Harpers Ferry National Historic Park
Harpers Ferry
Historic buildings and museums are accessible to those with passes, which can be found, along with parking and shuttles, north of town at the Harpers…
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Harpers Ferry
History lives on in this attractive town, set with steep cobblestoned streets, and framed by the Shenandoah Mountains and the confluence of the rushing Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. The lower town functions as an open-air museum, with more than a dozen buildings that you can explore to get a taste of 19th-century, small-town life. Exhibits narrate the town's role at the forefront of westward expansion, American industry and, most famously, the slavery debate – in 1859 old John Brown tried to spark a slave uprising here and was hanged for his efforts; the incident rubbed friction between North and South into the fires of Civil War.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Harpers Ferry
At the southern end of Potomac St, just a few steps from the lower town, take in a view of three states – Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia – from the…
Harpers Ferry
Across from Arsenal Sq and one of the park's museums, this three-room gallery gives a fine overview (through videos and period relics) of the events…
Harpers Ferry
Not to be confused with the National Park–run museum, this private wax museum is a kitschy (and rather overpriced) attraction that pays tribute to the man…
African American History Museum
Harpers Ferry
Part of the national park, this worthwhile, interactive exhibit has narrated stories of hardships and hard-won victories by African Americans from the…
Harpers Ferry
A slab of rock marks the spot where the woods open up to a fine river vista. Known as Jefferson Rock, the formation is named for President Thomas…
Harpers Ferry
Founded immediately after the Civil War, Storer College grew from a one-room schoolhouse for freed slaves to a respected college open to all races and…
Harpers Ferry
Among the free sites in the historic district, this 1858 house explains how rifle technology developed here went on to revolutionize the firearms industry…
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