Things to Do
Things to do in Annapolis
Play On The Bay
Getting out on the water is easy. Cruises range from 40-minute sightseeing tours, to day-long excursions, to weeks aboard a charter boat. Want to captain your own vessel? The experts at our sailing and powerboat schools can show you how. A Navy Way Boot Camp lets youngsters be a swabbie for the day, while pirate cruises give them a taste of the Chesapeake Bay of long ago.
History, Anyone?
If history is your passion, a walk through Annapolis’s Historic District puts you in touch with more 18th-century buildings than anywhere else in the country, including the homes of four signers of the Declaration of Independence. Relive our nation’s heritage with the help of a Colonial guide or hop onto an air-conditioned trolley for a tour of the city. If you like, travel the way our ancestors did, aboard a horse-drawn carriage.
African-American Heritage
Ever wonder what life was like for African Americans in Colonial Annapolis? In partnership with the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation, Watermark’s African-American Heritage Tour retells the stories of slave and free African Americans who helped shape Maryland’s capital city – from Kunta Kinte’s arrival at City Dock aboard the Lord Ligonier in 1767 until present day. Discover the Maryland roots of the first African-American scientist, Benjamin Banneker, and abolitionist Frederick Douglass at the Banneker-Douglass Museum.
Kayak Adventure on the Chesapeake
What better way to explore the Chesapeake Bay’s seemingly endless web of wetlands and tributaries than by kayak? Two new kayaking businesses have opened their doors in America’s Sailing Capital this summer. Kayak Annapolis LLC offers a three-hour historical tour that departs from Truxton Park on the headwaters of Spa Creek. The L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School launches its tours from the Point at Back Creek in Annapolis. Experienced guides will lead you on an unforgettable adventure that introduces you to the plants, wildlife, and local history of Annapolis and its countryside.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse Cruise
Looking for adventure in a city that National Geographic Adventure Magazine calls one of the Top Waterfront Towns in the country? Then hop in a boat and let the folks from the Annapolis Maritime Museum motor you out to the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. One-and-a-half miles offshore, you will get to climb aboard the 1875 National Historic Landmark and tour the last screwpile lighthouse in its original location.
I Spy
Take a peek at the world of secret codes at the National Cryptologic Museum operated by the National Security Agency. Learn of some of our country’s undercover triumphs as you peek behind the curtain and trace the development of cryptology from the 1500s to the present day.
The Way We Were
For an offbeat and off-the-beaten-path excursion, try the Historical Electronics Museum. You will learn about TVs, radios, and cell phones, and see a working original Edison cylinder phonograph. The museum houses the first American radar system ever built, a lunar camera like the one used to photograph Neil Armstrong’s moon landing, and the SCR-584 – a giant radar unit that visitors can enter and explore.
From Our Fields To Your Table
Enjoy being out in the sunshine? In search of fresh foods for your table? Be sure to visit the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County farmers’ markets. With six locations throughout the county, there’s a market that’s close to you.
Gifts From The Heart
Most people will tell you that they want more time. While you can’t add minutes to the day, you can help bring joy to the hearts of those you love with gifts designed to help busy people rediscover the simple pleasures of life. Start by thinking “experiences” versus “things.” You will soon discover that Annapolis and Anne Arundel County have just the gifts you are looking for.
An Art Lover’s Delight
Art is alive and well in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. In Annapolis’s Historic District alone, some 18 galleries and studios beckon art enthusiasts to feast their eyes on the work of local, regional, and national artists. Watch clay being transformed into a work of art at the Annapolis Pottery. Celebrate unique treasures crafted by Maryland artists at the League of Maryland Craftsmen. Choose from among traditional watercolors, oils, and original graphics at the McBride Gallery and Gallery 1683. Enjoy a juried exhibition at the Maryland Federation of Art. Marvel at the jewelry, woodturning, glass, and sculpture available at ARTFX. If hand-blown glass and fiberworks are more your style, visit the Aurora Gallery. Easy Street is a must stop for stained glass, kaleidoscopes, and American crafts. A stroll along West Street, State Circle, Maryland Avenue, Main Street, and City Dock will introduce you to these and other fine galleries and studios.
Off The Beaten Trail
Today, as in the past, the rhythm of life in Southern Anne Arundel County moves to the tides and the seasons. Mayo and the maritime villages of Deale, Galesville, and Shady Side invite you to escape to a simpler time. Experience the life of a 19th-century waterman at the Captain Salem Avery House in Shady Side. Enjoy the quiet of Galesville’s Quaker Burying Ground before heading down Main Street to the Heritage Museum. The once bustling seaport of Historic London Town in Edgewater is now the site of Maryland’s largest ongoing archaeological dig and an eight-acre woodland garden. Discover history of a different sort during a self-guided tour of the creeks and estuaries of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater.
Calling All Fashionistas
Fashionistas in search of high-end chick will find it in Annapolis’s Historic District. Thanks to upscale stores including Diva, Sitting Pretty, Astrid, and Bailey’s, lovers of fun, fine clothing and accessories need no longer drive to the Big Apple and DC in search of the latest fashions from Los Angeles, Milan, and New York. The Ireland-based Avoca Handweavers, Alpaca International, and other trend-setting Maryland Avenue, Main Street, and West Annapolis stores help round out the mix of shopping possibilities that are tucked into the relaxed, laid back setting of America’s Sailing Capital.
If malls are more your style, Westfield Annapolis is a must see. Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover is ranked among the top three shopping attractions in the nation. Be sure to check out Annapolis Harbour Center with its Amish Market or head to Waugh Chapel for relaxed shopping in a sophisticated setting.
