Best Time to Visit Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
OctoberBest month to visit
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Visit Fort McHenry in October
October offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, July is the most crowded month (~1.4× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
394K
2024
Busiest month
Jul
1.4× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.3× avg
10-yr trend
falling
-47.4%
More photos of Fort McHenry
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Fort McHenry by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 48 Fair | 44°F / 30°F | 9.5 h |
| February | Very quiet | 51 Fair | 47°F / 32°F | 10.5 h |
| March | Quiet | 49 Fair | 55°F / 39°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Busy | 43 Poor | 67°F / 48°F | 13.0 h |
| May | Busy | 51 Fair | 76°F / 58°F | 14.2 h |
| June | Busy | 44 Poor | 85°F / 68°F | 14.8 h |
| July | Busy | 35 Poor | 90°F / 73°F | 14.5 h |
| August | Busy | 39 Poor | 87°F / 71°F | 13.5 h |
| September | Busy | 43 Poor | 80°F / 65°F | 12.2 h |
| October★ best | Average | 49 Fair | 69°F / 53°F | 10.9 h |
| November | Quiet | 50 Fair | 58°F / 43°F | 9.8 h |
| December | Very quiet | 49 Fair | 48°F / 35°F | 9.2 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USW00093784, ~2 mi away).
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About visiting Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is a National Monument and Historic Shrine in MD and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 394,000 recreation visits in 2024. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 47.4%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: July is the busiest month at about 1.4× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.3× — a 5-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 35% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 82°F in July down to about 37°F in January, with the wettest stretch in July. About 7 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is October: pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the July rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.2 hours in midwinter to 14.8 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. A standard private-vehicle entrance pass runs about $15, valid for several days, so a shoulder-season trip stretches that fee across quieter, more comfortable days. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
by the dawn's early light, a large red, white and blue banner? Whose broad stripes and bright stars... were so gallantly streaming...over Fort McHenry! The valiant defense of the fort during the Battle of Baltimore on September 13-14, 1814 inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the U.S. national anthem. The fort's history holds many other stories too, from the Civil War to WWII.
Weather & conditions
Temperatures and weather in the spring and fall months tend to be mild. Ice, snow, and freezing temperatures can occur during winter. Extreme heat can occur during the summer months. Inclement weather may impact park hours of operation year round. Refer to the park alerts or call ahead to confirm operating hours.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Fort McHenry
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine — live availability and prices to plan your trip. October is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Fort McHenry
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Getting to Fort McHenry
The nearest airport is Baltimore/Wash International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), about 11 mi (22 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Fort McHenry by car.
Entrance fees
A standard private-vehicle entrance pass is about $15, typically valid for several days.
Frequently Asked Questions
October offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. The park is busiest in July (about 1.4× the average month) and quietest in January.
July is the busiest month at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, running roughly 1.4 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, at about 0.3× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine recorded about 394,175 recreation visits in 2024. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-47.4%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine averages about 82°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Baltimore/Wash International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is the closest airport to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, about 11 mi (22 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Beach water quality near Fort McHenry
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Fort Smallwood Park water qualityGrade A · 9 mi · MD
- Fort Smallwood At Pond Drive water qualityGrade A · 9 mi · MD
- Rocky Point Park water qualityGrade A · 10 mi · MD
- Hart Miller Island water qualityGrade A · 11 mi · MD
- Hunters Harbor water qualityGrade A · 13 mi · MD
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.