Besides being known as the birthplace of the National Anthem, Baltimore’s Fort McHenry is considered one of the finest examples of fort design in North America.

In 1939, it was designated a national monument and historic shrine, the only park in the country to have that double distinction.

Now it appears the fort will finally be getting a visitors center worthy of the attraction it promotes.

Drawings unveiled this week by the architect, GWWO Inc. of Baltimore, indicate that the $14 million visitor center will be a vast improvement over the nondescript brick box that has been on the site since the 1960s.

The exterior will make an architectural statement about the place that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner, with walls that curve outward like a flag unfurled and a sweeping roofline that draws the toward the fort itself and the flag flying overhead.

Inside will be an "immersive experience" theater that will relate the story of the 1814 Battle of Baltimore, and the bombarding of the fort, as if seen through Key’s eyes.

The chief disappointment is that construction isn’t scheduled to begin until 2009, which means that the visitor center won’t open until 2010, because of the way federal funds are being allocated. Still, this is one addition to Baltimore’s tourist lineup that promises to be worth the wait.