Attachment_J_ANTI_LongRangeInterpretivePlan.pdf

Antietam National Battlefield Long-Range Interpretive Plan April 2019

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Attachment J

All Photo Credits: National Park Service

Cover Photo: Burnside Bridge Then and Now Alexander Gardner, Library of Congress National Park Service

Antietam National Battlefield Long-Range Interpretive Plan April 2019

Prepared by:

Department of the Interior National Park Service

Antietam National Battlefield National Capital Region

Harpers Ferry Center Interpretive Planning

Approved:

Susan Trail Superintendent

About Interpretive Planning

Foundation for Planning Site Description Purpose Statements of Significance Fundamental Resources and Values Interpretive Themes Essential Questions

Existing Conditions

Vision for Antietam National Battlefield 2018-2021 Strategic Plan/Parkwide Management Goals . . .

Vision for the Future of Interpretation and Education 2019-2023 Interpretive and Education Goals

Future Visitor Experience Overview Improve the Arrival and Orientation Experience Redesign the Visitor Center Experience Strengthen the Visitor Experience on the Battlefield

Desired Visitor Experiences

Audiences

Challenges and Opportunities Affecting Interpretation

Goals for Interpretive Programming

Model Tiered Interpretive Progamming

Implementation Plan

Appendices Appendix A: The Planning Team Appendix B: Accessibility Guidelines

Table of Contents

Planning is organized decision-making. Park staff and partners work in collaboration to determine direction, think through parameters and mutually agreed-upon criteria, and use data to make informed, strategic, and realistic decisions about future actions. The goal of visitor experience planning is to make decisions and set priorities that help to strategically apportion limited NPS resources to their best advantage to do the most good in service to the public.

A good interpretive plan has focus, provides direction, and reflects informed choices to move an organization forward. Good plans don’t overwhelm or promise to do too many things. Good plans also experiment and stretch organizations and

About Interpretive Planning challenge their individual members to experiment to meet current and future audience needs and expectations.

Interpretation planning is built on data, regular reviews and analysis, and annual adjustments to the action plan. With attention to annual reviews and incremental adjustments, large-scale, “one-and-done” planning efforts become less necessary, and incremental iterative planning becomes more effective, tailored, flexible, and responsive to current audiences, needs, and circumstances. These shorter cycles have the added benefit of better matching the strategic planning cycles of partners and philanthropies.

The Measure of a Good Plan

A primary measure of a good plan is one that is implemented; where actions are systematically accomplished and periodically examined for relevance and adjusted accordingly. A plan that looks pretty but is not used to guide an organization isn’t a real plan. Another measure of success for a planning process is the results. Participants should feel in control (not overwhelmed), confident, connected, and energized. There should be a clear understanding of common direction. Personal and professional relationships will have been strengthened, responsibilities are shared, and there should be a realistic perspective that looks forward to the challenges that will grow and stretch both organizations and individuals.

The Planning Process

The collaborative process used in planning helps to establish common understanding, direction, and priorities for park staff and partners. Planning helps position a National Park Service unit to be the strongest park it can be given its strengths, niche, and capacity. It doesn’t try to make a park into something that can never realistically be achieved or attempt to recreate how a park may have functioned in the past. A good plan balances aspiration with the will and capacity to carry out the actions.

This plan was built on the park’s Foundation Document follows National Park Service (NPS) requirements for interpretation planning in Director’s Order #6.

A visitor experience workshop was held April 18-19, 2018. Appendix A includes a listing of all workshop participants.

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“We are through for tonight, but tomorrow we fight the battle that will decide the fate of the Republic.”

Major General Joseph Hooker, September 16, 1862

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Antietam National Battlefield was established in 1890 to commemorate the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. The battlefield was initially administered by the U.S. War Department.

The Battle of Antietam, or Sharpsburg as it was referred to in the South, began at dawn on September 17, 1862. About 40,000 troops of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under the command of General Robert E. Lee fought against 70,000 troops of the Federal Army of the Potomac commanded by General George McClellan. At day’s end, more than 23,000 soldiers were dead, wounded, or missing. The commemorative landscape at Antietam National Battlefield includes monuments; roadways, fences, curbing, the observation tower, and other associated features established by the War Department; tablets documenting troop movements and artillery locations.

Antietam is considered one of the best-restored Civil War areas in the National Park Service. The farms and farmlands in and near the battlefield appear much as they did on the eve of the battle in 1862.

Foundation for Planning

The battlefield is in a rural area of southern Washington County, Maryland; agriculture is the predominant land use. Antietam attracts approximately 350,000 visitors per year. The 11-stop automobile tour takes visitors through areas of historical interest, tracing troop movements, interpreting battle tactics and military strategy, and relating human-interest stories. Additional interpretation is provided at the visitor center.

