The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House

About us
The Flag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum is one of Baltimore's oldest museums. Founded in 1927, the Flag House has been open to the public for 76 years. The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Association, Inc. was formed in 1927 to operate a museum dedicated to the story of Mary Young Pickersgill who made the enormous 30 x 42-foot Star-Spangled Banner that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became our National Anthem. Mary Pickersgill's flag still survives and now hangs at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

Visitors to The Flag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum tour the 1793 home of Mary Pickersgill where she sewed the Star-Spangled Banner in the summer of 1813. The house is preserved in excellent condition and furnished with graceful Federal antiques including pieces from the Pickersgill family. Tours are led by experienced guides and offer adults and children alike the chance to understand how the Star-Spangled Banner was made and what life was like for a widowed flag maker in the early years of our nation's history. A visit also includes a stop at the War of 1812 Museum with its interesting displays of military and domestic artifacts and acclaimed video presentation. Take time to enjoy the award-winning garden, which includes a unique 17 x 28-footstone map of the United States.

The Flag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum sponsors an active public events calendar, including open hearth cooking demonstrations, quilt conservation workshops, scholarly symposia and family fun days. Check out our calendar of upcoming events. Click here to see a picture of our new War of 1812 Musuem.