PassesHelp Visitors Explore War Of 1812 (NAPSA)—As the nation commemorates the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 and the penning of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” one city will take center ray stage. That city is Baltimore. During the war, the British launched an all-out bombardment of the city that lasted 24 hours. Only a small, star-shaped fort blocked their advancement but the fort’s soldiers and Baltimore’s citizens stood their ground, defending the fort and turning the battle-hardened British army back. At dawn the next day, surprised to see the flag still flying, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that would become “The StarSpangled Banner.” Today, visitors to Baltimore can stand on the ramparts at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine and gaze out at the waters where Keyfirst saw the nation’s flag during the Battle of Baltimore. Visitors can also see Key’s original manuscript at the Maryland Historical Society and visit the home of Mary Pickersgill, where the 15-star, 15-stripe flag that flew over the fort was sewn. Visiting these sites is easier than ever before thanks to combo tickets that make it less expensive to visit several of the city’s top attractions. These include the Star-Spangled Baltimore Pass and National Anthem by Land and Sea tours. The National Anthem by Land New ticketing options makeit easier than ever to experience the city’s commemorative sites. tour is a 75-minute narrated trolley tour on a San Francisco-style trolley. The National Anthem by Sea tour includes a 60-minute narrated cruise. The Preservation Society has also added 1812: Schooners and Privateers, a guided 60-minute walking tour focusing on the less-well-known Baltimoreans whose role as shipbuilders, sea captains, carpenters, innkeepers, laborers, seamstresses and mili- tia companies helped end the “second war of independence” and start anew with a flag and national anthem. The tour visits Fell’s Point, home to more than 70 houses dating from the 1812 period—more than anywhere else in Baltimore. Visitors are invited to discover the importance of the war through special events, exhibitions, living history and more over the next three years. For More Information For more information, visit www.starSpangledBaltimore.com or call (877) BALTIMORE.
