Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Harpers Ferry
History lives on in this attractive town, set with steep cobblestoned streets, 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 build-
ings that you can wander through to get a taste of 19th-century life in the small town. Ex-
hibits 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.
Pick up a pass to visit the historic buildings at the
Harpers Ferry National Historic
Park Visitor Center
( 304-535-6029;
www.nps.gov/hafe
; 171 Shoreline Dr; per person/vehicle
$5/10; 8am-5pm; )
off Hwy 340. You can also park and take a free shuttle from
here. Parking is extremely limited in Harpers Ferry proper.
Sights & Activities
There are great hikes in the area, from three-hour scrambles to the scenic overlook from
the Maryland Heights Trail, past Civil War fortifications on the Loudoun Heights Trail or
along the Appalachian Trail. You can also cycle or walk along the C&O Canal towpath.
Master Armorer's House
HISTORIC SITE
( 304-535-6029;
www.nps.gov/hafe
; 171 Shoreline Dr, Harpers Ferry)
Among the free
sites in the historic district, this 1858 house explains how rifle technology developed here
revolutionized the firearms industry.
Storer College Building
MUSEUM
( 304-535-6029;
www.nps.gov/hafe
; 171 Shoreline Dr, Harpers Ferry)
Long ago a teach-
ers' college for freed slaves, it now traces the town's African American history.
John Brown Wax Museum
MUSEUM
( 304-535-6342;
www.johnbrownwaxmuseum.com
;
168 High St, Harpers Ferry; adult/child $7/5;
9am-4:30pm winter, 10am-5:30pm summer)
For those of you who appreciate kitsch, the
ultimate, if overpriced, attraction to seek out in these parts is the John Brown Wax Mu-
seum. A somewhat imbalanced albeit brave zealot, Brown led an ill-conceived slave re-
bellion here that helped spark the Civil War. The museum dedicated to his life and the
event is laughably old-school, and worth a visit for all that; nothing says historical accur-
