Celebrate Maryland Day on March 22-24

Over 40 Partners offer free and $1 activities all weekend long!

Mark your calendars for the 17th Annual Maryland Day, held on March 22-24 this year. Maryland Day was first formally observed in 1903 when a day was chosen to be devoted to Maryland history. On March 25, 1634, settlers from two ships, the Ark and the Dove, stepped onto Maryland soil for the first time, so most celebrations happen over a weekend around that date each year.

There are so many family-friendly activities at different locations offered each day, and they are all free or $1. This is a great opportunity to visit places you may not have been. The entire agenda can be found here.

I plan to spend Maryland Day seeing some locations I have never visited, such as the Charles Carroll House and Hogshead. But a lot of our favorite spots that I have already visited are on the list, and here are a few I highly recommend:

The Annapolis Maritime Museum is a great place to take kids. It has some very interesting displays inside and a little beach on the bay outside. This year, they have a craft table set up for kids. Their park campus has a great hiking trail along Back Creek.

The Chesapeake Children’s Museum is great because it is filled with toys and animals and lots of hands-on activities for kids. The outdoor space has recently been redone, and kids could easily spend hours out there. This year, for Maryland Day, they have a $1 entry fee.

The Museum of Historic Annapolis has a few floors of exciting exhibits, a great film, and a scavenger hunt for kids.

The William Paca House and Garden is perfect for a stroll. Considering they are right downtown, you’ll be shocked at how expansive and beautiful the gardens are.

London Town and Gardens is even larger with equally impressive gardens to see. If the weather is nice over Maryland Day weekend, then I highly recommend one or both of these beautiful garden locations.

Maryland Hall will celebrate the Indigenous artists of the Chesapeake Bay for Maryland Day. At 1 p.m., learn from Ayanna Proctor (Piscataway and Susquehannock), who works in a variety of traditional and historical tribal art forms. At 2 p.m., enjoy the music and dance performance led by Louis Campbell (Lumbee), a respected dancer and regalia maker in the Baltimore area.

Whatever you choose, you and your family will have a great time at Maryland Day, where you can learn more about Maryland’s history at little to no cost.