The Flag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum050

Once the home of Mary Young Pickersgill, who made the enormous Star-Spangled Banner that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became our National Anthem, The Flag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum offer visitors the chance to understand how the Star-Spangled Banner was made and what life was like for a widowed flag maker in the early years of our nation's history.

The house is preserved in excellent condition and furnished with graceful Federal antiques including pieces from the Pickersgill family. The museum, adjacent to the house, has an orientation theater, a hands-on area for children, and exhibits on the American flag, Mary Pickersgill, and the War of 1812. A cool feature of the museum is the Great Flag Window - an exact replica in glass of the 30x42-foot Star-Spangled Banner Flag. In addition to guided tours of the house and museum, visitors can wander the award-winning garden, which features a unique 17x28-foot stone map of the United States.