As you walk along the quaint, brick-laid streets of Annapolis, you will experience her rich architectural past. In fact, Maryland’s capital city boasts more surviving 18^th-century buildings than any other city in America.

Maryland's four signers of the Declaration of Independence all had homes in Annapolis at one time and three of them are open to the public today. Historic homes open for tour in Annapolis include: William Paca House & Garden, Chase-Lloyd House, Charles Carroll House, and Hammond-Harwood House.

Historic buildings open to the public in Annapolis include: Maryland State House, U.S. Naval Academy Chapel, Annapolis Maritime Museum in Eastport, St. Anne's Episcopal Church; Banneker-Douglass Museum, housed in the historic Mt. Moriah Church, and History Quest.

Visitors are also invited to explore historic buildings located throughout Anne Arundel County. The Benson-Hammond House, located near Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Northern Anne Arundel County, is a 19th-century farmhouse and home to the Anne Arundel County Historical Society.

Today, as in the past, the rhythm of life in Southern Anne Arundel County moves to the tides and the seasons. Maritime villages such as Deale, Galesville, and Mayo invite visitors to escape to a simpler time. Individuals can experience the life of a 19^th-century waterman at the Captain Salem Avery House Museum in Shady Side. Three-hundred-fifty years of the history of a historic waterman’s village and surrounding community are on display at the Carrie Weedon House, home of the Galesville Heritage Society. Historic London Town & Gardens in Edgewater is the site of one of Anne Arundel County's first colonial settlements and home to the largest ongoing archaeological dig in Maryland. The William Brown House is open for tours Tuesday through Sunday.

Details on the Maryland State House

Built between 1772-79, the Maryland State House is the oldest statehouse in continuous legislative use, and the only one with a wooden dome. The flagpole that sits atop the dome is actually a lightning rod that was designed by Benjamin Franklin. In 1783, it became home to the continental congress, making it the only state house to serve as the nation's Capitol. George Washington resigned his commission and the Treaty of Paris was signed in the old senate chamber, with less than a month between the two events.

Details on the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel

The historic U.S. Naval Academy Chapel at the center of the Yard – and its landmark dome – are symbolic of the vital role that moral and spiritual guidance plays in shaping Midshipmen into naval officers. The Chapel houses the tomb of John Paul Jones.