Must-see attractions in Maryland

  • BALTIMORE - APRIL 09:  American Visionary Art Museum as photographed from Federal Hill Park on April 9, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland.  (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

    American Visionary Art Museum

    Baltimore

    Housing a jaw-dropping collection of self-taught (or 'outsider' art), American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) is a celebration of unbridled creativity…

  • Evergreen Museum & Library

    Baltimore

    Well worth the 7-mile drive north from the Inner Harbor, this grand 19th-century mansion provides a fascinating glimpse into upper-class Baltimore life of…

  • Historic ships in front of the National Aquarium, Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo By: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)

    National Aquarium

    Baltimore

    Standing seven stories high and capped by a glass pyramid, this is widely considered to be America's best aquarium, with almost 20,000 creatures from more…

  • Grave of Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore, Maryland.

    Edgar Allan Poe's Gravesite

    Baltimore

    Horror writer and poet, Edgar Allan Poe was buried (twice) on the grounds of Westminster Hall. His body was first deposited in an unmarked grave behind…

  • Baltimore, Maryland / US - Oct 24, 2019: Perspective exterior facade of The Walters Art Museum as seen from the corner of Cathedral and Centre st downtown Mount Vernon neighborhood district; Shutterstock ID 1540828388; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Walters Art Museum

    Baltimore

    The magnificent Chamber of Art & Wonders re-creates the library of an imagined 17th-century scholar, one with a taste for the exotic. The abutting Hall of…

  • Beach and cliffs on the Chesapeake Bay at Calvert Cliffs State Park, Maryland.

    Calvert Cliffs State Park

    Maryland

    In Southern Maryland, skinny Calvert County scratches at the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River. This is a gentle landscape ('user-friendly' as a local…

  • Historical Maryland State Capitol building in Annapolis, the oldest state house that is still in use.

    Maryland State House

    Maryland

    The country's oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use, the grand 1772 State House also served as national capital from 1783 to 1784. Notably,…

  • Baltimore, UNITED STATES:  A wax figure of Booker T. Washington stands is seen on exhibit at the the National Great Blacks in History Musuem in Baltimore, Maryland, 13 February 2006. The exhibit puts a face on the stolen history of Blacks in America.              AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON  (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

    National Great Blacks in Wax Museum

    Baltimore

    This simple but thought-provoking African American history museum has exhibits spotlighting Frederick Douglass, Jackie Robinson, Dr Martin Luther King Jr…

  • Life Saving Station Museum on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.

    Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum

    Maryland

    This small but engaging museum sits inside an 1891 life-saving station at the southern end of the boardwalk. Here, the station keeper and six to eight …

  • Wild horses of Assateague Island National Seashore.

    Assateague Island National Seashore

    Maryland

    A low-key barrier island, Assateague is a place to relax. In the Maryland section of the national seashore, you can cycle along a 4-mile road, hike nature…

  • St. John's Site Museum at Historic St. Mary's City.

    Historic St Mary's City

    Maryland

    In the 1600s, St Mary's City was a busy port and served as the state's first capital. Today, the spot is a living history museum romantically positioned…

  • Swallow Falls State Park.

    Swallow Falls State Park

    Western Maryland

    One of the most rugged, spectacular parks in the state. Hickory and hemlock trees hug the Youghiogheny River, which cuts a white line through wet slate…

  • Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

    Eastern Shore

    The Atlantic Flyway is the main route birds take between northern and southern migratory trips, and the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge was…

  • Antietam National Battlefield

    Western Maryland

    The site of the bloodiest day in American history is now, ironically, supremely peaceful, quiet and haunting – and uncluttered, save for plaques and…

  • C&O Canal National Historic Park

    Western Maryland

    A marvel of engineering, the C&O Canal was designed to stretch alongside the Potomac River from the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River. Construction on the…

  • US Naval Academy

    Maryland

    The undergraduate college of the US Navy is one of the most selective universities in America. The Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center is the place to book 75…

  • Maryland Historical Society

    Baltimore

    With more than 350,000 objects and seven million books and documents, this is among the world's largest collections of Americana. Highlights include one…