The Battle of Antietam was a major turning point in the American Civil War. The Union victory provided President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and caused Great Britain to postpone recognition of the Confederacy. From that time onward, the American Civil War had a dual purpose— to preserve the Union and abolish slavery.

“all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free”

Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation September 22, 1862

Site Description

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Park Purpose

The purpose of Antietam National Battlefield is to preserve, protect, restore, and interpret for the benefit of the public the resources associated with the Battle of Antietam and its legacy.

Purpose Statement for Interpretation

Create a holistic, relevant and multi-dimensional experience for all audiences that promotes visitation, encourages continual learning, and inspires a sense of ownership of park resources.

2013 Foundation Document

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• Antietam National Battlefield is the site where more than 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing—the bloodiest single-day battle in American history.

• The result of the Battle of Antietam provided President Abraham Lincoln with the opportunity to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which elevated the purpose of the war to include abolishing slavery.

• The high level of landscape integrity at Antietam evokes a powerful sense of place that allows visitors to make personal connections to the battle and to its participants.

• The photographs taken at Antietam within days after the battle were the first to publicly display the carnage and horrors of the American Civil War.

Statements of Significance

• The Confederate retreat from Maryland following the Battle of Antietam ended the Army of Northern Virginia’s first invasion of the North and had a significant impact on the momentum, morale, and politics of the American Civil War.

• Antietam National Cemetery, dedicated in 1867 as the final resting place for Union soldiers who fell at Antietam, continues to serve as a memorial to honor military sacrifice.

• The commemorative landscape at Antietam National Battlefield illustrates America’s evolving values and views on the Civil War.

Significance statements are important for identifying resource management and interpretation priorities, and in defining the kinds of visitor experiences most appropriate for Antietam National Battlefield

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Fundamental Resources and Values

The fundamental resources and values of a park are those from which the park’s significance is derived;

these resources and values cause the site to be a unit of the National Park System. The specific features, systems, processes, experiences, and landscapes that are keys to achieving a park’s purpose and maintaining its significance constitute its resources and values.

1862 Battlefield Landscape Antietam National Cemetery Antietam National Cemetery is the final resting place for Union dead from the Civil War and for veterans of other conflicts. This designed landscape is a deliberate creation of the American response to mourning and remembrance in the 19th century.

The cultural landscape and its many contributing features are primarily significant because of the Civil War battle fought here. The park preserves these features and others related to the 1862 vernacular agricultural landscape.

Commemorative features have been added to the Antietam National Battlefield landscape by succeeding generations since 1867. The veterans who fought here wanted these parks “to be reconciliatory items, object lessons, patriotic icons, and most of all, memorials to the living and dead that fought in the war” (in the words of Timothy B.

Smith in The Golden Age of Battlefield Preservation), thereby, making the commemorative features at Antietam central to the park’s purpose.

Solemnity of the Site Antietam National Battlefield provides an opportunity to experience a solemn, peaceful, and reverent space, where one can reflect upon the sacrifices of the fallen and the implications of the battle.

Commemorative Landscape

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Interpretive Themes

Interpretive themes are organizational tools which provide a conceptual framework for visitor experience planning and programming. Themes are derived from and capture the essence of park purpose, significance, resources, and values. Themes can help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may be unconnected to an event, time, or place. They go beyond simple descriptions or recitations of fact; they reflect the context and effects of events or processes in order to foster opportunities for visitors to experience and consider the meanings, concepts, and values represented by park resources. While themes are important as a framework to help guide and focus development of visitor experience, services, and programming, interpretive themes are not intended for public use.

A Turning Point The Maryland Campaign, which culminated in the Battle of Antietam, was a major turning point of the Civil War and in American History.

The Single Bloodiest Day The level of carnage, suffering, and human drama during and after the Battle of Antietam, the single bloodiest one-day battle in American history, has accorded it a prominent place in our national consciousness.

The Emancipation Proclamation and Abolition The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, issued as a direct result of the battle, changed the conflict from a war to restore the Union to a war that would also transform the nation by abolishing slavery and committed the country to redefining the freedoms espoused in its founding documents.

Tactics, Terrain, and Technology Tactics, terrain, technology, and leadership directly affected the outcome of the Battle of Antietam.

Impact of the Battle on the Local Population The Battle of Antietam had a major impact on the local civilian population.

Legacy and Evolving Values The varied and continuing efforts of commemoration by succeeding generations illustrate society’s evolving values regarding the Civil War and the legacy of the Battle of Antietam.

Revolution in Medical Care Dr. Johnathan Letterman and other leaders in the medical corps created the foundation of modern battlefield medicine when faced with the immense number of casualties at Antietam including developing the American system of triage, the ambulance corps, and forward aid stations.

