Stretches north and east of Sharpsburg, MD. It commemorates the battle that became the bloodiest day of the Civil War, September 17, 1862.
There are about 8 miles of tour roads. Narrative tablets, monuments and markers are found along the battlefield avenues, marking the positions of many military units. Cannon identify artillery sites. There are recorded talks at several tour stops.
Highlights:
Military living-history demonstrations are given in season. Rebuilt Dunker Church occupies high ground that both armies struggled repeatedly to control. The fighting at the Sunken Road was so fierce that it's known as Bloody Lane. The line of battle moved back and forth across "The Cornfield" 15 times during the day. Burnside Bridge was the site of a Confederate delaying action that was a key factor in the Union defeat. The bridge is the battlefield's most famous landmark.
In Antietam National Cemetery, near the town, 4776 Union soldiers are buried.
