Home About Us Resources Grow Things to Do Partners
What is a Heritage Area? What’s New Calendar Shop Support Us Contact Us
Heritage Area Map
Sites and Services
Events Calendar
Downloads
Our Heritage
 
Things to Do > Heritage Sites and Services > Guided Tours

Heritage Sites & Services

Guided Tours
Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau  

Visit the newly-remodeled and enhanced Visitors Bureau at 26 West Street and get all the latest information on local attractions, accommodations, shopping, tours and excursions to make the most of your visit to Annapolis and Anne Arundel County!

Hours: Daily 9 am - 5 pm (closed major holidays)
Tours:
Several tours (both land- and water-based) leave from the Information Booth area. Please contact us for tours and times at (410) 280-0445, exts. 106 or 107.
Fees: Free
Gift Shop:
Parking: Street parking or nearby city garages

Address:
26 West Street
Annapolis
Ph: 410-280-0445

info@visitannapolis.org
Visit Website


Annapolis Maritime Museum  

Exhibit on Thomas Point Shoal lighthouse features the documentary, "Legacy of the Light." Summertime Concert series and a wintertime series of Maritime seminars, see Events Calendar for details.

Hours: Saturday 12-4 p.m., Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Herbie Sadler Park and Meditation Garden, Historic Eastport Walking Tour open during daylight hours 7 days a week.
Tours:
Contact Mary Ostrye, at 410-295-0104
Fees: Free
Gift Shop: Yes
Parking: Parking available on street

Address:
723 Second Street & Creek View Drive on Back Creek
Eastport
Ph: 410-295-0104

office@amaritime.org
Visit Website


Banneker-Douglass Museum  

The Banneker-Douglass Museum, named for Benjamin Banneker and Frederick Douglass, is dedicated to preserving Maryland's African American heritage and serves as the state's official repository of African American material culture. The museum was dedicated on February 24, 1984. The original museum was housed within the former Mount Moriah African Methodist Episcopal Church in the heart of historic Annapolis. The Victorian-Gothic structure was included in the Annapolis Historic District in 1971 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The recently completed BDM addition is a four-story addition which uses the nineteenth-century brick of the church's north fa?ade as its interior lobby wall. The Banneker-Douglass Museum celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Tuesday, February 24, 2009.

Hours: Winter Hours: Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays
Tours:
Tours by appointment, please call at least two weeks in advance. School/group Tour Contact and Phone, Genevieve Kaplan, 410-216-6186
Fees: Free; $3 per person for guided tour
Gift Shop:
Parking: Street parking or nearby garages

Address:
84 Franklin Street (behind the Courthouse, off Church Circle)
Annapolis
Ph: 410-216-6180

BDMPrograms@mdp.state.md.us
Visit Website


Hammond-Harwood House  

Built in 1774, this Georgian Palladian house was designed for wealthy tobacco planter Matthias Hammond. The residence includes 18th-century family furnishings, portraiture and a beautiful Colonial revival boxwood garden. Extensive collection of historic Maryland art includes 10 works by Charles Willson Peale, as well as paintings by Rembrandt Peale, James Peale, Charles Peale Polk, John Hesselius, John Beale Bordley, and furniture by Shaw. Popular hands-on school programs available.

Hours: April 1 to October 31: Tuesday - Sunday, noon - 5 p.m., last tour at 4 p.m. November 1 to March 31, open for special events, group and school tours.
Tours:
Call Jeanne Langdon for information, 410-263-4683, x15
Fees: $6 adult, $3 child (6-17)
Gift Shop:
Parking: Street parking

Address:
19 Maryland Avenue
Annapolis
Ph: 410-263-4683

lmchaney@hammondharwoodhouse.org
Visit Website


Historic Annapolis Foundation's HistoryQuest  

HistoryQuest offers orientation and tours, tickets for venues and events. Restored 1790s structure features exhibits, multimedia presentations, and artifacts. HistoryQuest also offers audio tours of “Annapolis Highlights”, “African-American Annapolis”, “A City Divided: Annapolis during the Civil War”, and “Rebels to Statesmen: Revolution in Annapolis”.

Hours: Please check the website for hours
Tours:

Fees: Free, donations accepted
Gift Shop:
Parking: Street parking or nearby garages

Address:
99 Main Street
Annapolis
Ph: 410-267-6656

historycenter@annapolis.org
Visit Website


Historic London Town and Gardens  

This outstanding historic site on the South River has been owned by Anne Arundel County since 1828. The site includes the archaeological remains of buildings that comprise the colonial-era "lost" town of London; a National Historic Landmark, the William Brown House, dating to circa 1760; an 8-acred woodland garden; a state-of-the-art archaeology laboratory; interpretation of the African American history of the site including an interactive website; and a new Visitor Center, which opened to the public in late 2007. The pavilion is available for rentals for celebrations and special events.

Hours: Closed Monday and Tuesday; Wed. – Sat.: 10 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, 12 noon – 4:00 p.m.
Tours:
On the hour, last tour offered at 3 p.m. each day. No guided tours available January through March. School/Group Tour Contact: Schools, email education@historiclondontown.org; Group Tours, email events@historiclondontown.org.
Fees: Fees vary depending on self-guided tours selected; adult/senior/child fees vary. Call for information
Gift Shop: No
Parking: Free parking on site

Address:
839 Londontown Road
Edgewater
Ph: 410-222-1919

londontown@historiclondontown.org
Visit Website


Maryland State House Visitors Center  

The beautiful Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use and is the only state house to have ever served as the nation's capitol. The Continental Congress met in the Old Senate Chamber from November 26, 1783, to August 13, 1784. During that time, George Washington came before Congress to resign his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the Treaty of Paris was ratified, marking the official end of the Revolutionary War. The State House is where the Maryland General Assembly convenes for three months each year, and the elected leadership of the state — the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Delegates and president of the Senate — all have their offices there.