Soldier’s Experience Individual soldiers were deeply impacted by their unique experiences from enlistment to battle and through homecoming and remembrance.

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Effective interpretation explores controversial and complex issues as a means of finding natural and cultural resources’ evolving relevance in today’s community. Interpretation honors and incorporates different types of truth – forensic/academic, personal, societal, and reconciliatory – and uses essential questions to invite dialogue, foster awareness, probe truths, and encourage collaborative solutions.

Audience-centered programs and media must be dynamic and flexible, with intentional design and clear purpose. A cohesive experience for the audience is achieved by exploring an essential question or relevant idea supported by a purposeful interpretive framework. Essential questions are based on understanding of the resource, audience and the broader social context.

Foundations of 21st Century Interpretation, Version 2017

These essential questions developed during the 2018 LRIP workshop have been aligned with the interpretive themes, and may be used by interpretive staff to “invite dialogue, foster awareness, probe truths, and encourage collaborative solutions.”

Essential Questions

A Turning Point

• Who decides when war is needed to resolve national issues?

• Is the country still as divided as it was during the

Civil War? If so, for what reasons?

• Are there issues related to the Battle of Antietam and the Civil War that continue to challenge our nation today?

• How do we determine whether one side in a conflict has “won” or “lost?”

The Single Bloodiest Day

• For what would you be willing to give your life?

• Do you value the sacrifice of others?

• How do we define sacrifice?

• Do you think that the soldiers’ sacrifices at

Antietam were justified? Why or why not? What did they accomplish?

• When is violence necessary or just?

• What do you think it was like the day after the battle for those who survived and those who lived here?

• Why do we preserve sites of violence and what is the purpose of doing so?

The Emancipation Proclamation and Abolition

• Why does inequality continue to define society?

• What does freedom mean?

• Did the Civil War change the meaning of freedom in the United States, and if so, how?

• Did the Emancipation Proclamation truly mean freedom for the enslaved?

• What happens/should happen when our personal visions of freedom come into conflict?

• How did Lincoln fulfill the ideals of the American Revolution through the Emancipation Proclamation and how do those ideals continue to evolve today?

• What causes an individual to feel superior to another?

• Were the racial divisions that lead to the war solved by the conflict?

• How do we overcome racial injustice?

Tactics, Terrain and Technology

• Why did they fight that way?

• How did the landscape affect the outcome of the battle?

• What feelings does the natural environment evoke?

• How do you define good military leadership?

Impact of the Battle on the Local Population

• How would you recover from the destruction of your home and work?

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• What would you do if war was coming and someone told you should leave home immediately?

• Does the essence of a small town change when large scale, traumatic events such as the Battle of Antietam occur close by?

• What causes a person or persons to feel so passionately about a place?

• What key events have defined your meaning of home?

• If you were a farmer in Sharpsburg in 1862, what would your priorities be for recovery and rebuilding in the days and months that followed September 17?

• Did the Sharpsburg community receive enough help/compensation following the battle from the government?

Legacy and Evolving Values

• Does the creation of Civil War memory, history, and monuments reflect who we are as a nation?

Does that change?

• Who decides what is important to preserve?

• Do we need to treat this landscape as sacred ground?

• How do cultural, personal or social memories shape a person’s understanding of place?

• How do we remember and interpret conflict?

• How should we protect the battlefield in the future?

• What is it about tragic occurrences that cause people to commemorate them?

• What, if any, social obligations do we have to protect battlefields?

Revolution in Medical Care

• What is the responsibility of the nation to provide for its soldiers and veterans?

• How did the terror and wounds of battle affect the soldiers who participated and the surgeons who attempted to care for them?

Soldier’s Experience

• Many on the battlefield were not born in the

United States, what defines the American identity?

• What were the thoughts and feelings of the soldiers and how did Antietam change them afterward?

• What is the battle experience for the individual soldier and how has that changed over time (or has it)?

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Existing Conditions

Antietam National Battlefield is located adjacent to the town of Sharpsburg, in Washington County, Maryland. This NPS unit includes roughly 3,200 acres located along the Antietam Creek. The park also contains the eleven-acre Antietam National Cemetery, 106 monuments, 42 cannon, over 384 historic plaques.

Interpretive Facilities

Visitor Center The visitor center serves as the primary interpretive facility, preparing visitors to understand and appreciate Antietam National Battlefield. The building opened in 1963 and was expanded in 1980. It includes an information desk, exhibits, theater, observation room, and a Eastern National sales area. There are restrooms, staff offices, staff break room, and storage areas. The visitor center is open 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily with the exception of January 1, Thanksgiving, and December 25.

Rehabilitation of the visitor center is scheduled to begin in FY20, with completion in FY22.

