Antietam Remembered Trail-Stop 1

Visitor Center construction in 1961

Stop 1- The Visitor Center

One common structure found in most national parks is a visitor center. It is a place for orientation, education, and comfort. The original visitor center at Antietam was located in the stone lodge building just inside the National Cemetery. The current visitor center was built in 1962 for a cost of $202,930. At the time of the construction, America was is the midst of the “Cold War.” Over $40,000 of the construction costs went to build a solid concrete fallout shelter in the basement of the building in case of nuclear attack. The 142 acres of land where the center was built was acquired in 1961 for $50,000. The visitor center was expanded in 1980 with the addition of the theater. Starting in 2021 the visitor center will undergo a complete renovation.

 

Aerial view of the area before construction

 

Continue down the walkway toward the Dunker Church, stopping at the four cannon.

 

• Introduction and Map
• Stop 1 - The Visitor Center
• Stop 2 - Colonel S.D. Lee’s Artillery Battalion
• Stop 3 - Crossing the Hagerstown Turnpike
• Stop 4 - The Dunker Church
• Stop 5 - The Maryland Monument
• Stop 6 - New York State Monument
• Stop 7 - 20th New York Monument and Conclusion