Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Activity Overview

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a museum located on Chesapeake Bay near St. Michaels, Maryland, approximately 80 miles outside of Baltimore. The museum contains several fascinating exhibits that feature maritime artifacts and vessels that are used to teach the public about the history and culture of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay area.

If you're looking for a family-friendly attraction where you can learn and have fun together, consider a visit to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. You'll have a blast cruising down the river, talking with boat builders, and climbing the 1879 lighthouse together.

Things to Do

• Explore the working boatyard - you can learn all about the museum's small boat collection and talk with shipwrights and apprentices while they demonstrate their maritime skills!
• Cruise down the Miles River on the Winnie Estelle, a nearly 65-foot long boat that was built in 1920 and provides visitors with beautiful river views. Tickets can be purchased inside the museum's Welcome Center.
• Learn all about the fascinating history and culture of Chesapeake Bay by visiting the museum's many exhibits - they cover topics that include boating, seafood harvesting, transatlantic trade in the 18th century, and local boat building traditions.

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Insider Tips

• Check the museum's online Calendar to learn about exciting annual events like the museum's Antique & Classic Boat Festival and OysterFest in October, which features live music, boat rides, and delicious oyster stews.
• Try to attend one of the museum's popular family programs - ChesAdventures features games, crafts, and storytelling for children between the ages of 4 and 9, while Lighthouse Overnight Adventures allows kids between the ages of 8 and 12 to spend the night in the site's historic lighthouse that was built in 1879.
• Before you leave make sure to visit the Museum Store! If your kids like doing crafts, you can buy them a model boat kit to construct as a family when you get home.