  • Assateague State Park

    Maryland

    The Maryland-run section of Assateague Island stretches for 2 miles along the coast and is tucked within the boundaries of the national seashore. Come…

  • Hammond Harwood House

    Maryland

    Of the many historical homes in town, the Hammond Harwood House, dating from 1774, is the one to visit. It has a superb collection of decorative arts,…

  • Carroll Creek Park

    Western Maryland

    Originally a flood control project, this mile-long walking path stretches along Carroll Creek between S Bentz St and S East St, all just south of the…

  • View of the Washington Monument at night, in Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Maryland.; Shutterstock ID 618663329; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Washington Monument

    Baltimore

    For the best views of Baltimore, climb the 227 marble steps of the 178ft-tall Doric column dedicated to America's founding father, George Washington. The…

  • Baltimore, MD / USA - November 9, 2011: The USS Constellation warship is one of the popular tourist attractions in Baltimore, Maryland's scenic Inner Harbor area.
Historic Ships in Baltimore
           ; Shutterstock ID 1820301155; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Historic Ships in Baltimore

    Baltimore

    Ship lovers can tour four historic ships: a coast guard cutter that saw action in Pearl Harbor, a 1930 lightship, a submarine active in WWII and the USS…

  • Patapsco Valley State Park

    Maryland

    The Patapsco River and river valley are the defining geographic features of the region, running through Central Maryland to the Chesapeake Bay. To explore…

  • Point Lookout State Park

    Maryland

    The western shore of Maryland – that is, the western peninsula created by Chesapeake Bay – terminates here, in a preserved space of lagoons, pine woods…

  • Cumberland Visitor Center & Museum

    Western Maryland

    The national historic park visitor center stocks numerous brochures about the C&O Canal towpath and related attractions. A mock Paw Paw Tunnel connects…

  • Banneker-Douglass Museum

    Maryland

    A short stroll from the State House, this small but worthwhile museum highlights the history and achievements of Marylanders of African American ancestry…

  • Jewish Museum of Maryland

    Baltimore

    Maryland has traditionally been home to one of the largest, most active Jewish communities in the country, and this is a fine place to explore their…

  • Monocacy National Battlefield

    Western Maryland

    The crucial but little known Battle of Monocacy occurred during the last Confederate invasion of the north, which began when Confederate General Jubal…

  • Glenstone Museum

    Maryland

    It's all about the experience at this striking museum where art, architecture and landscape merge, and comfortable contemplation is encouraged. The…

  • J Millard Tawes Historical Museum

    Eastern Shore

    This small museum gives insight into the history of the region's inhabitants, beginning 10,000 years ago. Exhibits explore the life of local watermen –…

  • Pocomoke River State Park

    Eastern Shore

    The Shad Landing section of Pocomoke River State Park, part of the 15,000-acre Pocomoke State Forest and located about 3.5 miles south of Snow Hill, is an…

  • St Ignatius Church

    Maryland

    On a gentle slope overlooking the Potomac River is St Ignatius Church, which hosts the oldest continuously active Catholic parish in the country. The…

  • Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art

    Eastern Shore

    This museum is built around a little-known but fascinating art form that was largely perfected by two brothers who rarely left their small town. In the…

  • Basilica of the Assumption

    Baltimore

    Also known as America's First Cathedral, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (much more commonly known as the…

  • Brunswick Visitor Center & Rail Museum

    Western Maryland

    The C&O Canal's little Brunswick Visitor Center doubles as the Brunswick Rail Museum. As quiet as this town is, it was once home to the largest rail yard …

  • B&O Railroad Station Museum

    Maryland

    Welcoming its first passengers in 1830 and completed in 1831, this is the oldest surviving passenger train station in the US. A fun destination for kids…

  • Deep Creek Lake State Park

    Western Maryland

    The lake is most easily accessed via Deep Creek Lake State Park, which sits on a large plateau known as the Tablelands. The area is carpeted in oak and…

  • Baltimore Museum of Art

    Baltimore

    Works by Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Georgia O'Keeffe and Andy Warhol fill the galleries, and the museum hosts thought-provoking temporary exhibits with a…