Tour Route and Trails The park brochure includes a suggested auto tour route. This tour reflects the order in which most visitors experience Antietam National Battlefield after leaving the visitor center. The eight-mile self-guided tour begins at the Dunker Church and follows a chronological description of the battle to eleven stops along park roads, ending at Antietam National Cemetery. The battlefield is open dawn to dusk daily.

There are currently ten organized trails that visitors can hike on the battlefield. These trails are not accessible to people with mobility impairments.

The Visitor Access and Circulation Plan calls for a new comprehensive trail system that would realign existing trails with new trails in order to create a variety of visitor opportunities to explore the battlefield as well as the cultural and natural environment.

Historic Newcomer and Pry Houses The park has interpretive agreements with two organizations to staff and interpret two historic farmsteads within the battlefield. The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (HCWHA) operates the Newcomer House as a regional visitor center for their heritage area which includes Washington, Frederick and Carroll counties. Three exhibit rooms explore the major themes of the heritage area: In the Heat of Battle, On the Home Front, and Beyond the Battlefield. HCWHA is currently producing a new Visitor Experience Plan and new exhibits to improve visitor services at this location.

The National Museum of Civil War Medicine operates the Pry House as a field hospital museum interpreting the home that served as Gen. George McClellan’s forward observation post during the battle and as a field hospital. The museum features exhibits and information on Civil War medicine and specifically on field hospitals after the Battle of Antietam. These two farmsteads provide visitors the opportunity to go inside a historic home within the park. Both sites are open seasonally and offer special programming on selected weekends that are approved by the park.

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Interpretive Media Audiovisual Programs A 27-minute orientation film is shown daily on the hour and the half hour in the visitor center Theater.

It was first shown in 2012, and is an edited version of the longer documentary “Antietam.” A new projector was installed in 2012, and in 2014 the theater was upgraded with a new screen, projector, captions, assisted listening, and surround sound system. Audio-description is available upon request.

A project has been submitted to create a new film in

FY21.

Museum The museum is located in two rooms on the lower level of the visitor center. One room features exhibits on the Battle of Antietam, most notably the large James Hope paintings of battle action, and the other room, opened in 2012, features exhibits on the impacts of the battle, notably on civilians, soldiers, and the nation. The park is beginning the process of a complete re-design of the exhibits as part of the visitor center rehabilitation.

Wayside Exhibits There are currently 37 interpretive wayside panels posted along the battlefield tour route and at other various locations throughout the park, detailing various subjects. All were written and designed by park staff, and most were installed in 2009. None contain auditory or tactile elements.

Park Brochure/Map The official park brochure features introductory and background information on one side and the battlefield tour map on the other. The map highlights the self-guided tour, chronologically following the battle story to eleven stops throughout the field. The brochure was updated and expanded in 2010 to include a larger map, a Civil War and Antietam Campaign time line, and a wider sampling of information on Antietam, such as aftermath and significance. Large print/ braille and foreign language versions need to be developed.

Site Bulletins Several site bulletins have been developed by park staff over the years, and are available at the visitor center front desk.

Digital Media Park staff operates the official Antietam National Battlefield website: www.nps.gov/anti. The basic information needed to plan a visit is included along with suggestions for planning a school field trip, a photo gallery, information on culture and history, news updates, directions, fees, education, and much more. Interpretive staff also manage three other social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. A key goal for the park is to implement the park wide digital strategy to improve outreach and information sharing with the public.

Personal Services Programs Ranger-led Programs The primary ranger-led programs are a 30-minute overview of the Battle of Antietam and orientation to the battlefield and a two- hour guided caravan-style tour of the battlefield. The orientation program is usually presented 2-3 times daily, year-round, while the battlefield tour is presented on summer weekends, and when staffing allows. In addition to the basic ranger-led programs, the park offers interpretive talks about specific topics 1-2 times daily during the summer and on weekends when staffing allows. The park offers seasonal living history programs provided by volunteers. Spring hikes are led by a park ranger 3-6 times a year on weekends, and focus on specific topics or battle action at a particular part of the field. Most ranger-led programs are either held at or near the visitor center.

Education Programs Park staff frequently present a variety of curriculum-based programs to school groups visiting the battlefield. These programs are scheduled in advance and depend on staffing; most take place at the Mumma Education Center.

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Junior Ranger Program Children can get a workbook at the visitor venter front desk and complete various educational activities to earn a special certificate and Junior Ranger badge. Three booklets are available for:

different age groups: under 6, 6-8, and 9-12 and an additional booklet is available for the National Cemetery

Special Events The interpretive division manages or supports four major special events each year: Memorial Day, Salute to Independence, Battle Anniversary Weekend, and the Memorial Illumination.

Staff Rides Park staff frequently provide tours and presentations for military education groups that emphasize the terrain, tactics, communication, and planning from a military perspective.

