Proud Community Partner
Fort McHenry is the heart of a community. It serves not only as a proud, historical monument to our city and to our nation, but Fort McHenry is a treasured destination for recreation. You don’t have to be a history buff to be a defender of Fort McHenry.
Fort McHenry is a popular destination for birding, plein air painting, dog walking, bike riding and jogging. Diverse local groups are invited to the Fort for outdoor art exploration that can spark conversations about local history and current use of the park as a community resource.
Friends of Fort McHenry seeks the support of all who appreciate Fort McHenry for the many assets it provides the community.
Cherry Blossoms
Thousands of people visit Fort McHenry each spring to enjoy the cherry blossoms. Family portraits, wedding engagements, and picnics under the trees are just some of the activities that occur during peak blossom time. Friends of Fort McHenry supports NPS’s Baltimore Blossoms event at Fort McHenry showcasing the many cultural attractions in Baltimore.
Explore Day
Throughout the year, thousands of students from across this country and further visit Fort McHenry on school field trips. The sights and sounds of Fort McHenry are memories they will carry with them forever.
Each spring, the Friends help to support EXPLORE Day – an NPS program that hosts approximately 600 Baltimore City students at the Fort for a day of learning. More than a dozen partner organizations join NPS to provide interactive educational stations on the topics of history, science, and technology.
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
Our community extends out from Fort McHenry, too. The Living History youth interpreters represent Fort McHenry throughout the region, all along the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.
Parades
Fort McHenry Living History youth march in Federal Hill’s Fourth of July parade and in the Locust Point Defenders Day parade, as well as St. Michael’s holiday parade on the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.
Project SERVE
Community partners such as Living Classrooms Foundation’s Project SERVE have assisted Fort McHenry with grounds maintenance and beautification for over a decade. Project SERVE (Service, Empowerment, Revitalization, Validation, Employment training) addresses high recidivism rates and barriers to meaningful employment among returning citizens in Baltimore City.
Trail Stewards
Living Classrooms Foundation’s Maritime Education Department partners with the National Park Service to cultivate community all along the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail. The goal of the Trail Stewards Program is to spread awareness and stewardship of the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail. Teachers are trained to become Trail Stewards and help their students become Trail Ambassadors by exploring significant events that took place near their school during the War of 1812. Participating classes then create projects that are shared with a larger audience. Since its inception, the Trail Stewards program has directly served more than 5,500 students and indirectly impacted an additional 45,000 community members.