How Crowded Is Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in January?

January runs about 0.3× Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 3% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees about 13,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the quietest month of the year at Fort McHenry; by contrast July, the busiest, runs about 1.4× the average — so January is the easiest time to have the place largely to yourself.

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 48/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated October at 49/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 44°F and an overnight low around 30°F, with about 3.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 37°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 35% of annual visitors, choosing January instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9.5 hours of daylight in January to explore — between the 9.2-hour midwinter low and the 14.8-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 394,175 recreation visits, down 8.3% from 429,967 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 47.4%, so January may feel a touch quieter than it once did.