Living History Park staff and volunteers offer living history programs once or twice a month from May through October. They continue to be well attended.

Programs include infantry and artillery firing presentations, volunteers portraying members of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, and demonstrations of wet plate photography.

Battlefield Ambassadors Park volunteers are stationed on the battlefield at key tour sites to provide visitor assistance, information, and interpretation. Sites are staffed on Saturdays during the peak season at the Cornfield, Bloody Lane, the Burnside Bridge, and the National Cemetery. Each station has a pop- up tent, chairs, and a kit of interpretive materials. Ambassadors receive training once a month from January through May to prepare for the season.

Off-site Programs Occasionally park staff will present programs at nursing homes, senior centers, schools, and other area facilities as outreach to community members unable to visit the park.

Partnerships The park has written agreements with three partners:

1. Eastern National, the official cooperating association for the park, operates the museum store, the guide program, and assists with fee collection.

2. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine (NMCWM) oversees operation of the field hospital museum at the park-owned Pry House.

3. The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area for operation of their visitor center in the park-owned Newcomer House.

Other organizations that the park supports and works with on a frequent basis include:

• Potomac Appalachian Trail Club

• Friends of Tolson’s Chapel

• Save Historic Antietam Foundation

• American Battlefield Trust

• Shepherd University

• Gettysburg College

• Alice Ferguson Foundation

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“Our troops advanced, their firing was terrific, the corn stalks fell as if mowed, the air is full of explosions and the smell of brimstone, missiles of all kinds strikes the tree. I was shot through the right thigh by our own men. I was exposed to the fire of slavery and freedom!”

Julius Rabardy 12th Massachusetts Infantry

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2018-2021 Strategic Plan/Parkwide Management Goals

Vision for Antietam National Battlefield

We maintain Antietam National Battlefield as a sustainable historic landscape and tell stories in innovative ways that resonate with all people.

2018-2021 Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan established three primary goals:

Goal #1 - Preserve and protect the battlefield’s fundamental and important resources and values.

Goal # 2 - Provide a relevant visitor experience for all audiences.

Goal # 3 - Develop a culture of operational excellence and continual improvement.

The strategies within these goals that relate to this interpretive plan are:

• Create and implement park-wide digital strategy to improve outreach and information sharing with the public.

• Plan and develop new interpretive exhibits and spaces at the visitor center.

• Expand programming that facilitates learning opportunities for families and youth at the Mumma Farm.

• Complete Long-Range Interpretive Plan.

In 2018, the park completed a four-year Strategic Plan. The primary intent of the Strategic Plan is to articulate an overarching vision for Antietam National Battlefield and to create a framework for setting goals and prioritizing work. The Strategic Plan created a vision for the park, established core values, and documented goals and the strategies to achieve them. It aligns with the 2013 Foundation Document, which defines the park’s purpose and significance, and serves, as the name suggests, as the foundation for planning and management at Antietam.

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Vision for the Future of Interpretation and Education at Antietam National Battlefield

• Improve Arrival and Orientation Experience

• Redesign the Visitor Center Experience

• Develop Digital/Interpretive Media Strategy for a New and Broader Audience

• Strengthen Visitor Experience on the Battlefield

• Establish Antietam National Cemetery as a Destination

• Increase Volunteer Opportunities

2019-2023 Interpretation and Education Goals

• Continue to Host Special Events

• Engage Youth and Attract New Audiences

• Evaluate, Strengthen and Diversify Curriculum- Based Education Programs

• Strengthen Interpretive and Educational Partnerships

• Improve Accessibility to Programming and Resources

During the April 2018 workshop, participants identified goals to enhance the effectiveness of the interpretive services within Antietam National Battlefield. These goals and associated actions are representative of many ideas generated during the workshop. Action items for each goal are listed in Implementation Plan located on page 32 of this document. Over the next five years Antietam National Battlefield will focus on the following goals:

To ensure the historic landscapes and stories associated with the Battle of Antietam and the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation are forever embedded in our collective memory.

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Future Visitor Experiences

This Long-Range Interpretive Plan aligns with the Selected Alternative proposed in the 2018 Visitor Access and Circulation Plan Environmental Assessment.

The Battlefield will provide a comprehensive and inclusive experience for visitors by retaining and updating the visitor center, retaining existing road configurations, repositioning certain tour stops and improving accessibility and interpretation at these locations, and developing a comprehensive trail system that enhances interpretation and understanding of the battlefield.

