Maryland National Road Interpretive Trail

National Road Interpretive Panel in Funkstown

Travelers across Maryland can find 52 interpretive panels maintained by our organization at historic sites from Baltimore to Grantsville.

Sometimes referred to internally as the “Panel Program,” the “Maryland National Road Interpretive Trail” provides insight at locations across the state where historic happenings took place.  Through this program, we could almost claim that we make 170 miles of Maryland roadway into our third “museum!”

The program was started by the now-defunct Maryland National Road Association.  When their organization was dissolved, they donated the Interpretive Trail Program and their organization records to the National Road Heritage Foundation.  Since then we have continued to manage the annual maintenance and, when needed, the occasional repainting and replacement of the panels.

Funds are provided toward this program by various area tourism agencies, or “Destination Marketing Organizations” across the state.  Our local “DMO” is the Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, also known as Visit Hagerstown.

A list of these panels is available through the website under the “Travel the Road” section, and in printed form at the museum front counter.  You will find it under the counter near the donation forms.