25 Top Maryland Attractions
When we say Maryland’s got it all, we do mean all—our list of top attractions include diverse terrain and natural splendors; naval and space facilities; museums and historic sites; wild horses and gardens; theme parks and casinos; music and film; sports and resorts; eclectic shopping and cutting-edge dining. Pick one of these top things to see and do—or see how many you can do all in one trip. Now get out there and start doing!
1 Ocean City Boardwalk
It’s not cliché, it’s fact: there’s something for everyone to do on vacation in Ocean City, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Chesapeake Bay on the other. Thrilling amusement rides, peaceful sunsets over the Bay, fresh steamed crabs, fireworks, surfing, fishing... no matter what you’re looking for in a vacation, whether it’s adventure or relaxation, you’re bound to find it by heading straight for the boardwalk in OC.
2 Assateague Island
Just a short hop from Ocean City but seemingly a world away lie the beautiful beaches and lovely nature walks of Assateague, where the wild horses of Assateague Island National Seashore roam. They're all over the place—literally just wandering around—but don’t take our word for it: you have to see it to believe it.
More about Assateague State Park
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
7307 Stephen Decatur Hwy
Berlin, MD 21811
410-641-2918
Photo By: Clark Vandergrift
3 Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
This museum in charming St. Michaels has a huge collection of work and pleasure boats in and out of the water. Visit the working shipyard, spend the night at the historic 1879 lighthouse, and learn all about the lives and trade of Chesapeake Bay watermen through the museum's unique collection of indigenous watercraft.
More about Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
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Type:
History & Heritage
Location:
213 N. Talbot St
St. Michaels, MD 21663
410-745-2916
Photo By: Dorchester County Office of Tourism
4 Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center
Harriet Tubman became famous as a “conductor” of the Underground Railroad as she led other enslaved people to freedom at least 13 separate times over a 10-year period, garnering her the title “Moses of her people.” This Cambridge museum showcases the remarkable life of Tubman, who grew up near here before escaping slavery.
Photo By: Clark Vandergrift
5 Smith Island
Smith Islanders are known for their distinctive Elizabethan accents and their delicious many-layered Smith Island cake, Maryland’s official dessert (try one at the Smith Island Baking Co.). Settled in the 17th century by the British, Smith Island is only accessible by boat; luckily, it’s easy to go on an excursion there, with ferries that run daily from the eastern and western shores of the Chesapeake. Cake, anyone?
Photo By: Ken Stanek Photography
6 Ft. McHenry
Fort McHenry is a great place to relax and watch the boats on a sunny day, but it also holds a special place in American history. Here you can stand on the spot where, during the War of 1812, the defenders of Baltimore turned back the invading British, fresh from the burning of Washington, D.C. It’s also where the original “Star-Spangled Banner” flag flew in victory, as seen by Francis Scott Key, the lawyer and amateur poet who went on to pen the poem that became the lyrics to our National Anthem.
More about Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine
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Type:
General Attractions
Location:
2400 E Fort Ave
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-962-4290
Photo By: Visit Annapolis
7 U.S. Naval Academy
One of the country's elite military institutions, visit the Naval Academy to see the final resting place of John Paul Jones, father of the U.S. Navy.
More about U.S. Naval Academy-Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center
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Type:
Tour Services
Location:
52 King George Street
Annapolis, MD 21402
410-293-8687
Photo By: Carroll County Farm Museum
8 Carroll County Farm Museum
Step back in time at this popular museum in Westminster. Built in 1852, explore its six rooms filled with antiques like those that would have been found in a 19th-century farmhouse. Weaving, blacksmithing and other artisan demonstrations happen in the barn and outbuildings, and wine connoisseurs flock here for the Maryland Wine Festival, held every September.
More about Carroll County Farm Museum
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Type:
General Attractions
Location:
500 S Center St
Westminster, MD 21157
410-386-3880
9 Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is the world-class centerpiece of the city of Baltimore, with visiting tall ships, museums, restaurants and shops all within walking distance of each other. Close to The Baltimore Convention Center and downtown hotels, with a water taxi to take you to other waterfront neighborhoods and attractions, you could spend a week here and never make it to shore.
More about Inner Harbor
Type:
Outdoor Recreation
Location:
Pratt and Light Sts
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-332-4191
Photo By: Bob Peterson Photography/Visit Annapolis
10 Annapolis City Dock
The brick-paved streets of Annapolis are a shopping and sight-seeing mecca. It once played a darker role in American history, though, as a slave market, and it was used as a setting for Alex Haley's Roots. Annapolis is also Maryland's political center, and politicians from across the state can be found next to tourists, midshipmen, and college students at Chick N' Ruth's Delly on Main Street, just up from the water. Come in the fall to see the boat shows that take over downtown.
More about Annapolis City Dock
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Type:
Boating & Sailing
Location:
One Dock Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-263-7973
Photo By: VisitMaryland.org
11 Antietam National Battlefield
Tread on hallowed ground at Antietam, the site of the bloodiest single day of battle in the Civil War, when Union troops turned back Confederate invaders, and over 23,000 soldiers lost their lives or were wounded or went missing. They were the armies of the Potomac and Northern Virginia, so in some cases, brothers were literally fighting against brothers. Visit to witness its importance in American history: the battle here led to Abraham Lincoln's preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
More about Antietam National Battlefield
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
5831 Dunker Church Road
Sharpsburg, MD 21782
301-432-5124
12 Wisp Resort
Hit the ski slopes at Wisp, the state's only four-season ski resort, where you can enjoy winter sports like snow tubing, and year-round outdoor fun like a zipline and all-terrain buggies.
