Antietam National Battlefield
23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
About 1 hours from Washington and 1.5 hours from Baltimore by car.
Alerts
- InformationNPS ↗Sherrick Farm Trail Detour
There is a detour on the trail due to downed trees. Our staff is working diligently to remove these from the trail.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehiclePersonal Vehicle/Family: $20.00 for three days | $20 | |
| Per PersonIndividual: $10.00 for three days. This fee admits one individual in a vehicle and also includes hikers, bicyclists or pedestrians. Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge. | $10 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 3 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. | $15 | |
| Education/Academic Groups | Free | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| Motor Coach$100 Motor Coach/Commercial Tour Groups with 26 or more people | $100 | |
| Mini-bus$40 per passenger bus with 16-25 people | $40 | |
| Sedan$25 per passenger bus/sedan with 1-6 people | $25 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkIf you or your family visit the battlefield more than once a year, this pass is for you. Valid for one year from month of purchase for Antietam National Battlefield only. Admits pass holder and passengers in a single private vehicle. | $35 | |
Entrance fees are required at Antietam National Battlefield. Purchase passes at the park visitor center upon arrival. Interagency passes are accepted.
Hours
| Park Grounds and Roads | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
| Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
Park Grounds and Roads: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | Sunrise to Sunset |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
When to go
September draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The park visitor center is a great place to begin your visit. We have a film that runs every 1/2 hour, small museum, book store, and restrooms. Park staff can provide a map and directions on the best way to tour the battlefield.
Explore
Things to do
- The Union Advance Trail at Antietam30-90 Minutes
Hike the Union Advance Trail to learn about the fighting around the famous Burnside Bridge.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center20 Minutes
The should be the first stop for every visitor to Antietam. Rangers and volunteers provide maps and information to help you get off on the right path for your visit.
Opens on the Park Service site - Take a short hike on the Tidball Trail20-60 Minutes
A short walk/hike that is about 1/2 mile roundtrip.
Opens on the Park Service site - Take a Short Walk on the Antietam Remembered Trail10-45 Minutes
A 1/4 mile walk around the area adjacent to the park visitor center that explores connected subjects to the battle.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Book Reading11/1110:30 AM · free
- 06:00 PM · free
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Guidebooks for the Mid-Atlantic
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Local history books for Antietam National Battlefield
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBald Eagle 33× · Peregrine Falcon 2× · Eastern Screech-Owl 1× · Bobcat 1× · Red Fox 1× · Osprey 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 123 birds, 36 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Barred Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Eastern Screech-Owl · Great Horned Owl · Hen Harrier · Osprey · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Black Duck · Blue-winged Teal · Canada Goose · Common Merganser · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Hooded Merganser · Pied-billed Grebe · Wood Duck · green heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsGreater Yellowlegs · Killdeer · Ring-billed Gull · Solitary Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesMourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · Rock Dove · Ruffed Grouse · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Redstart · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · American pipit · Baltimore oriole · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black-billed Cuckoo · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blueheaded vireo · Bobolink · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood Pewee · European Starling · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Great Crested Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Loggerhead Shrike · Mallard · Northern Cardinal · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Raven · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Orchard Oriole · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Martin · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Tree Swallow · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · Vesper Sparrow · Warbling Vireo · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-rumped Warbler
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Brown Rat · Cinereus Shrew · Common Muskrat · Deer Mouse · Eastern Chipmunk · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Eastern Harvest Mouse · Eastern Mole · Eastern fox squirrel · House Mouse · Meadow Jumping Mouse · Meadow Vole · Red Squirrel · Southern Flying Squirrel · White-footed Deermouse · bee shrew · mole shrew
PredatorsAmerican Mink · Common Gray Fox · Common Otter · Coyote · Cross Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Striped Skunk · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Eastern Red Bat · Hoary Bat · Keen's Myotis · Little Brown Bat · Tricolored bat
Also on the checklistGroundhog · Virginia Opossum
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 16 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
The weather is fairly mild. Summers can be very warm and humid and winters cold and snowy. We have four distinct seasons with the fall and spring being the best times to visit the battlefield.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Antietam?
Entrance is $20 per private vehicle, $15 per motorcycle, and $10 per person on foot or bike. Personal Vehicle/Family: $20.00 for three days
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Antietam?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Antietam-only annual pass is $35.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Antietam takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Antietam free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Antietam?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Antietam. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Antietam?
Standard hours are Sunrise to Sunset, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Antietam right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Sherrick Farm Trail Detour.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Antietam?
161,006 recreation visits in 2025, number 187 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Antietam?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Antietam established?
1890.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Antietam?
The weather is fairly mild. Summers can be very warm and humid and winters cold and snowy.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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