials scattered about..... I expected this when I got dragged along with some friends. Some people love this kind of stuff, I find this extremely boring. Not worth the drive from DC in my humble opinion.

Clayton Bartholomew Perry

Great historic site. Good museum.

Joseph K

Incredible piece of history, well preserved. Can be driven instead of walked which was great in the cold.