More about Wisp Resort
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
296 Marsh Hill Rd
McHenry, MD 21541
855-238-0192
Photo By: Rocky Gap Casino Resort
13 Rocky Gap Casino Resort
If golf is your thing, Rocky Gap features a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. Go fishing and hiking too, or put it all on black in the brand new casino. Located in the 3,000-acre Rocky Gap State Park, complete with a man-made lake, Rocky Gap is a true mountain getaway.
More about Rocky Gap Casino Resort
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
16701 Lakeview Road
Flintstone, MD 21530
301-784-8400
14 Deep Creek Lake
Deep Creek is the largest lake in the state at 3,900 acres, and there are at least 3,900 things to do there. Relax and enjoy the outdoors, go boating, or cast your line and do some freshwater fishing for bass and pike.
More about Deep Creek Lake State Park
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
898 State Park Rd.
Swanton, MD 21561
301-387-4111
Photo By: Allegany Museum
15 Allegany Museum
This museum in history-rich Cumberland pays tribute to the region’s role in a developing America, from serving as a western outpost for George Washington to a manufacturing and transportation center in the 20th century. While you’re in the area, take a ride on the nearby Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, and tour the vibrant arts community of Cumberland itself.
More about Allegany Museum
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
3 Pershing St
Cumberland, MD 21502
301-777-7200
16 NASA Goddard Visitor Center
You know the expression “it's not rocket science”—well at NASA Goddard, it is! The Goddard Space Flight Center is the country's largest gathering of scientists and engineers who build spacecraft and invent new technology to study the Earth and space. Drop by and learn amazing things about our solar system.
More about NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Museum
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
8800 Greenbelt Rd
Greenbelt, MD 20771
301-286-8981
17 Six Flags America
Sometimes you just want to ride on a roller coaster, you know? Feel like a kid again at Six Flags America. With concerts, exciting rides and a waterpark, it really is fun for the whole family.
More about Six Flags America
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
13710 Central Ave
Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
301-249-1500
18 Strathmore
Built as a summer mansion for Captain James Oyster, Strathmore Hall has been expanded to include an art gallery, outdoor concert pavilion and indoor hall. Plan a visit around one of their many events: since opening the hall in 1983, Strathmore has hosted acts as diverse as composer John Cage and go-go legend Chuck Brown.
More about Strathmore
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Type:
Performing Arts
Location:
5301 Tuckerman Ln
North Bethesda, MD 20852
301-581-5100
19 Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Park
The C&O Canal was once the commercial artery that brought goods to market from Maryland and West Virginia to Washington. Made obsolete by the railroad before it was even completed, the federal government bought the land in 1938 and ultimately turned it into a park, which today runs from The Watergate Hotel through Harper's Ferry and beyond, giving you 184 miles of parkland to explore.
More about C&O Canal National Historical Park Headquarters
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
1850 Dual Hwy., Suite 100
Hagerstown, MD 21740
301-739-4200
Photo By: Courtesy of National Harbor
20 National Harbor
Gorgeous National Harbor is a 300-acre waterfront development filled with shops, restaurants, and the 175-foot Capital Wheel, all on the banks of the Potomac in Prince George's County. A water taxi connects it to Alexandria, Virginia and the Washington Metro system, giving easy access to the free museums and monuments of our nation’s capital.
Photo By: St. Mary's City
21 St. Mary's City
Home to St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City is where the state began, with the landing of the Ark and Dove, the ships that brought the first settlers to the colony that became Maryland. See a full-sized replica of the Maryland Dove docked at St. Mary's, which is now home to a large historic area providing insight into what life was like for those first Maryland colonists and Native Americans.
More about Historic St. Mary's City
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
Rt 5 and Rosecroft Rd
St. Mary's City, MD 20686
240-895-4990
Photo By: Battle Creek Cypress Swamp
22 Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary
Cypress trees may be associated more with the bayous and swamps of the Deep South, but Southern Maryland is home to one of the northernmost cypress groves in America. Get an up-close view of these living fossils and the animals that rely upon them when you visit the nature center and boardwalk of this 100-acre swampland in Calvert County.
More about Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary
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Type:
General Attractions
Location:
2880 Grays Rd
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
410-535-5327
Photo By: Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
23 Maryland Indian Artifacts
Seeing Maryland Indian artifacts on display at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) and exploring the eastern woodland Indian Village, both at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, are immersive ways to experience native culture in Maryland.
More about Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
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Type:
Visual Arts
Location:
10515 Mackall Rd
St. Leonard, MD 20685
410-586-8501
Photo By: Maryland International Raceway
24 Maryland International Raceway
Since 1966, the International Raceway has been the place to go to see fast cars and bikes in Maryland. Hosting more than 100 events during the warmer months, and seating 11,000 race fans, plan a visit for some high-octane action.
More about Maryland International Raceway
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Type:
Sports
Location:
27861 Budds Creek Rd
Mechanicsville, MD 20659
301-884-9833
25 Parkers Creek Preserve
On foot or by canoe, Parker’s Creek offers stunning views of wetlands and forests, from bay cliffs to valleys of the coastal plains. The American Chestnut Land Trust maintains the preserve as it was 400 years ago when European settlers first saw it.
More about American Chestnut Land Trust
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Type:
Attraction
Location:
676 Double Oak Rd.
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
410-414-3400