The plan will:

“improve visitor access to, and circulation within, the battlefield in order to enhance visitor experiences and increase opportunities to connect with Battlefield resources. The plan will reposition and reconfigure certain tour stops to improve accessibility and interpretation and develop a comprehensive trail system that enhances understanding of the battlefield and its legacy.” (EA, page 5)

The selected alternative will improve three tour stop locations to enhance visitor interpretive opportunities. At East Woods (tour stop 3), the existing pull-off located on the north side of Cornfield Avenue will remain in place for visitor use, and a new tour stop will be constructed a short distance to the north in the East Woods, on the west side of Smoketown Road. The new stop will create a more immersive Battlefield experience for visitors and provide a visual connection to the Mansfield Monument, enhancing interpretive opportunities in the East Woods. The Mumma Farm (tour stop

6) will be relocated from its current location at the Mumma cemetery closer to the Mumma farmstead buildings to improve access to this site. The Cornfield (tour stop 4), which offers 360° views of the Miller pasture will be expanded to include an interpretive plaza and additional parking.

Under the plan, a comprehensive trail system will be developed to realign existing trails and add new trails to create a variety of visitor opportunities for exploring the battlefield and its natural environment. Building on approximately 13.0 miles of existing trails, an additional 6.0 miles of new trails will be constructed, while 2.6 miles of existing trails will be removed and rehabilitated to reflect the existing landscape. This comprehensive trail system will include both a perimeter trail as well as a series of shorter battle action looping trails.

Comprised of existing trails and additional new trail segments, an 11-mile perimeter trail will allow visitors to hike the entire circumference of the Battlefield, starting and ending at the battlefield visitor center. The development of battle action looping trails will provide shorter immersive experiences at key tour stops throughout the battlefield. These shorter battle action looping trails focus on specific locations where significant events of the battle unfolded and will give visitors a range of options to get out of their vehicle to explore and contemplate the key moments of the battle.

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Overview A more immersive, cohesive, future visitor experience at Antietam National Battlefield will include a balance of interpretive media, programs, and services. Encouraging visitors to get out into the park and find themselves within the historic landscape will require a redesign of the visitor center to establish a gateway experience, implementation of the visitor access and circulation plan, and some changes to the current interpretive and educational program.

Visitors will discover a range of options that allow them to blend their contemporary personal experience with those who lived here before. The historic landscape will be used to tell the stories associated with the battle using self-directed, immersive techniques that require minimal staffing.

The Mumma and Roulette Farms will continue to serve as venues for self-discovery, education, and living history events. The visitor center will offer interactive exhibits that provide context for the battle within the United States Civil War and there will be an increased emphasis on interpreting the Emancipation Proclamation. In addition to driving the tour roads, visitors will be encouraged to use non-traditional methods to experience the park including walking, biking, and floating (on Antietam Creek). Throughout the year, visitors may find places within the park for quiet contemplation and active engagement.

Accurate, appropriate, and consistent terminology will be used by park staff and volunteers when sharing messages and stories. Visitor safety and resource protection will be integral to future programs and services.

Improve the Arrival and Orientation Experience Within a park with so many access points, it may be challenging to imagine what happened here in September 1862 as well as find time to discover all of the areas that comprise the park. Updating the existing wayfinding system will give visitors the guidance, direction, and preparation they need to safely experience Antietam National Battlefield.

Time and distance between the tour stops and along the trails should be identified so that visitors may make informed choices about where to go and what to see during their visit.

Orientation panels at the visitor center will be used to introduce park stories and begin to identify themes visitors may trace throughout their park journey. Upright wayside panels, including maps and tactile elements, may be installed around the park to provide orientation and very basic information. Suggested itineraries, trip planning options, and a variety of audio tours may be available online and reveal that visitors may want to spend more than two hours visiting the park.

Existing interpretive brochures and other forms of information will need to be reviewed and updated to reflect the new vision for the visitor experience.

Aligning and improving orientation and information communication methods will provide a greater consistency of message. Enhanced web-based content including audio and video tours will require visitor access to WiFi and/or improved digital connectivity throughout the park.

While most visitors drive, walking and biking between stops on the tour route will be encouraged especially when weather conditions allow. Along the tour route, existing wayside exhibits may be enhanced and/or digital media options may be offered to provide visitors with more in-depth interpretation about the battle and tactics.

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Redesign the Visitor Center Experience When visitors arrive at the visitor center it can be difficult to understand what to do and where to go.

From the parking lot they may choose to go to the visitor center or directly onto the battlefield and its trails. Positioned in front of the visitor center, a set of outdoor orientation panels and maps will help address initial questions and provide options for visitors to consider during their visit. The walkway to the visitor center may include a series of outdoor exhibits that provide a time line of events leading to and including the Battle of Antietam and may be used to share provocative, meaningful quotes on key interpretive concepts such as sacrifice and freedom.