Hours: Building hours: 8:30 - 5:00, 7 days/week; closed Christmas. Visitors Center: Mon. - Fri., 8:30 - 5:00 Weekends, 10:00 - 4 pm, closed Christmas
Tours:
Tours are available upon request; group tours are encouraged to schedule in advance.
Fees: Free
Gift Shop: No
Parking: USNA Stadium/Gott's Garage

Address:
State Circle
Annapolis
Ph: 410-974-3400

shvisitorscenter@mdsa.net
Visit Website


Thomas Point Shoal Light  

One of the few remaining screwpile lighthouses on Chesapeake Bay, Thomas Point Shoal Light (TPSL) is the only one still standing watch on its original offshore station. This National Historic Landmark hexagonal frame lighthouse, 2 ½ stories high, sits on seven cast iron screwpiles at the mouth of the Bay’s South River, a few miles from historic downtown Annapolis. A familiar sight to Chesapeake Bay boaters for generations, Thomas Point Light is now in the hands of a partnership consisting of the City of Annapolis, the Annapolis Maritime Museum and the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s Chesapeake Chapter. The Lighthouse has been restored and opened for limited escorted group visits from the Annapolis Maritime Museum during the summer months.

Hours: N/A
Tours:
Limited tour schedule during the boating season, please see website.
Fees: Tours are $70.00 per person
Gift Shop:
Parking: N/A

Address:
Chesapeake Bay, outside the mouth of the South River
Annapolis
Ph: 1-800-690-5080

info@thomaspointlighthouse.org
Visit Website


U.S. Naval Academy - Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center  

The United State Naval Academy was established in Annapolis in 1845 and since that time has trained many of the Navy’s most renowned Naval officers. Occupying 10 acres, this National Historic Landmark historic district is open to the public upon presentation of valid identification. The Academy's Visitor Center is located on King George Street inside Gate 1. Over a million visitors a year come to the academy, which is a National Historic Site. Popular spots include the Naval Academy Museum in Preble hall, the Navy Chapel, and the public areas of Bancroft Hall. Memorial Hall contains several rolls of honor, including lists of academy grads who were killed in action or who won the Medal of Honor. The Brigade of Midshipmen holds a lunchtime formation about 12:10 p.m. weekdays, weather permitting, in Tecumseh Court in front of Bancroft Hall.

Hours: March to December, 9 am - 5 pm; January - February, 9 am - 4 pm, closed major holidays.
Tours:
Apr. – Jun. & Sept. – Nov.: Mon. – Fri., 10 am – 3 pm, Sat., 9:30 am - 3 pm, Sun., 12:30 - 3 pm; July – Aug.: Mon. – Sat. 9:30 am – 3 pm, Sun. 12:30 –3 pm; Dec. – Mar.: Mon. – Sat., 10 am – 2:30 pm, Sun., 12:30 - 2:30 pm. Call for more information.
Fees: Free to enter grounds, fees for public tours.
Gift Shop:
Parking: No, unless DOD/handicapped tag.

Address:
52 King George Street (inside Gate 1)
Annapolis
Ph: 410-293-8687

tourinfo@usna.edu
Visit Website


Visitor Information Booth at City Dock (AAACCVB)  

Operates during the tourist season, a must for first-time visitors to Annapolis City Dock.

Hours: SEASONAL, April to October: daily, 9 am - 5 pm. October- November: weekends, 11 am to 3 pm.
Tours:
Several tours (both land- and water-based) leave from the Information Booth area. Please contact us for tours and times at (410) 280-0445, exts. 106 or 107.
Fees: Free
Gift Shop:
Parking: Metered parking and city garages nearby

Address:
City Dock
Annapolis
Ph: 410-268-0581

info@visitannapolis.org
Visit Website


William Paca House  

Constructed between 1763-1765, the five-part Georgian residence was built as a town home for William Paca, a wealthy young planter who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is furnished with a fine collection of antique furniture, silver, and decorative arts. Changing exhibits highlight different aspects of everyday life in the 1760s and 1770s for William Paca, his wife, Mary, and other members of their household. In 1901, the Annapolis Hotel Corporation purchased the property to build Carvel Hall Hotel. The 200-room hotel covered the entire site for more than half a century. In 1965, Historic Annapolis Foundation saved this landmark, guiding the rebuilding of the garden through extensive archaeological research, and returning the house to its 18th-century appearance. Today, tours will guide you through the history of the property, including the interpretation of slave and African American history of the site, as well as the opulent Paca garden.

Hours: April-Dec.: Mon. - Sat. 10 am - 5 pm, Sunday Noon - 5 pm; Feb, March: Sat. - Sun. Noon - 5 pm
Tours:
Every hour beginning on the half hour
Fees: $8 adult, $5 children (6-17); under 6 free
Gift Shop:
Parking: Street parking

Address:
186 Prince George Street
Annapolis
Ph: 410-990-4543

information@annapolis.org
Visit Website