Star Spangled Banner Flag House — Attraction in Baltimore

This is a really special place in Baltimore. It encompasses a museum and historic house with the history of the making of the flag itself (self guided tour) and goes really well with a visit to Fort McHenry! You start the visit with a video which shows the history and events around the flag and also how it came to be commissioned. Following this, there's a small museum which looks at the house and its inhabitants and their lives as well the flag itself and its history through the years (it really is incredible how well it was looked after!). Finally, you get to see inside the house. There's a cell phone tour which you dial in on or else there is a paper version of the tour too with numbered stops. Both times I've visited, I've been the only person there and it's nice to be able to take your time and really look at the rooms and artefacts without being rushed on! There's a small gift shop and the lady on the desk is really lovely and very friendly- well worth a visit! I'd recommend just checking the opening hours before you sit as it's not open daily and does close a little earlier too than other...

A hidden gem in Baltimore. Baltimore, as you may know, is where the "Star Spangled Banner" was composed during the war of 1812. This museum tells the history of how that flag was created - a huge flag flown over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814. It's a very small museum, so it was just me and the staff (one person). The house is in pristine condition, filled with period artifacts plus a cell phone tour. It takes about 1 hour but really gives you insight into that time in our history, and the making of an American icon: the Stars and Stripes. If you've seen the Stars and Stripes at the National Museum of American History in Washington, then a visit here will really round you out as an expert on flags, stars and the forgotten war of 1812. Highly recommended. Great for history buffs and kids...

BEWARE. I am giving the museum a 5 as Its a very nice museum, however it's in a terrible neighborhood. We were on vacation and our car was broken into right in front of the museum at 2pm on a bright sunny day. The window was broken on my 10 year old jeep and my crappy Wal-Mart suitcase wad taken as well as the quarters I have for patking meters. Its apparent that the neighbors look for tourists to come up and steal their belongings while they spend an hour or two in the museum. I do recommend the museum but I would recommend parking in one of the paid lots and walk the 2 blocks...