Fort McHenry by boat

Can you get to Fort McHenry by boat?

Yes, but only on the Baltimore Water Taxi, which stops at the fort on weekends until 31 October 2026. Cruises, the history boat and the sails all pass the fort without docking.

The Water Taxi is not an affiliate product and we earn nothing from it. It is still the only way to arrive at the fort by water, so it comes first.

How does the Water Taxi to Fort McHenry work?

Buy an all-day pass online ($18 for adults 13 to 61), board the Inner Harbor Route at Harborplace, change at Fell's Point to the Outer Harbor Route, and step off at the fort. There are no pickups at the fort after 5:00 p.m.

• Season: weekends in April, Friday to Sunday from May through Labor Day, then weekends again until 31 October. After that, nothing until April 2027.
• Fares: adults $18, seniors 62+ $16, military, veterans and first responders $13, children 3 to 12 $8, under 2 free, $1 more on board. A season pass covers the holder plus 3 guests. Leashed dogs ride free (Water Taxi FAQ).
• The route: Fell's Point, Locust Point, Fort McHenry, Canton Park, Lighthouse, then back to Fell's Point.
• The catch: tickets are not sold at the fort, and the Park Service says you can only leave by boat if you arrived by boat. If you drove, you drive back.

It is transport, not a tour, but the ride across the harbor is half the fun. Other ways to reach the fort are in getting to Fort McHenry.

Which harbor cruise passes Fort McHenry?

Watermark's 45-minute Inner Harbor sightseeing cruise. It loops past the Domino Sugars sign and Under Armour's headquarters and out to the star fort, with narration and a bar on board, from $34 online.

It boards at the red-umbrella Watermark booth on the promenade at 555 Light Street, between USS Constellation and the Maryland Science Center; check in 15 minutes before. The listing promises recorded narration, and guests often mention the captain talking too. It rates 4.7 from 312 reviews on GetYourGuide. Guests' tips: "Sit on the right side of the boat [...] to see the places they are speaking about", and "Best views are on top side." A few found the upper-deck speakers hard to hear, and Watermark says it is checking them.

The price question, honestly: a Viator guest wrote in September 2026 that online tickets were $34 "but walk ups on the dock were only $25". Watermark replied that online bookings are guaranteed a seat when cruises sell out and can be cancelled up to 24 hours before, which booking direct does not allow. On a quiet weekday, walk up. On a summer weekend or a fixed travel day, book. Coolers and outside alcohol are not allowed, and Watermark says 90-minute Baltimore cruises return in 2027.

The quick way onto the water: 45 minutes past the Domino Sugars sign and out to the star fort, with a bar on board.

★ 4.7 · 45 minutes · from $34

Explore the Inner Harbor sightseeing cruise → Tour details

Is the Baltimore Heritage history boat tour worth it?

For history fans, yes, on paper: 90 minutes with a live guide from Baltimore's preservation nonprofit, on a Water Taxi boat out toward the fort, for $28. It is new on Viator, with no reviews yet.

Baltimore Heritage runs "Baltimore by Boat" almost every Saturday from March through October, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. The guide covers 300 years of harbor and American history, with Fort McHenry seen from the water; entry is not included and the boat does not land. It boards at the Water Taxi stop at Harborplace, behind 201 East Pratt Street next to USS Constellation, and takes up to 35 people.

• The price direct is the same $27.50, so booking online costs nothing extra and adds free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
• Restroom on board; bring your own food and drinks.
• Runs rain or shine, and the listing marks it wheelchair and stroller accessible.
• The last Saturdays of the 2026 season are at the end of October.

Can you sail past Fort McHenry on a schooner?

Yes, in season. American Sailing Tours takes six guests at a time on 90-minute sails from the Inner Harbor Marina, and its small-group schooner sail ($65) heads out to Fort McHenry. In mid-October 2026 the next dates open on Viator were in spring 2027.

• Small-group schooner sail, $65, 4.8 from 25: the listing says the crew sails "out to Fort McHenry". Some guests wanted more history from the captain; one called it "Good ride, no tour".
• Summer Wind sail, $65, 4.6 from 125: the most reviewed. One guest wrote: "We also got a good view of Fort McHenry with the Star Spangled Banner yet waving!" Others say there is little narration and some motoring.
• BYOB sunset sail, $75, 4.9 from 58: bring a bottle, the crew provides a corkscrew and glasses. The listing does not promise the fort, so book it for the sunset.

All three leave from 400 Key Highway (guests say the marina is near the Rusty Scupper restaurant). With six seats a boat, summer dates go fast. They are not wheelchair accessible and not advised for back problems or pregnancy. On Viator the earliest open dates were 13 April 2027 for Summer Wind, 10 May for the sunset sail and 29 May for the schooner.

Six guests, a skipper and a sail out to the star fort when the season reopens in spring.

★ 4.8 · 1.5 hours · from $65

Explore the schooner sail to the fort → Tour details

Which boat gives the best view of Fort McHenry?

The Water Taxi, because it puts you on the shore. Of the boats that only pass, we'd pick the history boat for the story and the schooner for the slow, quiet approach under sail; the 45-minute cruise is the quickest look.

A few things help whichever boat you take:

• The fort sits at the tip of Locust Point, about 3 miles out, so the first half of any trip is the city's waterfront. Be patient.
• Stand on the upper deck, and on the cruise take the side guests recommend, the right.
• Bring a phone with a decent zoom: the walls are low and sit back from the water behind the seawall.
• Do the fort first, then the boat. Once you've stood on the ramparts, the low walls make more sense from the river.

How do you plan a Baltimore day around Fort McHenry?

Fort in the morning, water at midday, Fell's Point in the evening. The fort opens at 9:00, the flag change is at 10:00, and the Circulator or Water Taxi gets you back to the harbor for lunch and a cruise.

On a Saturday, swap the order: the history boat at 10:00, then the Water Taxi out to the fort for the 2:15 flag talk and the 4:00 p.m. flag change. Fell's Point is a fitting finish either way: Francis Scott Key came ashore there with his poem in 1814. The food tour meets by the pergola at 1832 Thames Street; on the date we checked it started at 3:00 p.m.

Do the boats to Fort McHenry run in winter?

Mostly not. The Water Taxi's fort stop ends on 31 October 2026, the history boat runs March to October, the schooner sails show no dates until spring 2027, and Watermark's sightseeing cruise runs roughly April to October.

From November to March, reach the fort by car or the free Circulator (getting there). The fort itself stays open daily except Thanksgiving, 25 December and 1 January, with flag changes every day. Watermark has run holiday cruises from the Inner Harbor in past winters; what is on for 2026-27 is in the winter post.

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