The new Visitor’s Center is very well done. The 27 minute intro film is a must. Exhibits are informative. Rangers & docents were friendly and helpful. The auto tour that I purchased for the $10 single person entry fee was great! A QR code that you use on your phone that takes you to the 10 most important spots on the battlefield. You can stop & start it if you want to take pictures or explore each spot a little more. Much better than a CD in my opinion. With the visitor center and the auto tour, spending approx. 5-10 minutes at each spot expect to spend about 2.5 to 3.0 hours total. Enjoyable and historical. Glad I went.

We came during the last fee-free day of the year (Veterans Day) and it was a good way to introduce the children to a part of history that saw a great number of casualties, and hopefully instill in them to appreciate the freedoms they have today as it came at such a great cost. We started out at the visitor center where the introductory film helped us see the big picture and introduced us to facts we didn't know before about this particular battle. It may our outing to the Burnside Bridge more meaningful and we appreciated the Sunken Lands more as wer visualized where the Confederates would have been and where the Union Army would be approaching. We also hung around to catch the last ranger talk for the day and he did a great job rehasing what was in the movie and adding some more details which really make history come alive. It is definitely a day well spend and a great way to honor veterans who have served in America's wars.

Beautiful Park. We visited nearby Harpers Ferry and then drove here the next morning. The NPS staff were friendly and professional. We did a self guided driving tour as the winds in the open fields were bone chilling. The park has many markers and signs to keep the driving tour easy to follow. Tons of trails -so we'll be back in warmer weather. So much history and in a pretty setting. May those who fought and died rest in peace.

Touring these battlefields by car was a great way to spend some time during our family girls weekend. If you like to read plaques, there is A LOT to read. We had young children with us so that wasn't in the cards for our group. We attended the ranger talk at the visitor center before doing the tour. It was about 25 minutes and informative. We didn't do the movie because the kids lost attention span. My daughter loved climbing the tower at the 2nd to last tour stop.

If you have a choice of seeing either Antietam or Gettysburg, I would choose Antietam hands down. The battle of Antietam was not more important than the battle of Gettysburg, but I think you would enjoy the visit to Antietam, whereas Gettysburg is a little more problematic. Large crowds versus smaller crowds, more development versus less, a park staff dealing with large crowds versus a park staff not under quite as much stress, it is an easy choice.

We viewed the 1/2 hour film and checked out the displays inside. All were very interesting and well put together, making it easy to understand. We had limited time during our visit, so did a quick driving tour through the site itself.

Went on the driving tour, about 2 1/2 hours. National Park staff and local volunteers situated at several important sites within the park provided 10 minute lectures about the battle and goings on. Very knowledgeable folks and very happy to share their knowledge. Highly recommend a visit.

Huge national park so give yourself at least a full day to do the visitors’ center with museum, film, ranger talk, and exhibits. There is also a driving tour with 10 stops. The battlefield is now serene after horrific bloodshed on both sides.

We visited this battlefield during a weekend. Even though the recently built Visitor Center removed its artifacts temporarily due to a leak, this is still worth spending some time in to get a better understanding and appreciation of how the battle on Sept 17, 1862 unfolded. There is a theatre where you can watch a 1/2 movie about the battle, a historic exhibit area (where the artifacts have been removed) and a gift shop. For the price of $20 (for your car), we each received a map of the area and since my spouse was over the age of 62, he also got a national park pass, good for a year, that allows him (and up to 3 guests) entry to any national park without having to pay an entrance fee. We spent a few hours hiking on the Bloody Lane Trail to visit the Sunken Road (AKA Bloody Lane) and then up past Roulette Farmhouse, and past the Mumma farmhouse, and down Smoketown Road to visit Dunker Church, where we encountered a volunteer docent who happily educated us more about the battlefield. Fun fact: the church is not the same one appearing in Civil War photos but was re-built in the same spot in the early 20th century, using the same materials from the original church. The front steps of the church are the same steps from the original church. We drove down to visit Burnside Bridge. Due to the park service's landscape restoration efforts, looking around this area, you can imagine the terrain and vegetation that the troops saw back then. The sycamore tree beside the bridge that appears in Civil War-era photos and sketches still stands.