"The Road that
built the nation"
We encourage you to travel the route used by generations which helped to shaped the United States of America
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The National Road Museum

Learn about “The Road That Built The Nation,” its engineering feats and challenges, and earn a better appreciation for the value of roads in society through a tour of our museum!

The National Road solved a problem that many of our founding fathers – especially George Washington – recognized:  A need to transport goods across the Appalachian Mountains.  

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Boonsboro Trolley Station

Learn more about the Hagerstown and Frederick Railway with exhibits inside of Washington County’s last standing trolley station!  Admission included with the National Road Museum.

Boonsboro was once a part of an 87.5 mile rural passenger and freight trolley network crossing two mountain ranges and serving over 2 dozen communities with transportation and electrical power services.

Discover the Historic National Road

We invite you to take a journey along a ribbon of roadway known as the first federally funded highway in the United States. A romance between scenic brilliance and stunning history reveals itself along the Historic National Road Scenic Byway delighting all who travel it from Baltimore, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.

Through 170 miles of Maryland, follow our Interpretive Trail; a series of roadside information panels providing a glimpse of the past at notable sites along this nationally significant road.

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