Byways Road Trips Antietam Campaign Trace the footsteps of Union and Confederate soldiers as they engaged in pivotal battles that changed the course of the Civil War and helped form our nation. But there’s more than battlefields here: Rolling hills and sparkling waterways lining the route provide plenty of opportunities for outdoor excitement. Boonsboro Sharpsburg Frederick Antietam Dickerson Poolesville Comus 126 miles from Poolesville to Sharpsburg Kennedy Farm Sharpsburg Make an appointment to tour this restored farmhouse, which was ground zero for abolitionist John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry. In the 1950s, it became a venue for music stars including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Berry and dozens more. Antietam National Battlefield Sharpsburg Monuments and gravesites commemorate the lives lost during “The Bloodiest Single Day of the War,” a turning point that emboldened President Lincoln to deliver the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Key points of interest include Burnside Bridge and Dunker Church. Tolson’s Chapel Sharpsburg This historic African-American church near Antietam National Battlefield was built in 1866 by local African Americans on land from Samuel Craig, a free Black man. The building served multiple community purposes, including as a schoolhouse and political meeting space. Pry House Field Hospital Museum Keedysville Visit this home-turned-hospital that served as the U.S. Army’s medical headquarters during the Battle of Antietam. Exhibits such as a re-creation of an operating theater detail how battlefield medicine saved lives under extreme circumstances. Boonsborough Museum of History Boonsboro Often called a “miniature Smithsonian,” this museum features a collection of artifacts and objects from Civil War sites and around the world. Rare finds include a Confederate land mine, Roman-pottery oil lamps and Egyptian animal mummies. 38 DESTINATION MARYLAND Scott Cantner
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2026 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 38
