Find Your Park in Baltimore in Honor of NPS’ Centennial Anniversary

In honor of the National Park Service’s 100th birthday, Baltimore’s parks and historic trails are celebrating the national Find Your Park campaign (www.findyourpark.com) with special events and activities through September.

Since its 1729 founding, Baltimore has played a key role in creating the American identity and is home to 70 neighborhoods that are designated as historic districts and more than 56,000 buildings listed in 52 National Register historic districts (a number only surpassed by New York City).

The most well-known of these is Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, a star-shaped fort near the Inner Harbor. Fort McHenry is the only site to carry the “national monument and historic shrine” title and played a critical role in the War of 1812, when it was successfully defended from attack by the British Navy. That battle also inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” which originally was going to be called “Defence of Fort M'Henry.” This summer, visitors can tour the fort and enjoy ranger talks and living history demonstrations as part of the "Fort! Flag! Freedom!"

For a look at Baltimore’s top parks including Patterson Park, Druid Hill Park, the Inner Harbor’s West Shore and the historic trails and byways that pass through the city, visit http://baltimore.org/article/explore-park-near-you-baltimore and http://baltimore.org/article/find-your-park-baltimore.

And for deals and discounts, check out baltimore.org/special-offers to find ways to save money and have fun.