Regional Director Joe Lawler, Superintendent Susan Trail and dignitaries officially opened a new visitor center at Monocacy National Battlefield on June 27th.
The $4.2 million interpretive facility offers a spacious lobby/information desk, museum store with park-specific items, ranger offices, park library, and curatorial facilities. The second floor is devoted entirely to conveying the story of the July 9, 1864 “battle that saved Washington.” A series of vignettes explains the battle from a variety of perspectives, while a fiber optic display depicts the action. Interactive displays assist visitors directly and indirectly in discovering events leading up to the battle as well as those that progressed into the autumn of 1864.
Designers and fabricators joined forces with NPS staff to bring history to life in this unusual exhibition that takes visitors on a journey through time from farm fields to battlefield to national park. The little-known Battle of Monocacy has emerged from the shadows of history into the limelight. The new facility not only enhances the visitor experience to Monocacy Battlefield, but expands the park’s opportunity to serve visitors.
