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Visit Harpers Ferry, West Virginia on a Day Trip: What to Do in 2022
A visit to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park makes for a fine getaway. It’s conveniently located not far from Washington DC or Baltimore, at the intersection of West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland.
If you plan carefully, you can see the main tourist attractions at Harpers Ferry in a single day. With plenty to offer for both outdoor enthusiasts and history buffs, a day trip here can easily become the highlight of your weekend.
Keep reading for an itinerary that lays out what to see and do in Harpers Ferry. Check the opening hours for the main sights to ensure they’re not closed before you arrive.
When to Go to Harpers Ferry, WV
One of the best times to visit Harpers Ferry is in the fall. The fall colors are stunning. However, it’s a great place to visit at most any time of year as long as the weather cooperates. The park is open all year except for Christmas Day. Note that tourist crowds are thickest between spring and fall and on the weekend. If you’d like to enjoy the park in solitude, a weekday in winter is probably your best bet, but attractions may have shorter hours then.
Map of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Before arrival, peruse the map of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park to get oriented. Upon arrival, be sure to pick up a hard copy brochure at the Visitor Center.
Official map of Harpers Ferry from the National Park Service
Getting to Harpers Ferry – Closest Airports and Train Station
If you’re flying in, the closest major airports are Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) in Maryland (about 70 miles), Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Virginia (about 38 miles), and Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington DC (about 68 miles).
For those arriving by train, the station in Harpers Ferry is served by Amtrak and MARC commuter service. The distance from Harpers Ferry to Union Station in Washington DC is about 65 miles.
Top Things to See and Do – A Harpers Ferry Day Trip Itinerary
Here’s a quick overview and list of fun things to see and do in Harpers Ferry, WV.
- Visitor Center
- Lower Town Walk
- John Brown Museum and John Brown’s Fort
- True Treats Candy Store
- Souvenir Shops
- The Point
- Jefferson Rock
- Harper Cemetery
- Civil War Museum and Battlefield Driving Tour
- Harpers Ferry Ghost Tours
Now let’s take a closer look at this itinerary laying out some of the top things to do in Harpers Ferry.
Visitor Center
Park your vehicle in the lot by the Visitor Center, the first stop on your itinerary. Pick up the NPS tourist map brochure and other materials here.
Take a few moments to learn about the history of the park.
Robert Harper set up a ferry service across the Potomac River here in 1747. George Washington later put Harpers Ferry on the map by establishing a US Armory in the area. The site became truly famous after radical abolitionist John Brown (not to be confused with the John Brown whose house museum you might see on a trip to Rhode Island) and his followers led an uprising against slavery here in 1859.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the first to make this protected land by naming Harpers Ferry a National Monument in 1944. John F. Kennedy upgraded it to a National Historical Park in 1963.
The star attraction at Harpers Ferry is the Lower Town, which has the park’s top historic buildings. You have one of two ways to get there from the Visitor Center. You can take one of the regularly scheduled bus rides down. Alternatively, you can walk the 2-mile trail down and enjoy the scenery, especially if the weather’s nice. Both options are also available for your return trip.
Lower Town Walk
After you disembark from the shuttle bus or arrive on foot, you’ll see a row of historic buildings belonging to the Lower Town. Walking among them is like being transported back in time. Look at the Bookshop, Provost Marshal Office, and the Dry Goods Store.
Furnished like an 1850s storeroom, Philip Frankel & Co. supplied clothing and accessories.
There are plenty of other historic buildings further down. For example, see the White Hall Tavern, a popular community gathering place in the 1850s. In one store, a 19th-century cartoon from Harper’s Weekly warns parents about candies made with arsenic or plaster of Paris.
John Brown Museum and John Brown’s Fort
Visit the John Brown Museum and John Brown’s Fort to learn about the revolt against slavery that made Harpers Ferry famous. By the way, the fort you see today is not the original location of the fort—it was a bit further down Potomac Street.
In October 1859, John Brown and 21 men stormed the armory in an unsuccessful effort to set slaves free throughout the south. However, US Marines under then-Colonel Robert E. Lee apprehended them. John Brown was accused of treason and sentenced to death by hanging. Ahead of his execution, he presciently warned of the further bloodshed that was to come for the nation. Sure enough, the Civil War began less than two years later.
The Civil War was rough on Harpers Ferry, and devastated many homes and industries. Control of the town changed hands between Union and Confederate forces eight times over the course of the war. In 1862, Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson accepted the surrender of 12,500 Union troops here, the largest Union surrender of the war.
True Treats Candy Store
Learn all about the history of candy at the fun True Treats Candy Store. More than a store, it’s like a museum dedicated to sweets. Seriously, it is much more entertaining than you might think, and educational too, thanks to the exhaustive research of founder and food historian Susan Benjamin. You’ll see candies organized by historical periods and descriptions of their origins.
For example, gummy worms date all the way back to 9th century Middle Eastern gum confections. Peppermint sticks, the forerunners of today’s candy canes, go all the way back to the 1600s. In the mid-1800s, marshmallows became popular as a sore throat remedy. The British invented peppermint puffs in the late 1800s and brought them to America. At the time they considered these a cure for stomach problems.
Souvenir Shops
Check out some of the other shops in the area along High Street. They offer funny, one-of-a-kind souvenirs.
For example, you can pick up a bottle of one of the colorful and memorable hot sauces like Colon Cleaner, Flamin’ Flatulence, or Ass Whoopin’ Redneck Sauce: It’s Some Hot Sh*t Y’all.”
The Point
Proceed to The Point, which lies at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. From here, you can see the footbridge to C&O Canal and Maryland Heights.
This spot is also roughly the mid-point of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Maine lies 1,167 miles to the north. Georgia is 1,025 miles to the south.
Jefferson Rock
Make your way over to Jefferson Rock. Don’t stand on top of it, though. Climbing isn’t allowed.
In 1783, Thomas Jefferson was so impressed by the view here that he remarked, “This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic.”
Harper Cemetery
Pennsylvania architect Robert Harper settled here and founded Harpers Ferry in the 1700s. It had only three houses when he died in 1782, but he was optimistic about the town’s future and procured four acres for this cemetery. If you walk among the gravestones, you’ll notice many from Irish and German immigrants who settled in Harpers Ferry in the 1830s.
Civil War Museum and Battlefield Driving Tour
Visit the Civil War Museum, located on High Street across from the confectionary and exhibits dedicated to the 1862 Battle of Harpers Ferry.
Then take the self-guided battlefield driving tour using the NPS map you picked up earlier.
The first stop is Bolivar Heights, where five Civil War engagements took place. You’ll find a walking trail and panoramic views here as well.
The second stop is Lower Boliver Heights, where a skirmish took place in 1862. There’s another trail here.
The third stop is Schoolhouse Ridge North, where Stonewall Jackson’s line stood in 1862.
The four stop is Schoolhouse Ridge South, another site of the 1862 battle.
Finally, there’s Murphy-Chambers Farm, which has information about the Civil War and civil rights.
Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry
The Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry are among the most renowned tours of their kind in the country. If you’ll be overnighting in the area, or you’re prepared for a very late evening, book a tour online.
Each walking tour lasts about 1.75-2 hours and takes you around the historic buildings of the Lower Town. Note that ticket prices for adults increased to $18 per person in 2022.
Tours generally depart from the front of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, which dates back to 1833, at 8 p.m.
If You Have More Time – Best Places to Visit Near Harpers Ferry
If you have some more time in the area, think about visiting some of the other great places near Harpers Ferry in Washington DC, Maryland, or Virginia.
