Check Out the Local Street Vendors and Exhibits! HARPERS FERRY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK – Visit a different kind of park! Harpers Ferry National Historical Park lies in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and at its heart is Harpers Ferry. Start at the Visitor Center on Cavalier Heights and make your way down to the Lower Town Historic District. See the Restoration Museum, a blacksmith shop, the John Brown Museum and much more! Step into the past as you wander the picturesque streets, see exhibits and walk the trails and battlefields. The park is open daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and there is an entrance fee. HARPERS FERRY FLEA MARKET – If you are looking for that one-of-a-kind collectable or just like to shop, the Harpers Ferry Flea Market is the place for you! Buy new and used antiques and collectables; just about anything you could ask for. There are three acres of vendors and a snack bar to help keep you energized. This is a friendly and family oriented flea market that has been serving the community for 24 years! Open weekends March through November from dawn to dusk. Located one mile south of Harpers Ferry. GHOST TOURS – If you like to be spooked, then Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry will have the hair on the back of your neck tingling! Follow your costumed guide on a lantern-led tour through the streets and listen to tales of mysterious apparitions haunting buildings laced with tragic history. From April to Memorial Day, tours are Saturday at 8:00 pm and from Memorial Day through November, tours are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm. Admission is charged. Reservations are required 304-725-8019. Meet at the Olde Towne Café on Potomac Street. CHARLES TOWN – Visit the town created by the youngest brother of George Washington. Founded in 1786, Charles Town is a picturesque collection of homes, churches and public buildings. Six of the Washington family homes still stand and the Zion Episcopal Church Cemetery is the final resting place of 75 members of that family as well as soldiers from the American Revolution and the Civil War. Visit antique shops, restaurants and the Old Opera House, built in 1910 and reclaimed in 1971 as a center for the arts. Walking tour maps are available. Located east of Harpers Ferry. CHARLES TOWN RACES & SLOTS – Put some excitement into your day with a visit to Charles Town Races & Slots! With over 4,500 slot machines, no one has more variety. There is also live thoroughbred racing year round and the chance to bet on Simulcast races across the country. Slots are open seven days a week, 7:00 am to 4:00 am. Call 800-795-7001 for racing and dining hours. Must be 18 to gamble in Virginia. Located in Charles Town, ten minutes from Harper’s Ferry.

Some Things For the Country Folk! CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL – The C & O Canal was created in 1836 to haul goods to market and operated until 1924 when the railroads took over. It runs 184 miles from Cumberland to Georgetown and is now a park with a towpath popular with hikers and bicyclists and has six visitor centers along the route. During the summer, enjoy a ride on a barge pulled by mules as you listen to stories of the era. The park is open during daylight hours and there is an entrance fee. APPALACHIAN TRAIL – Hike the Appalachian Trail right here in Harpers Ferry! Although only four of the 2,160 miles are in West Virginia proper, you can hike it along the border with Virginia as it ascends the Blue Ridge Mountains. The trail enters West Virginia at Harpers Ferry by a footbridge over the Potomac River. The Appalachian Trail offers unparalleled opportunities to explore, experience and connect with nature. Due to weather concerns, the best times to hike are from mid-April to mid-June and during the months of September and October. POTOMAC & SHENANDOAH RIVERS – Harper’s Ferry is located at the confluence of two scenic rivers, the Potomac and the Shenandoah. Both offer a wealth of activities including whitewater rafting, canoeing and fishing. See ospreys, blue herons and bald eagles as well as beautiful views. Discover what nature has to offer. Historical Sites to Behold! WASHINGTON HERITAGE TRAIL – Tour through history on the Washington Heritage Trail; 135 miles of meandering country roads that loop through the area, taking you around West Virginia’s scenic Eastern Panhandle. Drive through 18th century towns, past parks, cemeteries and where George Washington slept. Enjoy whitewater rafting, fishing and hiking in the surrounding wilderness. In the towns, take self-guided tours; African-American History, Civil War Heritage Tour and more. ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD – Antietam is a must see for anyone interested in Civil War history. This was the site of the bloodiest one day battle in American history. The battle ended the Confederate Army’s first invasion into the North and led to Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Start at the Visitor Center where you can see films, exhibits and the museum store. Join in a ranger-led program or take an audio tour of the battlefield. The park is open daily 8:00 am to 7:00 pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day and 8:30 am to 5:00 pm from Labor Day to Memorial Day. Admission is charged. Located 17 miles north of Harpers Ferry.

A Little History About Harpers Ferry…

JOHN BROWN AND THE HARPERS FERRY RAID – On October 16, 1859, the abolitionist John Brown led his men on a raid and seized the U.S. Armory and Arsenal in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. They captured the watchmen and cut the telegraph wires, but let a train through which called for help. John Brown’s plan was to gather up weapons and lead a slave revolt. But the slaves did not rise up and the townspeople trapped them in the armory. Colonel Robert E. Lee brought troops in on October 18 and brought the standoff to an end. A few escaped, many were killed and the rest were brought to trial with John Brown who had been wounded. He was tried, convicted and hanged on December 2.

If you would like more information or directions to any of these attractions please stop by the Office. Our staff will be happy to help you.