Join the Washington County Historical Society on Saturday, October 21 for our Fort Ritchie & Catoctin History Bus Trip, where we’ll explore a few of the Catoctin Mountain’s historic treasures. 

WCHS Executive Director, Andy Stout, will serve as our tour guide as we traverse Catoctin history and meet up with local scholars along the way. It should also be the perfect time to enjoy our region’s lovely fall foliage.

We’ll start off by meeting at the JC Penney parking lot at the Valley Mall where we’ll depart Hagerstown from this location by bus at 9:00 AM. Guests should plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to departure. 

Our group will first head east and drive by the Mt. Aetna Iron Furnace where we’ll hear from Dr. Paula Reed about this site’s significance. From here, we’ll continue on the bus for a driving survey of the Catoctin landscape, noting other nearby sites in the area. Guests will see Cave Hill in Cavetown, and hear about the former Great Cave’s archaeological past. 

Next, we’ll make our way to Fort Ritchie, where guests will have a walking tour of the site and learn about the fort’s fascinating history. While at Fort Ritchie, guests will enjoy a complimentary lunch; snacks and beverages will also be available throughout the day.

After our tour and lunch at Fort Ritchie, we’ll end our day with a brief visit at Pen Mar Park and Museum. We’ll depart Pen Mar and head back home to Hagerstown. Guests will arrive back at the JC Penney parking lot at the Valley Mall by 3:30 PM.

Price per guest is $100 for WCHS members and $130 for non-members. As a special thank you if you purchase a non-menber ticket we’ll include a complementary WCHS individual membership. 

Contact us at 301-797-8782 or email us at info@washcohistory.org to make your reservation.

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