Top 12 Museums In Maryland, USA

1. Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park

Located in St. Mary’s County, this place represents Maryland’s heritage. It was established back in 1836. Has served as a guiding light, for ships navigating the challenging waters of the Potomac River. The museum vividly portrays the history of lighthouses’ maritime navigation and the captivating stories associated with this river. Set against a backdrop of pine trees and glistening waters the park also houses the Potomac River Maritime Exhibit, which proudly displays a variety of rescued boats.

Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park

Address: 44720 Lighthouse Rd, Piney Point, MD 20674, United States

Opening hours: 10am - 5pm (daily)

2. Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park

Nestled in Maryland’s heart, this place stands as a beacon of the region’s rich maritime heritage. Initially established in 1990 as the Eastport Historical Committee, its scope soon encompassed all of Annapolis. The museum occupies the grounds of the historic McNasby Oyster Company, the area’s last oyster-packing plant. Though Hurricane Isabel damaged the McNasby building in 2003, it was resiliently restored and reopened in 2008. Today, it serves as a vibrant waterfront hub, offering a blend of educational exhibits, lectures, concerts, and community gatherings, truly capturing Annapolis’ maritime essence.

Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park

Address: 723 Second Street PO Box 3088 Annapolis, MD 21403

Website: Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park

Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 10am - 3pm (closed on Mon)

3. The Walters Art Museum

With a collection that spans seven millennia, and 36,000 objects, a visit to The Walters Art Museum is a learning and enthralling journey through time. Learn about ancient Roman sarcophagi, appreciate 19th-century images of French gardens, and decipher manuscripts from Europe, Byzantium, North Africa and more, during your visit.

Plan your visit on a Friday or Saturday to catch the skilled conservators at work between 2:30 to 4 pm, or grab a glass of wine from the cafe and attend a special talk or trivia night with special extended museum hours on Tuesday nights!

The Walters Art Museum

Address: 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201.

Website: The Walters Art Museum

Opening hours: Wed & Fri - Sun: 10am - 5pm; Thu: 10am - 9pm (closed on Mon, Tue and some public holidays)

Price: Free

4. Calvert Marine Museum

If you are looking for a fun and enriching day trip to embark on with children, consider giving Calvert Marine Museum a visit. Located in Solomons, at the mouth of the scenic Patuxent River, this children’s museum in Maryland offers a range of family-friendly activities on-site, from concerts to guided tours and hands-on activities such as fossil hunting. End your visit with a leisure cruise on the National Historic Landmark, the William B. Tennison, a nine-log sailing bugeye that was built in 1899, and was originally used for oyster dredging.

Calvert Marine Museum

Address: 14200 Solomons Island Road, Solomons, MD 20688

Website: Calvert Marine Museum

Opening hours: 10am - 5pm (daily)

Price: 9 USD (adults), 4 USD (children), special concessions apply for seniors and children under the age of 5

5. US Naval Academy Museum

A public maritime museum in Annapolis, MD, the US Naval Academy Museum boasts two decks of galleries. Learn about the development, growth, and role of the United States Navy through the Revolutionary War to present with interactive maps and engaging displays. Thalassophiles will also be impressed with the Rogers Ship Collection, which has the largest collection of 17th- and 18th-century ship models for public viewing in North America.

US Naval Academy Museum

Address: USNA Museum, Preble Hall, 118 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21402

Website: US Naval Academy Museum

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 9am - 5pm; Sun: 11am - 5pm

Price: Free

6. American Visionary Art Museum

If you are looking for something different from the usual prominent names in visual arts, the American Visionary Art Museum prides itself on being “pretty un-museumy”. Its president, Rebecca Alban Hoffberger, considers the museum to be more of a space for spiritual healing, showcasing visionary art that follows no fixed structure or school, but rather a “self-taught artistry that is driven by a deep personal need”. If you want to discover what that manifests as, drop by the museum to find out more about the stories of these self-taught visionary artists.