The visitor center will serve as a “springboard to the resource,” and serve as the park’s year-round interpretive venue providing visitors:

• In-depth safety and orientation information

• Opportunities to connect with interpretive staff, volunteers, and battlefield guides

• Views of key areas of the battlefield

• Ability to engage with interactive thematic exhibits and each other to learn about the battle and its legacy

• Opportunity to watch the park film

• Access to shop at the Eastern National bookstore

All of the component parts of the visitor center should create a holistic experience that encourages visitors to go onto the battlefield. While the battlefield landscape will be the primary location to discover the events of the battle, the visitor center will emphasize the Emancipation Proclamation, commemoration and memorialization efforts, landscape preservation and restoration, past and present land use, 19th century community life, the Maryland campaign within the context of the Civil War and surrounding areas and the aftermath of the battle. There is no other location on battlefield that is be better suited to interpret the freedom narrative and the Emancipation Proclamation. Incorporating messages about sacrifice and freedom throughout the visitor center; creating a series of vignettes, producing a new film, and temporary exhibits may help visitors better understand the importance of the Emancipation Proclamation. In other words, the visitor center will focus on the intangibles and the focus of the battlefield experience will be the tangible aspects of the battle and the resource.

The park will continue to offer ranger or volunteer-guided programs at the visitor center; however, an emphasis will be placed on more frequent roving or informal interpretation rather than formal programs. A demonstration cart, brief stationed programs, and hands-on activities may be developed and offered. The park will explore ways to incorporate audience centered experiences into the overall visitor center experience and create a forum for discussion that will promote post-visit learning.

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Lobby The lobby establishes a sense of arrival and sets the tone, mood, and feeling for a visit to Antietam National Battlefield. The park will explore options for collecting fees outside the visitor center;

however, the information desk in the interim will still serve a fee collection function. Visitors may get orientation information from a volunteer or park ranger. Visitors will have access to ranger-provided and self-service handouts and brochures. A program board will continue to announce upcoming events and ranger-guided activities. There is room within the lobby to create an interpretive space that may include temporary exhibits, photographs, and perhaps integrate with the Eastern National retail space.

Eastern National Bookstore The Eastern National bookstore will include thematic elements tied to the primary exhibits within the visitor center. The entrance to the bookstore may highlight sales items that tie to the temporary lobby exhibits.

The locations of the observation room, theater, and museum will not change. The park will need to consider the effect the new elevator will have on visitor flow and access. The office wing will be located off the lobby and include a staff break room, individual offices, storage and conference room.

Observation Room One of the most successful and valued areas of the visitor center has been and will continue to be the observation room. The orientation of the room provides visitors with a year-round, all weather view of key sites on the battlefield and provides orientation in time and space. Interpretive media such as time-lines, maps and panels add layers of experience and information to the view. In the future, the park may consider how to convert the patio into a multi-function outdoor space that extends the reach of the observation room.

Theater The theater will continue to serve as a program space and venue for showing the park film. The room will require some infrastructure modifications including upgrades to the audiovisual equipment, improved accessibility, better lighting, and access.

The park will produce a new, shorter film that is relevant, thought provoking, and begins to address some of the park’s newly developed essential questions. The park may also offer more films on a variety of topics.

Museum The museum will be redesigned to create a better flow and stronger thematic connections to battlefield resources. Displaying Antietam related and period artifacts, using a consistent design system, and creating thematic vignettes tied to the stories associated with tour stop resources such as the Roulette and Mumma families and the National Cemetery may generate greater interest for visitors to stop and explore those areas. Seating will be available for individual reflection.

19 Antietam National Battlefield – Long-Range Interpretive Plan

Strengthen Visitor Experience on the Battlefield Historically visitors have driven the tour route and made brief stops to discover the events that occurred in September 1862. In the future, a primary park goal and focus will be to immerse the visitor into the Battle of Antietam by providing different levels of self-directed experiences.

Following the guidance of the 2018 Visitor Access and Circulation Plan, visitors will have opportunities to immerse themselves in park resources associated with key battle areas and gain an understanding of the history of the Battle of Antietam.

After first stopping at the visitor center, visitors will be encouraged to follow the course of the battle by going on the battlefield tour roads or using the proposed comprehensive trails system. Both choices allow visitors to spend as much time as they have either driving, walking, or biking through the battlefield. Some visitors may even decide to float along Antietam Creek for a very different type of immersive experience. Outdoor exhibits and wayside panels will be the primary techniques used on the historic landscape. Ranger-led tours, Battlefield Guide tours, and digital media tours will still be offered. Special events such as the Memorial Illumination and Salute to Independence will continue to engage visitors through a visual and musical reflection on the battlefield.

