Date: May 13, 2015
Contact: Susan Trail, 301 432-7648
SHARPSBURG, Md. – Antietam National Battlefield will begin charging increased entrance and campground fees beginning June 1, 2015. Antietam retains one-hundred percent of the fees collected at the battlefield and invests them in park projects that improve facilities and experiences for its visitors.
The current and new rates are as follows:
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Entrance Fee
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Current Rate
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New Rate as of June 1
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Per person
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$4/3 days
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$5/3 days
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Per vehicle
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$6/3 days
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$10/3 days
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Park annual pass
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$20
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$30
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The park also will increase the rates for the Rohrbach Group Campground, which is open to scouting and similar youth organizations. The current rate of $25 for two nights and $10 for each additional night would rise to $25 a night.
“Those of us at Antietam are committed to keeping the battlefield affordable, and we also want to continue providing visitors with the best possible experience,” Superintendent Susan Trail said. “The money generated from entrance and group camping fees is critical to our ability to maintain battlefield facilities and resources and to provide high quality visitor services.”
Recent fee projects at Antietam National Battlefield include emergency stabilization of the Burnside Bridge following the collapse of a small section of stone wall; preservation work on historic structures, including the Roulette House and Joseph Poffenberger Barn; battlefield landscape restoration on the historic Otto Farm; and enhanced interpretive and education services.
This year, fee revenue is funding a substantial preservation maintenance project on the Private Soldiers’ Monument in Antietam National Cemetery, new wayside exhibit in the cemetery, and multiple restoration projects, all part of the battlefield’s preparations to commemorate the 150thanniversary of the cemetery’s dedication in 2017. Additional revenue from fee increases would help the battlefield continue its preservation of the battlefield and national cemetery landscapes and provide educational programs for visitors and school groups.
In the fall of 2014, the National Park Service conducted a nationwide review of entrance fees. To solicit public input, Antietam National Battlefield launched a civic engagement campaign in January 2015. The majority of comments were supportive of the proposed rates, leading Antietam to proceed with the fee increase.
