Are the cannons at Fort McHenry real?
Why the question comes up
It comes up at every historic fort, and reasonably so: an original gun and a display piece look much the same from six feet away. What I will not do is answer it with a count and a confident claim of authenticity that I have not checked. The people who can answer it are on site: the National Park Service page for Fort McHenry.
What the answer costs you either way
The cannon are inside the fence, which means seeing them up close is part of what the $15 adult fee buys, along with the star fort and the outer battery. Under-16s go in free, and eight days in 2026 are free for everybody: the dates. Everything outside the fence, including the visitor center and the film, costs nothing on any day.
If the answer matters to you, ask before you pay. The visitor center is on the free side of the fence and the staff there are the right people to ask.
The rest of what is in front of you
A 43-acre waterfront park with a star fort in the middle, a seawall, a free visitor center and a free film. A walk-through of it is on what to see at Fort McHenry, and the two standing corrections — that the original flag is in Washington, and that the tunnel of the same name is a toll road — are on where the flag is and the tunnel page.
The view from the water
The 45-minute Inner Harbor sightseeing cruise passes Fort McHenry from the water and names it as a sight. None of it includes entry to the star fort. That is a National Park Service ticket, sold at the gate and nowhere else.
Frequently asked questions
Are the cannons at Fort McHenry real?
We have not verified the number of cannon on display or which of them are original, and will not state either. The National Park Service publishes the site's own information and staffs a free visitor center.
Do you have to pay to see the cannons?
They are inside the fee area, which is the star fort and outer battery enclosed by a wooden fence. That is $15 for adults aged 16 and over, and free for under-16s.
Who can tell me about the artillery on site?
The visitor center at Fort McHenry is free to enter and staffed, and the National Park Service publishes information about the monument at nps.gov/fomc.