Skip to main content
calendar_month

Events Frederick
Historic downtown Frederick street at golden hour
Things to Do

Frederick Historical Sites Guide | Civil War, Museums & More

Civil War Sites, Historic Homes, Museums & Landmarks

1745 City Founded
5,500+ Historic Properties
4 Civil War Sites

Start with the National Museum of Civil War Medicine (downtown, $17) for Frederick's most important museum, then walk the historic district to Schifferstadt (oldest German Colonial building in Maryland). Add Monocacy Battlefield (free, 10 min) for the battlefield context.

Frederick is one of the most historically significant cities in Maryland — a crossroads town where George Washington once held council, where Civil War battles were fought, and where nearly every block of the downtown historic district tells a story. The city has the largest historic district in Maryland with over 5,500 contributing properties, all within a walkable downtown core.

Civil War History

Frederick was a pivotal Civil War crossroads — occupied by both armies, the site of a major 1864 battle, and home to one of the war's most important medical centers.

Monocacy National Battlefield

Free / NPS
📍 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD 21704 📞 (301) 662-3515
⭐ The 1864 Battle of Monocacy is called 'the battle that saved Washington' — Union troops delayed Confederate General Early's advance on DC. Free NPS site with an excellent visitor center film and self-guided auto tour.
Distance: 10 min from downtown Frederick
Admission: Free
Features: Auto tour, visitor center film, Junior Ranger program
Significance: July 9, 1864 — saved Washington DC by delaying Confederates
NPS website

National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Downtown Museum
📍 48 East Patrick St., Frederick, MD 21701 📞 (301) 695-1864
⭐ The most comprehensive Civil War medical museum in the country — 5,000+ artifacts covering battlefield surgery, medical innovation under fire, and Frederick's unique role as the Union's surgical center.
Hours: Wed–Sat 10 AM–4 PM, Sun 12–4 PM
Admission: Adults $17, children (4–12) $10
Significance: Frederick served as a major Union field hospital center
Visit website

Historic Homes & Architecture

Schifferstadt Architectural Museum

Oldest German Colonial
📍 1110 Rosemont Ave, Frederick, MD 21701 📞 (301) 663-3885
⭐ One of the oldest surviving structures in Frederick County — a 1756 German Colonial farmhouse with original construction techniques still visible. A rare window into 18th-century immigrant life in Maryland.
Built: 1756 — oldest German Colonial house in Maryland
Hours: Limited seasonal hours — check before visiting
Admission: Small fee

Rose Hill Manor

Governor's Mansion
📍 1611 North Market St., Frederick, MD 21701 📞 (301) 600-1650
⭐ The manor home of Maryland's first elected governor, Thomas Johnson. Now a children's living history museum with hands-on exhibits and farm demonstrations — one of Frederick's most visited historic sites.
Significance: Home of Maryland's first elected governor, Thomas Johnson
Features: Living history museum, children's programs
Hours: Seasonal — check website

Barbara Fritchie House Site

Civil War Landmark
📍 154 W. Patrick St., Frederick, MD 21701
⭐ The site commemorating Barbara Fritchie, the Civil War patriot whose defiance of Confederate troops was immortalized in John Greenleaf Whittier's famous poem. Check current hours before visiting.
Significance: Civil War patriot immortalized by Whittier's poem
Note: Check current operating status before visiting
Best For: Literary history, Civil War heritage visitors

Museums & Cultural Heritage

Heritage Frederick

Historical Society & Museum
📍 24 East Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701 📞 (301) 663-1188
⭐ Frederick County's primary historical preservation organization with exhibits covering local history from colonial settlement through the 20th century. Offers walking tour guides for self-guided historic district exploration.
Features: Local history exhibits, archives, walking tour maps
Admission: Free / suggested donation
Resources: Historical records and archives open to researchers
Visit website

Downtown Historic District

Walking District
📍 Downtown Frederick, MD
⭐ Maryland's largest historic district — virtually every building in the downtown core dates to the 18th or 19th century. The best free historical experience in Frederick is simply walking Market and Patrick Streets.
Scale: Largest historic district in Maryland
Properties: 5,500+ contributing historic structures
Access: Free / self-guided walking
Downtown Frederick

Religious Landmarks

Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

National Shrine
📍 339 S. Seton Ave, Emmitsburg, MD 21727 (30 min) 📞 (301) 447-6606
⭐ National shrine to America's first native-born Catholic saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton. A major pilgrimage destination and architecturally significant basilica — worth the 30-minute drive from Frederick.
Distance: 30 min from Frederick
Significance: Shrine of the first American-born Catholic saint
Admission: Free (donations welcome)
Visit website

Zion Lutheran Church

Historic Church (1747)
📍 140 E. Church St., Frederick, MD 21701
⭐ One of Frederick's original congregations, founded by German settlers in 1747. The church and its historic burial ground are significant to Frederick's architectural and cultural heritage.
Founded: 1747 — one of Frederick's original congregations
Significance: Historic German Lutheran congregation
Note: Active congregation — check visiting hours

Related Experiences

Full Frederick Attractions Directory

Explore →

Arts & Culture

Explore →

Free Things to Do

Explore →

Family Activities

Explore →

Frequently Asked Questions

What Civil War sites are near Frederick, MD? ▾

Monocacy National Battlefield (1864 battle, 10 min from downtown, free) is the primary Civil War site. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine in downtown Frederick is one of the best Civil War medical history museums in the country. Antietam National Battlefield is 30 minutes west. Gathland State Park (South Mountain AT crossing) preserves a Civil War battle site.

What is the most historic building in Frederick? ▾

Schifferstadt Architectural Museum (1756) is the oldest German Colonial house in Maryland and one of the oldest standing structures in Frederick County. The downtown historic district itself preserves hundreds of 18th- and 19th-century buildings — it's one of the most intact historic urban streetscapes in Maryland.

Is Barbara Fritchie's House open to visitors? ▾

The original Barbara Fritchie House was destroyed by a flood. The current museum on West Patrick Street marks the location and tells the story of the Civil War patriot made famous by John Greenleaf Whittier's poem. Check current operating status before visiting — hours have been inconsistent.

What is Heritage Frederick? ▾

Heritage Frederick (formerly the Historical Society of Frederick County) is the primary historical preservation organization and museum for Frederick County. It operates a museum and archives in downtown Frederick with collections covering local history from colonial through modern periods.

Find History Events & Tours

Frederick offers guided historical walking tours, museum programs, and special history events throughout the year.

Browse History Events