Chesapeake Waterfront Destinations for Sailors and History Buffs
Rather than hibernate this winter, why not hop into your land yacht, discover a new Chesapeake waterfront destination, stretch your legs, and learn more about our region’s rich maritime history? Try these suggestions to get you started. Find more great ideas at spinsheet.com/calendar.
Step Inside
Historic Ships Baltimore “Walk the decks, learn the ropes, and live the life” at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor where you may experience 19th century life at sea on a collection of military ships, including the USS Constellation, USCG Cutter 37, Lightship 116 Chesapeake, and USS Torsk Submarine. Visitors are welcome from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last boarding at 4:30 p.m.). Boarding passes cost $21.95 (adults), $19.95 (seniors, military, and students), $9.95 (youth), and free (children under five): historicships.org.
Annapolis Maritime Museum (AMM) opens from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. By integrating technology with authentic artifacts, AMM’s permanent exhibit is designed to engage visitors with the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay and local maritime heritage. The exhibits focus on three thematic sections: Bay Health, Oyster Economy, and Annapolis Waters. AMM boasts a robust Winter Lecture Series from January 9 to February 27. Find the schedule on page 20; reserve in advance as space will be limited. Museum admission $7 adults, $5 seniors and children; free for children under 5: amaritime.org.
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) in St. Michaels opens daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CBMM’s waterfront setting includes numerous indoor and outdoor exhibitions (including the Hooper Strait Lighthouse onshore), a working shipyard, museum store, and a floating fleet of historic vessels. Public programming includes a winter speaker series from January through March. Museum admission $20 adults, $17 seniors and students, $16 retired military, $8 children, free for children under five: cbmm.org.
Calvert Marine Museum (CMM) in Solomons opens daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. At CMM pre-history, natural history, and maritime heritage come together to tell a unique story of the Chesapeake Bay. This family-friendly museum offers live animals, fossils, interactive exhibits, daily activities, and a furnished cottage-style lighthouse—something for every age. Museum admission $11 adults, $9 seniors and military, $6 children, free for children under five: calvertmarinemuseum.com.
Havre de Grace Maritime Museum (HDGMM) opens Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibits include The Underground Railroad: Other Voices of Freedom; The John Smith Trail and the Susquehannocks; Working on the Bay; Commercial Fishing; the Ice Harvest; Recreation on the Chesapeake; and Navigation. Admission $5 per person; $10 per family:
hdgmaritimemuseum.org.
The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA, opens daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dive deeper into your maritime connections as you explore more than 90,000 square feet of galleries filled with maritime art, culture, science, and history. Museum admission $1 per person: marinersmuseum.org.
Smaller museums worth investigating include the Watermen’s Museum in Rock Hall (rockhallmd.com/watermans-museum), Captain Salem Avery Museum in Shady Side, MD (captainaverymuseum.org), Richardson Maritime Museum, Cambridge, MD (richardsonmuseum.org), and the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury, MD (wardfdn.org).
Take a Walk
If you need some fresh air and exercise, seek out these waterfront destinations:
Fort McHenry in Baltimore: The valiant defense of the fort during the Battle of Baltimore on September 13-14, 1814, inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the U.S. “National Anthem.” The fort’s history holds many other stories from the Civil War to World War II. Park grounds are open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.: nps.gov/fomc/index.htm.
Fort Monroe National Monument in Hampton, VA: Strategically located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Positioned on a 565-acre peninsula known as Old Point Comfort, Fort Monroe is a place of astounding beauty and inspiration. The northern stretch of the peninsula is largely open, with over three miles of Chesapeake Bay beachfront. At the southern end of the peninsula an imposing 63-acre stone fort is the focal point of the park: fortmonroe.org.
Mariners’ Museum Park: Explore one of the nation’s largest privately owned and maintained parks complete with stunning lake views and an array of recreation activities. The 550-acre Mariners’ Park is free and open to the public. It offers visitors a quiet and serene place to walk, hike or run amongst rolling woodlands on the award-winning five-mile Noland Trail, surrounding the 167-acre Mariners’ Lake. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m: marinersmuseum.org/park.
Dave’s Faves
We asked Annapolis historian and author Dave Gendell about his favorite winter shoreside destinations. He notes the following locations as "perfect for when a sailor is ‘growing grim about the mouth’ and needs some fresh air with a dose of history mixed in:”
Ferry Point Trail, Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area
Walk a time-worn trail lined with Osage orange trees and ending at a quiet landing that, at some point, hosted a ferry landing. From there, veer off on the spur trail called, endearingly, “Jack in the Pulpit.” This one doesn’t simply feel like time travel; on the right kind of day, if you set your heart and mind right, it can feel like a visit to another planet.
St. Michaels
CBMM is open year-round and constantly improving and evolving. Never disappoints. (Dave will speak at the museum on Saturday, January 25 at 3 p.m. Pre-register at cbmm.org/speaker-series.)
Eastport Loop
Park on the street in the numbered streets of Eastport and start walking. The peninsula is narrow, and there are still working boatyards on both Spa and Back Creeks. Along the way you’ll visit the former site of the World War 2 era Annapolis Yacht Yard/Trumpy’s and the wonderful Annapolis Maritime Museum.
Bonus: this area is blessed with several locally owned food and drink establishments. After your walk pop into Davis’s Pub (try the “Baltimore-style steamed shrimp”), the Boatyard Bar & Grill (the burgers are stealthy good), Leeward Market (you never know who you’ll run into there), Adams on Fourth (smoked brisket sammie), or Forward Brewing (Beer!).
SERC Java Farm Trail
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), located in southern Anne Arundel County, includes a farm dating to the 17th century. The remains of a mansion, allegedly named for the HMS Java which was captured in 1812 by the USS Constitution and funded by a sailor’s proceeds from that capture, add a spooky element to a diverse hike that includes a bit of Rhode River waterfront, open fields, and mature woods.
On Dave’s bucket list this winter: A visit to Fort Howard Park on the northern side of the mouth of the Patapsco River.
