Harpers Ferry National Historical Park encompasses most of the lower town and the immediately surrounding area, managing around 3,700 acres across three states — West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. The park preserves the 19th-century commercial and industrial district of the original town, the ruins of the armory complex, the Civil War earthworks on the surrounding heights, and the natural landscape of the river confluence.
The visitor center, reached by park shuttle from the parking area, is the logical starting point. From there, the restored historic district is walkable in a couple of hours: the buildings along Shenandoah and High Streets are period-accurate restorations housing museum exhibits on the armory, John Brown's raid, the Civil War occupation, and the Reconstruction-era Storer College. The park is a good example of what the National Park Service does well — multiple layers of history presented in a physically beautiful setting without feeling like a theme park.