Antietam National Battlefield Self-Guided Driving Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1

  Antietam National Battlefield is a National Park Service-protected area along Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Washington County, northwestern Maryland. It commemorates the American Civil War Battle of Antietam that occurred on September 17, 1862. Note: The tour is over 9 miles long, with more than 38 audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours to complete. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 2

  Our drive then brings us to a monument dedicated to Major General Joseph Mansfield. Just as the battle is beginning, Mansfield leaves his untrained battalion to scout the cornfield and ascertain the situation. When he comes back, he's slumped over his horse, having suffered a mortal chest wound. His soldiers, already spooked by the fighting, are aghast. How can they hope to survive without their commander?

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 3

  Our next stop is the West Woods. By now, the Union has a clear upper hand, but the battle is far from over. 5,000 Union soldiers charge into this forest, hoping to repeat the easy victory their comrades found in the East Woods. But Confederate cannons are waiting atop a nearby ridge. The guns rain hellfire on the Union, turning a siple advance into a desperate, life or death struggle.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4

  Keep driving until you see the Mumma farmstead. As Confederate troops retreat past this point, they light the place on fire so the Union can't use it for cover. The Mumma family had already fled, but they'll come home later to find nothing but ashes.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 5

  Next, we'll arrive at the Irish Brigade monument, which honors the Irish Americans who fought at the Bloody Lane. Many of them made the ultimate sacrifice for their country right here. Then, we'll hear about the importance of this battle, and how everything hinges on a Union victory.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 6

  Continue driving until you reach Piper Farm. While the fighting rages across the battlefield, Confederate generals use this farm as their headquarters, planning each attack, each defensive line, looking for a way to emerge victorious.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 7

  Our drive takes us next to Burnside Bridge, where another wildly unbalanced struggle is taking place. 13,000 Union soldiers try to take the bridge while a mere 500 Confederates try to hold them back. But the Union men are sitting ducks trying to cross the bridge. Bodies pile up on the bridge as the Confederates mount a fierce defense.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 8

  Next, we'll arrive at the McKinley Monument, which honors the future 25th President of the United States, and recalls a story of the boy's odd brand of heroism following the brutal struggle on the bridge.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 9

  Fun fact! Sideburns are named after General Burnside. Once you look at his portrait, there’s really no need to guess why!

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 10

  Next, we'll arrive near the site from which the Union forces assemble and launch their final attack against the Confederate lines, which by now have been forced to fall back repeatedly. We will watch the tumult of battle and gunfire, hear the beating of drums and the war cries, and, finally, see what is left after the dust clears.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 11

  This optional detour takes us to a monument honoring the 9th New York Infantry, who almost broke through the final Confederate line in an attack which could have changed the rest of the war--but didn't quite succeed.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 12

  Another detour takes us to Tolson Chapel, built by Black Americans just one year after the war ended.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 13

  Our next optional stop is Piper House, one of Sharpsburg’s oldest houses. It gives us a glimpse into what the town was like even before the Civil War put it on the map.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 14

  This detour brings us to the Mount Calvary Lutheran Cemetery, which dates all the way back to 1768. During the battle, Confederates used the now-demolished church next to this cemetery to send orders and information to troops across the battlefield. And afterward, the Union used the same church as a field hospital!

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 15

  The final optional stop is the Antietam National Cemetery, where the remains of 4,776 Union soldiers rest alongside about 200 dead from the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
• How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
• Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
• Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you

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