Antietam Illumination Lights Up History

An illumination of more than 23,000 candles honors the fallen at Antietam National Battlefield on the first Saturday in December.
By Deborah R. Huso

With the holidays come illumination events of all kinds in many towns, but if you’re looking for something a little different (and a little more memorable), consider making a holiday trek to the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland, the first Saturday of December for the annual Memorial Illumination.

Begun more than 20 years ago as a cooperative effort between the Antietam National Battlefield and the Washington County Tourism Bureau, the event involves the lighting of 21,310 paper luminaries on the battlefield. Each luminary represents one of the battle’s casualties. The Battle of Antietam, which occurred on September 17, 1862, was not only the bloodiest day of the Civil War but the single bloodiest day in all of American history.

Battlefield superintendent John Howard says that while the memorial illumination was originally designed to get the local public more involved in the battlefield that has made Sharpsburg a prime tourist destination, it has evolved into something much more meaningful. “Every light represents a human life,” he says. “It’s an amazing experience to look out over six miles of battlefield covered with luminaries.”

The day of the event, some 1,300 volunteers construct, place and light the luminaries, which are placed exactly 15 feet away from one another in rows 10 feet apart for a dazzling effect across the dark and rolling landscape once the sun goes down. The illumination opens to the public at 6 p.m., and the National Park Service turns the battlefield route backwards to accommodate the six-mile tour.

Howard says that there is often a line of cars two to three miles long at opening time, so he suggests coming later in the evening. Between 6 p.m. and midnight, the illumination usually draws more than 10,000 vehicles, and the luminaries glow well into the night.

Prior to the illumination, visitors can enjoy living history demonstrations at the nearby Pry House Field Hospital Museum from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Pry House was Gen. George B. McClellan’s headquarters during the Battle of Antietam. From here, he had a view of most of the battlefield. Philip and Elizabeth Pry, who lived in the home with their six children, found themselves ruined by the experience, as all their livestock was slaughtered, their furniture placed on the front lawn, and their crops destroyed. After the battle, the Pry House served as one of more than 100 field hospitals in the area.

Today the house holds exhibits on Civil War era medicine as well as the experiences of the Pry family and soldiers during the Battle of Antietam. On Saturday, December 5, the Pry House will host demonstrations on Civil War era medicine.


If You Go
The Antietam Annual Memorial Illumination begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, and the driving tour begins on Route 34 east of Sharpsburg. The tour is free, though donations are welcome. In the event of rain or high winds, the illumination will be moved to the following Saturday. For more information, call 301/432-5124, or visit nps.gov/anti.



Photos courtesy of the National Park Service.

The information in this story was accurate when it was published on the AAA World Web site in January 2009, but details such as dates, times and prices may have changed since then. We suggest you verify such details directly with the listed establishments before making travel plans.