American Visionary Art Museum

Address: 800 Key Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21230, United States

Website: American Visionary Art Museum

Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 10am - 5pm (closed on Mon)

Price: 15.95 USD (adults), 9.95 USD (children), special concessions apply for seniors and children 6 and under

7. Baltimore Museum of Art

With a grand exterior designed in the 1920s by renowned American architect John Russell Pope, the Baltimore Museum of Art houses more than 95,000 objects in its collection. The museum prides itself in its extensive collection of art pieces from Africa, paintings from Europe, ancient Antioch mosaics as well as works from emerging contemporary artists. During your visit, remember to take a stroll in their sculpture garden, which has 20th-century sculptures.

Baltimore Museum of Art

Address: 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218-3898

Website: Baltimore Museum of Art

Opening hours: Wed - Sun: 10am - 5pm (closed on Mon & Tue)

Price: Free

8. The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art

Ornithophiles must not give up the chance to view the largest collection of wildfowl carvings in the world, from decorative to antique decoys. In The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art’s waterfront facility, visitors can learning about antique decoys and the hunting culture, bird migration patterns and even view an intricately reconstructed wetland environment with hunting paraphernalia and even calling ducks. Located just beside Schumaker Pond in Salisbury, MD, the museum is also surrounded by rich wildlife that also gives visitors an opportunity to embark on outdoor nature trails and appreciate the sculpture garden during your visit.

The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art

Address: 909 South Schumaker Drive, Salisbury, Maryland 21804

Website: The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art

Opening hours: 11am - 4pm (closed on Mon & Tue)

Price: 7 USD (adults), 3 USD (children), special concessions apply for seniors and students

9. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Located in St. Michaels, this landmark in Maryland spans a whopping 18 acres (7.2ha) and it is dedicated to preserving and educating generations on the history and development of the entire Chesapeake Bay region. Against a waterfront setting, this museum is home to a collection of historic boats, a permanent interactive museum - which includes an opportunity to hop on board an oyster harvesting skipjack, the E.C. Collier - and special exhibitions that touch on the history and culture of Chesapeake Bay. Adults and children alike would be in for a hands-on and adventure-filled day exploring and learning about the Chesapeake Bay.

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Address: 213 North Talbot Street, St. Michaels, Maryland 21663

Website: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Opening hours: May - Oct: 9am - 5pm (daily); Nov - Apr: 10am - 4pm (daily)

Price: 14 USD (adults), 4 USD (children), special concessions apply for seniors and students

10. Maryland Science Center

A great museum to inculcate and build upon the love of science, this science museum in Maryland features three levels of exhibits, a planetarium, and an observatory. Encounter science with exciting demos, watch the night sky unfold before your eyes at the rooftop observatory, and get wowed by over a dozen full-sized dinosaur exhibits on display. With so much to see and do, the MSC is truly worth planning a day trip with your family!

Maryland Science Center

Address: 601 Light Street, Baltimore MD 21230

Website: Maryland Science Center

Opening hours: Thu - Sun: 10am - 5pm (closed from Mon - Wed)

Price: 25.95 USD (adults), 19.95 USD (children), special concessions apply for seniors

11. Washington County Museum of Fine Arts

With a collection of over 7,000 pieces of art including paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures, this art museum in Marland is dedicated to fine arts education and showcasing the work of regional artists. Visit the museum for its American art, and a growing collection of international pieces, alongside special events such as raffles and photo contests to engage with the local community.

Washington County Museum of Fine Arts

Address: 401 Museum Dr. Hagerstown, MD 21740

Website: Washington County Museum of Fine Arts

Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 10am - 4pm; Sun: 1pm - 4pm (closed on Mon and certain public holidays)

Price: Free

12. B&O Railroad Museum (from USD 20.0)

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Railroad enthusiasts will be looking forward to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, located in Baltimore City’s historic neighborhood. Home to the oldest and most extensive American railroad collections in the world, visitors can anticipate viewing nearly 200 pieces of locomotives, learning about railroading technology from the 1830s, and appreciating restored historic structures on the museum grounds. With 40-acres (16.2ha) of grounds for exploration, this museum is a must-visit if you pass through Maryland!

Advance Admission Ticket to B&O Railroad Museum

Duration: 2 hours

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An enriching experience for everyone

Whether you are an aesthete, a history buff, an aspiring scientist, or a maritime enthusiast, you will find a museum that will satiate your hunger for knowledge. With so many interesting museums, even if you are not staying in Maryland for long, you must make the trip to visit at least one!