Antietam Battlefield Observation Tower — Attraction in Maryland

A must see if you are visiting Antietam The Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland is where the Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862. This is considered to be the bloodiest single day in American history with over 23,000 casualties. The site includes lots of landmarks and monuments. Today, it is preserved as a peaceful park where visitors can learn about the battle by walking or driving around the sites. It had a pivotal role in leading to the Emancipation Proclamation. We took the driving tour which had numerous sites where you could see monuments and buildings that describe key parts of the battle. The Antietam Battlefield Observation Tower is one of these sites. It is a quiet, powerful spot that is open to the public. It stands about 85 ft tall. Visitors can park and walk into and up to the top of the tower. The climb isn’t very hard, but the stairs are narrow and you may have to pause at landings to let others pass. It is open on all 4 sides and allows a great view, even better than the visitors center, of the rolling hills that were the location of the various battles. There are metal plaques with arrows and names at the viewing area on top. I really like this and consider it a must-see because the tower gives a sense of scale: how open some places were, how forested others. It is also surprisingly peaceful up there. Even though you’re looking over “Bloody Lane,” the setting is amazingly calm. It invites reflection. If you like history, or photography, or just want to see a battlefield from a different angle, this tower is well worth adding to the Antietam...

It is beautiful. I may be biased, but I grew up Bullets (North 3 rings, South 2 rings, around the rear of the shells) found from the walls of that house when we put new siding on it. If you like History it is a must see! Gettysburg, PA is only 2 hours North. Chancellorsville, VA area Battlefield, 1hr South. Antietam battlefield is only about 1hr,or30mins from Washington DC and Baltimore MD. Have fun! Shepherdstown WV is a few mins south of Sharpsburg, MD. It is considered the most Haunted Town in the U S. Again I know this for a Fact. If you go there you will know also. Just ask the locals! Or YouTube. Email me if you want any other information on the area, on all the sites, Anything about Sharpsburg, or Antietam. So many Battles, So many lives lost. Bloodiest single day in the Civil War!! ...

You can see the tower in the distance as you are driving on the tour. There is plenty of parking in front.

There are several plaques to read about what happened in the area. There are a couple for them noting the Irish Brigade. For the history of the "War Department Observation Tower", there is a nice diagram showing its progression.

The climb up the stairs wasn't bad, but not enough room to walk with 2 people wide. Stopping at the corners was what I had to do to left people by. The climb was nice due to the window cutouts bringing the breeze in. Once at the top, you get a great view of the surrounding area. There a plaques on the ridges so you can look in a certain direction and know what is there.

There was someone there from the Park Service to answer questions and explain more. Not sure if there all the...