Star Spangled Banner Flag House

Stumbled upon this historic site and stopped in. Glad I did. I loved the relaxed pace. They unlocked the house, gave me a number to call for an audio tour and set me loose to wander. I’ve taken a lot of house tours and this was a first. I really liked it. I liked being alone with my thoughts and being able to replay parts where my mind might’ve wandered a bit. I even sat in the kitchen and dashed off a couple of postcards. I thought it was very cool that I could sit in the same space, and touch the things that people who created a precious symbol of America’s hard won independence also touched. It always feels neat to me to catch the threads woven through time like that. But I’m a history nerd so it always sends chills. Beautifully restored, clean and inviting museum not far from the harbor.

A perfect companion to the Smithsonian American History Museum! I love that it gives a face to the Pickersgill family and also a glimpse into what life would have been like for the women working on the flag. I’d love to return when the actresses sewing and cooking. The museum itself doesn’t take more than 20 minutes for an adult to conquer minus the orientation movie.
Don’t forget to take a look at the US map out front of the building.

I’m not even sure if it’s fair for me to rate this as I didn’t actually visit the facility. But since I love Unilocaling and wanted to give my take, I will! First, I had NO idea this was so close to the Inner Harbor. I actually accidentally found it when I was looking for off street parking, which I did find in the Little Italy area, also right by Inner Harbor. I parked and on my way, stopped by the house to get some pictures. I was mostly intrigued because I had already visited Fort McHenry, where the famous flag waved, and I saw the actual flag on exhibit at the Smithsonian. It’s flippin’ huge!
I’d like to visit next time but I had a limited amount of daylight hours (I was on a business trip) so I didn’t make this a priority. From the reviews, looks like I missed out! This was the home of Mary Pickersgill who made the flag that hung over Fort McHenry and inspired «The Star Spangled Banner.» Built in 1793, Pickersgill moved to Baltimore in 1806 and sewed the «Star Spangled Banner,» Garrison flag that flew over Fort McHenry in the summer of 1814 during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. The museum contains furniture and antiques from the period as well as items from the Pickersgill family.
A 12,600-square-foot museum was constructed next to Pickersgill’s home. This museum houses exhibits on the War of 1812 and the Battle of Baltimore. It has an orientation theater, giftshop, exhibit galleries, and meeting rooms. The museum features a 30 by 42-​foot tall window which was created to be the same color, size, and design of the original Star-​Spangled Banner made by Pickersgill in the adjacent Flag House.
You can do quite a bit of touring just in the little area around the house. Down the street is the shot tower and across the street is information about Old Jonestown, which was the rival city to Baltimore. Jonestown, founded in 1732, was Baltimore’s rival before the two towns merged in 1745. The Phoenix Shot Tower. In days of old, molten lead was dropped from the top of the tower into a vat of water at the bottom. The lead droplets, like raindrops, would form into perfect spheres, cool and solidify as they fell into the cooling water vat below. One of only a very few similar buildings left in the United States, the Phoenix Shot Tower was used to make lead shot from 1828 to 1892. Being constructed of one million bricks, the Shot Tower was the tallest building in the United States until the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, was completed after the Civil War.
The Flag House, Shot Tower, etc. are located in what was Jonestown, where prominent Americans lived alongside ordinary folks from 1790s to 1830s. The neighborhood houses a vibrant mixture of wealthy elites, merchants, artisans, labors, including free and slaved African Americans. Charles Carroll, the only Roman Catholic of the Declaration of Independence, was the richest man in American and Mary’s neighbors. By the 1840s the upper class departed, to be replaced by German and Irish immigrants. This area also saw lots of damage from riots after MLK, Jr. assassination.

What a great little museum!
My sons’ cub scout dens had scheduled this visit and I dreaded going as I thought how much fun could a flag museum be. Turns out it can be fun for both the kids and adults! Our tour guide was very knowledgable and kept the boys entertained and orderly while they learned (not easy to do with 6 to 10 year olds). The boys enjoyed the 10 minute movie, asked a million questions during the tour, and enjoyed the hands on presentation of how the flag’s design came to be.
Overall, this turned out to be a very enjoyable 90 minute tour.

As soon as my family and I walked in we were greeted by a bubbly brunette desk clerk. She happily answered all of our questions and even recommened we watch their moving film. We got to walk around the museum and watch the movie before a we were escorted on a private tour of Mary’s house. The whole thing only took an hour and both my kids had a blast! The gift shop was a bit surprising, they seemed to have a little bit of everything. I got my wife a beautiful crystal key necklace, the kids found candy and toys they loved and I had to grab at least three books from their wide selection. I highly recommend this museum to others!

Loved this little museum to only one of the most patriotic things in our country. our FLAG! Our national Ensign seems to have a little history hidden here right under our noses. I had no idea it was here and feel slightly ashamed we didn’t know.
But as Gus is learning the Star Spangled Banner each day on the way into day care (he can get all the way to the «bombs bursting in air» part and ran across this when I was looking at the historical sites on some random website. I figured what a great way to celebrate veterans day weekend with the family.
There was a video, a tour, and a place to run around. It seems the place is lacking a bit, but has all the elements of the museum. Mary Pickersgill, the woman entrusted to create the first Star Spangled Banner, lived here and the house was very well kept. The history behind it all was worth the visit, and not to mention it’s right in little Italy so it’s a skip away from some wonderful food options.
We recommend it and our three year old enjoyed it too (lots of space to run around outside, and clean bathrooms).

This is one of those small, out of the way museums that are so worth visiting. Like another poster says, the real flag is in the Smithsonian. This site is where the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s to write the poem that later became our national anthem was sewn. The house is filled with original early 19^th century objects, many of them possessions of the Young-​Pickersgill family.
The Jean and Lillian Hofmeister Museum Building has a permanent exhibit, «Preserv’d Us A Nation». This shows how the War of 1812 affected Baltimore. For more than two years, the British blockaded Chesapeake Bay. This exhibit tells the stories of those who defended Baltimore, both soldiers and ordinary citizens, during one of the few times the United States has been occupied by a foreign power.
This is truly a little gem of a museum. Don’t miss it!

This is a tiny little museum with the whole story of the siege, the anthem and the flag. The real flag is in the Smithsonian, but they have a live sized replica sprayed onto the side of the building (its big), plus you can buy a new one inside, along with other current and historic US flags. Plenty of interesting stuff, and not so big that you’re companion will complain about her feet etc.