150th Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam

NEW....Click here for the events scheduled during the week of Sept 18-23, including the detailed schedule for 150th Anniversay of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on Sept 22-23.

Antietam National Battlefield will observe the 150th Anniversary of the battle September 14-22, 2012. Planned programs include tours, hikes, music, children's activities, living history, guest lecturers and memorial ceremonies. In addition, the park is part of a regional effort to commemorate the entire Maryland Campaign of 1862. Five National Parks, one Maryland State Park, and numerous county and private organizations are working together to provide opportunities across the region from late August through September 22nd.

Click here for an overview of the Antietam 150th Commemoration

HOW TO VISIT THE EVENT
Enter Antietam National Battlefield at the main park entrance off of MD Route 65 to the Visitor Center Area. The entrance is Approximately one mile north of Sharpsburg and 10 miles south of I-70, Exit 29. Traffic will be heavy along MD Routes 34 and 65 due to several large events taking place, particularly on Saturday 9/15 and Sunday 9/16. On these two days the Sharpsburg Heritage Festival is taking place on Main Street (Route 34) in Sharpsburg--a detour will be in place through the side streets. For information go to: http://www.sharpsburgheritagefestival.com/

About one mile north of the National Battlefield a private 150th Re-enactment will be taking place. For information on that event go to: http://150thantietamreenactment.com/

Once you enter the National Battlefield, rangers and traffic personnel will direct you to the nearest available parking area near or just north of the Visitor Center. Handicapped parking will be available in the regular visitor center parking lot. After you park your vehicle, you can walk or take a shuttle to the Visitor Center area depending on your parking location. Entrance fees will be collected at a tent outside of the visitor. Please bring cash for your entrance fee ($4 person/$6 car) or consider purchasing an Annual Park Pass that would then cover the whole anniversary period.

Start your visit at our Visitor Center or walking the Company Street. There are several options for visiting the battlefield. We are highly encouraging visitors to use the shuttle bus loop system that will be in place to take you to nine tour stops throughout the battlefield. Programs and information are provided at each stop after you get off of the shuttle. Catch the next shuttle to move to the next stop. You may also walk to nearby locations using the park trail system, or you may return to your vehicle and tour the battlefield. If you choose to tour the battlefield in your automobile, please keep in mind that there may be a lot of traffic on the park tour roads, so use caution when driving, parking, or stopping. Traffic staff will assist you in using designated parking areas along the tour route. Stopping in travel lanes is not permitted.

For those who are also attending the 150th Re-enactment or would like to visit the Sharpsburg Heritage Festival, four inter-event shuttles (yellow school buses) will be running on Saturday and Sunday to provide transportation between these events. The Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Company will be running a food stand at the battlefield on Saturday and Sunday, and additional food vendors will be set up at the Sharpsburg Heritage Festival on those days.

More detailed documents are available here:
-Hour by hour schedule for Friday, 14 September
-Hour by hour schedule for Saturday,15 September
-Hour by hour schedule for Sunday,16 September
-Hour by hour schedule for Monday,17 September
-Map of the Visitor Center and Company Street exhibit area
-Map of the battlefield tour and bus shuttles

If you would like to download a copy of the official Antietam 150th Program click here

Special Note:

As part of the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam, a remembrance ceremony will take place at Antetiam National Cemetery on September 17th. This ceremony will feature a reading of the names of those soldiers killed or mortally wounded in the battle. The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m., and names will be read alphabetically by state, continuing throughout the afternoon. The public is encouraged to participate in the event by taking a turn reading names. We will read the names of those buried in Antietam National Cemetery, as well as in Washington Confederate Cemetery, Elmwood Cemetery, and Mt. Olivet Cemetery, but due to many circumstances some soldiers were buried in other locations.

To provide a more comprehensive list we are asking for your input. If you know of a soldier that was killed or mortally wounded at Antietam and is buried somewhere other than the cemeteries listed above, please send an email to e-mail us providing the soldier's name, state, and any documentation you have for this information. We will add the name to our list. We appreciate your help as we honor and remember those who gave their lives at Antietam.