Top 10 Annapolis Museums

What is it?
A working state house from where they govern Maryland of today and the capitol of the whole United States back in 1783 and 1784, built in 1772.

Why should you go?
To catch up with early American history in the country's oldest state house still in use. Annapolis was a temporary capital of the newly independent United States from November 26, 1783, to August 13, 1784. Come and explore the original Senate chamber where Congress met during that time. Plus, George Washington resigned from his military commission in one of the rooms. You will get into it, too, and see his personal copy of the resignation speech. Meet four of Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence: William Paca, Thomas Stone, Samuel Chase, and Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and other civic leaders portrayed by none other than Charles Willson Peale.

Perfect for
Families, couples, history buffs

What is it?
A world-famous service academy with rich history and longtime traditions, preparing US naval leaders since 1845.

Why should you go?
To explore the USNA's top-notch 383-acre campus, or the scenic Yard, along the Severn River and learn how young men and women are trained to become Naval officers. Hint: better visit during the academic year weekdays to experience life on the Yard in full swing. See the largest academic dormitory in the United States, where the entire Brigade of Midshipmen lodges in 1,700 rooms. Don't miss their spectacular noon formation for lunch outside Bancroft Hall, a showcase of discipline and self-command. Apart from the ultimate midshipmen-watching, take in the stately Chapel interiors with its Navy-themed Tiffany stained glass window and crypt of John Paul Jones. All with the USNA expert guide commentary.

Perfect for
Families, couples, history buffs

What is it?
A substantial two-story museum situated on the U.S. Naval Academy campus that is worth visiting on its own, in addition to the tour of the Academy.

Why should you go?
To immerse yourself into the illustrious USNA and Navy history. In Preble Hall, one of the Yard's compelling attractions, get inspired by the historic relics of the US Navy. At the first deck, spot the famous 'Don't give up the Ship' flag within the trophy flags collection, a piece of the pioneering USS Monitor ironclad warship, and the Battle of Pearl Harbor display. On the second deck, marvel at the largest collection of model ships in the world. There are 108 hand-crafted items, precise and accurate enough to study fighting vessels design of the 17th- and 18th centuries. Next, give up the ships for a while and head to the Space Age rockets display.

Perfect for
Families, couples, history buffs

What is it?
A small yet packed with virtual reality exhibits maritime museum in Annapolis, located at the historic oyster-packing facility.

Why should you go?
To experience local maritime history and heritage via interactive exhibits. Have you ever seen what crab pots, eel spears, and fishnets look like? Discover what harvesting native edible species of the Bay was like and see equipment for collecting oysters and eels, fishing, and crabbing. You can meet a holographic waterman of the Chesapeake Bay and go boating yourself in a virtual setting. Apart from the local maritime industries and businesses, and the community involved, the Museum touches on the ecology of the Bay. This is to contribute to cleaner waterways of the Sailing Capital of America, which has been drastically polluted since the 17th century.

Perfect for
Families, couples, history buffs

What is it?
A small museum that is named after and tells the story of two prominent Black Marylanders of the past, Benjamin Banneker and Frederick Douglass, plus the black history of Annapolis.

Why should you go?
To get a glimpse of the African-American experience in Maryland in the former Mount Moriah African Methodist Episcopal Church building, a part of Annapolis's black neighborhood in the 1800s. Expect to reveal stories of free blacks in America's slave days and their lifestyle and fancy concerts featuring Sarah Vaughan at a private black beach in the 20th century. As the Museum's name suggests, there is a stirring display on the abolitionist leader and writer Frederick Douglass and astronomer and mathematician Benjamin Banneker themselves, as well as on Harriet Tubman.

Perfect for
Families, couples, history buffs

What is it?
A fully restored 18th-century home with a 2-acre English garden that belonged to one of Maryland's four signers of the Declaration of Independence, William Paca.

Why should you go?
To see how upper-class American families lived and kept houses back in colonial days. Designed and built in 1765 by William Paca himself for his family, the red-brick mansion had been changing occupants' families for centuries and ended up as the finest hotel in 20th-century Annapolis. As a museum, it has period furnishings and household appliances, though not original to the early owners, to browse while you learn about William Paca, his life, and his family members. After the house tour, stroll the orderly terraced garden and come across a quaint Chinese Chippendale bridge over the fish-shaped pond, a white-domed summer house nearby, and a kitchen section.

Perfect for
Families, couples, history buffs

What is it?
A luxurious townhouse designed and built by the prominent colonial architect William Buckland in 1774, now a museum of architecture and early American fine and decorative arts.

Why should you go?
To check out the original 18th-century furnishings and ownership history of the elegant home. Unlike the restored and re-equipped William Paca House, the Hammond-Harwood House boasts period pieces that belonged to the owners and its collection of fine and decorative arts. The floors are original, too! Notice the intricate carvings, especially rose garlands above the front doorway. Inside, see works by one of the most famous colonial portrait painters Charles Wilson Peale and the Harwood chairs by the celebrated local cabinet maker John Shaw who also furnished the Maryland State House.

Perfect for
Families, couples, history buffs, art lovers

What is it?
A nautical icon of the Chesapeake Bay that has been flashing with red light in its original location since 1875 and one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.

Why should you go?
To experience the historic off-shore lighthouse from inside, base to top, instead of just viewing it as a postcard or a stamp: it joined the much-loved USPS lighthouse stamp series in 2021. June to October, a 30-minute boat ride from the Annapolis Maritime Museum will take you there to explore the former keepers' lodging and the top level to see the lens. While on the interior tour, unveil service woes of keepers who were stationed on the lighthouse and how automation changed its fate in 1986. Apart from insights into Thomas Point's operations in the early days, expect to get to know other lighthouses on the Bay and Coast Guard.

Perfect for
Families, couples, history buffs

What is it?
A house originally built in 1769 for Samuel Chase, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and finished in 1774 with interior design by William Buckland.

Why should you go?
To experience the lifestyle in the 1800s amidst the exquisite original interiors and certified, environmentally-sound garden. On top of that, to engage with its 'By, of and for women' mission. The three-story Georgian house is unique because it has been lived in until recently and has served as a home for indigent women since 1889. They occupied the upper floors, while the first floor was open to the public. Flat shoes are required for the tour to sustain the original floors. See the fireplace graced with tobacco leaves carved in marble by Buckland to honor the second owner of the house, Edward Lloyd IV, who was a tobacco planter and revolutionary. Check opening times, as they are limited.

Perfect for
Couples, history buffs

What is it?
A compact museum that chronicles the city's past and displays quirky and obscure pieces of history among the conventional ones to visualize it.

Why should you go?
To get an overview of Annapolis's history from its foundation in the 1600s to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The extensive timeline is spread across three chronological exhibits on three floors of the 18th-century red-brick building and illustrated with period-related exhibits, mundane and extraordinary. Spot the giant wooden acorn that topped the Maryland State House since 1788 and was removed in 1996, a Pulitzer prize in special citations and awards won by the local Capital Gazette newspaper, and kitchen appliances for dealing with Chesapeake oysters like molded oyster plates. Take this self-guided audio tour to learn about noteworthy locations mentioned in the Museum's introductory film as you walk the surrounding Annapolis's historic district.

Perfect for
Families, couples, history buffs