Battlefield Tour Roads Driving or bicycling on the tour roads provide opportunities for visitors to travel through the battlefield and read the war department tablets, view the monuments, identify the location of farms by tracing the historic fencing, imagine the impact of the artillery, consider the battle’s effect on the local citizenry, and reflect on the aftermath of the battle. Eleven tour stops will continue to provide visitors with access to the primary battle sites and tactics used by each army. Three of the tour stops (East Woods, Cornfield, and Mumma Farm) will be enhanced to strengthen visitor understanding and improve visitor safety.

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East Woods and Cornfield During the April 2018 workshop, participants identified stories and techniques that may be used to enhance the visitor experience at the East Woods (Tour Stop 3) and Cornfield (Tour Stop 4).

The Visitor Use and Circulation Plan calls for moving the East Woods (Tour Stop 3) north, deeper into the historic woodlot. This proposed change will strengthen the visual connection to the Mansfield Monument and take visitors into the heart of the woods creating a more immerse experience.

The plan also calls for moving the Cornfield (Tour Stop 4) south of the Cornfield onto what is known as the Miller Pasture if this land is acquired. This central high ground was a focal point for bloodiest fighting during the opening hours of the battle.

From this location, visitors will have sweeping views of the northern half of the battlefield. In the future, this tour stop could even be expanded to cover information on all of the battle action on the north end of the field.

These tour stops provide the best opportunities for visitors to discover more about the importance of leadership and military command; the tactics that created confusion and led to 8,000 casualties in just four hours of fighting; and the impact of terrain/topography. Battlefield landscape restoration projects will improve site lines and help visitors see and walk in the footsteps of the soldiers.

Photographs (historic and contemporary) will reveal the changes that occurred during the battle as well as the work done to restore the commemorative landscape.

A proposed new Cornfield Trail loop will link the East Woods and the Cornfield so visitors may follow the chronological course of the battle and experience the varied terrain and battlefield vistas that make Antietam unique.

21 Antietam National Battlefield – Long-Range Interpretive Plan

Mumma and Roulette Farms Tour Stop 6 was originally focused on the cemetery at the Mumma Farm. In the future, both the Mumma and Roulette Farms will reveal life in 1862 before, during, and after the battle. Historic artifacts like the Mumma family Bible may be displayed at the visitor center creating a stronger invitation for visitors to stop and walk through these two farmsteads. Visitors will be encouraged to explore the area, walk between the farms, and step back in time to consider the stories of the Mummas, Roulettes, and other civilians affected by the battle.

The Mumma Farm buildings will continue to be used as an education center. The park will experiment with ways to engage families at the Mumma Farm so that they can learn about the experience of the 19th century families who lived here. To encourage family visits and longer stays, the park placed picnic tables at the Mumma Farm.

Multi-generational families and other visitors would appreciate the opportunity to sit and reflect or rest especially given the distances between the farmsteads and tour stops.

A variety of techniques will be used to reveal the human interest stories of the soldiers and the farmers during and after the Battle of Antietam.

Living history events will continue to be offered in this area. There may be opportunities to partner with the Washington County Agricultural Education Center for interpretation of 19th century farming.

Comprehensive Trails System The proposed perimeter trail and battle action looping trails will provide opportunities for visitors to explore more areas of the battlefield as well as its cultural and natural environment. This improved trail connectivity will create new ways for visitors to safely experience the battlefield and how the landscape shaped the battle. For first time as well as regular “recreational” visitors, the reconfigured trail system will reduce the number of unsafe interactions between walkers and vehicles along roadways. Using a variety of digital and place-based media, all visitors using the trail system will develop a greater awareness of the terrain, the challenges faced by soldiers on the field of battle, and the memorialization that now commemorates specific units and actions. The park will continue to consider trail maintenance requirements and perhaps enlist volunteer support to keep all trails open year-round.

The 11-mile perimeter trail will allow visitors to hike the entire circumference of the battlefield.

The Antietam National Historic Trail (Scout Trail) will align with this new system and scouts will be encouraged to use the Perimeter Trail. The battle action loop trails will feature accessible starting points at key tour stops and provide visitors with shorter immersive experiences at specific locations where significant events of the battle unfolded.

The park will explore converting the existing “Antietam Remembered” walking trail from the visitor center to Dunker Church into an accessible trail. Visitors of all abilities will have access to a self-directed experience in the center of the battlefield. Interpretive media will enhance visitor understanding and importance of Dunker Church before, during, and after the battle. The park will continue to improve accessibility on all loop trails when and where conditions allow.

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Establish Antietam National Cemetery as a Destination Many visitors leave the park without ever stopping at the Antietam National Cemetery. Most do not recognize its importance, see it as a destination, or do not leave enough time to visit it. While this site was occupied by Confederate artillery during the battle, the stories of memorialization, mourning, and grief experienced afterwards are even more important here. Along with 4,776 Union soldiers, service men from four other wars are also interred in this cemetery.