Top Things to Do in Spring
Here comes the sun! The Baltimore Orioles (and the state’s other ball players) will be back on the field eventually and their feathered counterparts (the state bird) are back in the treetops. Shake off any lingering cabin fever and enjoy seasonal festivals, fun overnight trips and gardens exploding with color. Pick your own berries or pick apart the season’s first crabs. Spring headlong into sensory delight.
Tour Spectacular Gardens in Maryland
Mother Nature shakes off her winter’s slumber in dramatic fashion, as flowers of every color under the rainbow pop open and welcome spring’s sunshine. See the 80,000 tulips bloom in Baltimore’s Sherwood Gardens, marvel at more than 100 topiaries at Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, or tour the two-acre pleasure garden at the William Paca House and Gardens in Annapolis. Enjoy the butterfly exhibit at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, then take a peaceful walk along the Heart Smart Trails at McCrillis Gardens in Bethesda.
View our complete list of public gardens in Maryland here.
Pick Mouth-Watering Berries at Maryland Farms
Spring also marks the beginning of berry-picking season. As early as mid-May, juicy red strawberries become ripe for picking, followed closely by cherries, blackberries and blueberries. Some of the best places to pick include Catoctin Mountain Orchard near Frederick, offering produce from their orchards, plus homemade pies and jams, Swann Farms in Owings, which specializes in supplying road side stands and Shaw Orchards in White Hall where you can buy custom-made jams and jellies. Can't make it out to the actual farm? Check out our list of Farmer's Markets across Maryland here!
Take to the Greens at a Local Golf Course
Get out the clubs and play the greens at one of Maryland’s many golf courses. One to try: GlenRiddle Golf Club in Worcester County is home to two championship courses that offer completely distinct golfing experiences. The Man O' War Course is situated on the western portion of the club, sweeping across a sand dune-covered landscape that is perfect for a round of Scottish links-style golf. For more golf courses, check out our list of must-play golf courses.
Diamond Days Play Ball!
The boys of summer get started in the spring at ballparks big and small. Cheer on the hardball action of the professional Baltimore Orioles or one of the state’s numerous minor league teams: the Frederick Keys, Bowie Baysox, Aberdeen IronBirds, Delmarva Shorebirds and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Find your field of dreams...
Taxi the Shores of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
Thanks to a new Harborview Landing, Baltimore’s water taxi rides are an adventure all their own. Springtime offers the perfect climate for sightseeing the city from the water, or disembarking for a closer look. Stroll the streets of Federal Hill or Fells Point, hit major attractions including Fort McHenry and the National Aquarium or visit the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Cap off your day—or weekend—with a stop at Little Havana for tasty Cuban fare and one of its famous mojitos.
Got Crabs?
Succulent and sweet with a firm texture that sets it above all others, the Maryland blue crab is the undisputed king of crustaceans. So break out the mallets: crab season is in full swing. There are crabs by the bushel at Leonardtown’s St. Mary’s Crab Festival in June. You'll find plenty of places to get cracking along Maryland's Crab & Oyster Trails.
Spring Flings
Celebrate the season with a restorative getaway, be it adventurous or luxurious. The Savage River Lodge in Frostburg lets you bunk down in your own yurt. For a pampered escape, Tilghman Island’s bucolic Black Walnut Point Inn offers in-room massages and a host of other pleasures, and four pools await at Cambridge’s Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina. You can literally drink in the history at Thurmont’s Springfield Manor Winery and Distillery as you stay in an 18th-century home amid a working winery and distillery.