Construction of America’s first road to the west, from Baltimore to Illinois, began in 1811 and took four decades to complete. Visitors to the byway can trace the paths of thousands of settlers who once used wagons and coaches to find new paths and meet those who breathe a new life into the nation every day. Visitors should begin their journey at the water's edge in the Inner Harbor area, where they will find shopping, fine dining and walking among harborside attractions. Following the Historic National Road visitors can explore several historic neighborhoods, including Union Square, which journalist H.L. Mencken called home, and see the nearby Baltimore Ohio Railroad Museum. Continuing their journey, visitors will traverse through the town of Catonsville, developed in 1810, which was a popular summer destination, and Oella, which contains the 142-acre Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum, dedicated to the African-American mathematician who helped calculate Washington, D.C.’s boundaries.
After crossing the Patapsco River, visitors will be able to explore antique shops and restaurants in Ellicott City and Mount Airy, and they will be able to discover historic sites such as the B&O Railroad Station Museum, America’s oldest surviving railroad station, and Thomas Isaac’s Log Cabin. From there, the Historic National Road makes its way to downtown Frederick, a bustling hub full of charming Mainstreet communities, romantic accommodations, and exciting attractions. In addition to the historic sites such as the Barbara Fritchie House and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, visitors can enjoy theatrical productions and minor league baseball. From Frederick, visitors will journey to Braddock Heights, where they will have the opportunity to explore Victorian architecture and scenic streetscapes and to make a sidetrack to Washington Monument State Park, notable for its migratory birds, and for a hike on the Appalachian Trail to the first monument erected in George Washington’s honor. Visitors will then make their way though Boonsboro and should make a stop at the National Road Museum, featuring exhibits on traveling the National Road in its heyday and the movement to expand settlement into America’s West.
From Boonsboro, visitors will travel through the picturesque towns of Funkstown and Hagerstown, where they will be able to explore historic railroad hubs. Hagerstown highlights include The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts and the Hagerstown Cultural Trail, featuring work from internationally recognized artists. Traveling along US 40 toward Clear Spring, visitors will be able to find Wilson Bridge Neighborhood Park, a small waterfront park that offers a fine view of the five stone arches that support the 210-foot-long Wilson Bridge. Dating back to 1819, it’s the oldest and longest bridge of its kind in Washington County. It is also the site of the 160-year-old Wilson Country School and Store. Those desiring to explore America’s revolutionary history should take a sidetrack south along MD 56 to Fort Frederick State Park. Based in Big Pool, the fort was the cornerstone of Maryland’s defense more than 250 years ago during the French & Indian War.
The Historic National Road then makes its way to Hancock, where the C & O Canal National Historical Park offers a deeper exploration of canal life. After a climb up Sideling Hill, which was the scene of many stagecoach mishaps due to the steep turns, visitors have the opportunity to play golf amid the ridges and valleys of Rocky Gap Lodge, Spa & Golf Course before moving on to Cumberland. Cumberland, like Hagerstown, was a transportation crossroads with ties to highway, railroad and canal transportation, and is now just as popular for its galleries, theaters and museums. Visitors can take a steam-engine train ride on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad or bike on the Great Allegheny Passage Rail Trail. Visitors will then pass through LaValle, the site of Maryland’s only remaining Toll Gate House, before crossing the Casselman River Bridge, a single-span, stone-arch structure built for the National Road near Grantsville in 1813. The bridge now connects a state park to the Spruce Forest Artisan Village, site of a former stagecoach stop. The village serves as a cultural center promoting local arts, crafts and music from the Appalachian Mountain region of Maryland. The historic road then winds through the Savage River State Forest and over Keysers Ridge to the Mason-Dixon Line.