Explore the incredible Civil War history in Downtown Frederick with expert guides from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

Throughout the American Civil War, Frederick, Maryland played a vital role to both Union and Confederate armies. Soldiers marched beneath the “Clustered Spires” on their way to battles at Antietam, Gettysburg, and Monocacy.

But arguably the most trying moment in the city’s history came after the Battle of Antietam in the fall of 1862 when 8,000 wounded soldiers were delivered by ambulance to make-shift hospitals throughout Frederick.

On Saturdays and Sundays at 3 PM, docents from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine will explain how Frederick became “One Vast Hospital.” From the diaries and letters of the surgeons, soldiers, and civilians who were there, this guided walking tour will explore the locations of the city’s Civil War hospitals in churches, schools, and public buildings. Many of those same buildings still make up the historic district today.

This is a “pay-what-you-please” tour and will begin at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine at 48 E. Patrick Street in Downtown Frederick. The tour will gather in the lobby.