Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Interesting museum. Learned a lot about boats, sailing, the evolution of logs and so much more. Staff was very nice and pleasant.

Came on a Sunday, still has open hours even in the winter. Great museum that covers all the aspects of Chesapeake Bay life. The museum is spread out over different buildings and there is more of a feeling of exploration as you move from building to building. Loved the lighthouse, duck decoy exhibit, and watching the boats leave the museum marina.

This place is a hidden gem. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of this place before. We had a great time at the museum. It’s pretty cool and also educational at the same time. I definitely would recommend. I really enjoyed the Lighthouse. That was one of my favorites. We did the boat ride. They also had a heated boat ride. Or Air conditioned depending on the weather. They also sell adult beverages on the same cruise. For about $ 25.00 l think. Not a bad price l may be off a little but I think that’s what she said. Oh and the indoor cruise goes for 90 minutes. We arrived right after they left. We were on a tight schedule so we opted for the outdoor boat. They had outdoor seating available and the view was great. It was pretty windy out though. Nevertheless it was a great tour. This particular boat board every hour. Oh make sure you check in with Unilocal to save you $ 5.00 per person on the admission fee for the museum. :) The drive is about an hour away from the Severn /​Hanover, md area but you could make a day of it because there was a St. Michael’s Winery near by to do a wine tasting. We didn’t get a chance to do that but we said on our next trip that would be on the agenda. :)

My wife and myself thoroughly enjoyed our selves in this museum. The people who worked there were very informative and helpful. We spent several hours there looking at most of the exhibits. I especially enjoyed the boat shop where they were restoring an old boat.
In the building where the oyster boat is stored there is a 4 LB oyster from the 1700’s.
If you take the Patriot cruise they provide a $ 3 discount coupon to tour the Museum.

This is a great museum. At first we thought the $ 15 a pop admission was a little pricey, but you can easily spend the better part of the day going through all the exhibits and enjoying the view. The museum is dog friendly, which is pretty awesome. The pooch and our 1-​year-​old had a blast wandering around. There are multiple buildings to explore with different aspects of maritime and Chesapeake Bay history. If I was so busy chasing a toddler around, I could tell you more about the exhibits. But what I can tell you is it’s a really great place for kids. Lots to see, do, and touch. Our favorite exhibits were the lighthouse, At Play on the Bay, the boat shed, and the Waterman’s Wharf (where you can check if crab and eel pots or tong for oysters).

Excellent and interesting museum! We had a great time going from building to building. The exhibits are well-​presented and informative and I love that so many were interactive. My favorite was the lighthouse. I never would’ve guessed that there are actually three levels inside, all of which you can visit. Of course, there’s a lovely view of the bay. There are picnic tables and benches under the lighthouse where you can rest in the shade or enjoy a bag lunch.
Another cool thing was the artisans working on their crafts while chatting with visitors. On our visit there were net makers, decoy duck carvers, and a shipbuilder (female!). All were happily answering questions and were a nice change from the usual video accounts.
Being from the DC area, I’m spoiled by the free Smithsonian museums so the $ 15 adult tickets seemed high. However, the ticket is good for two days which is great for anyone with little kids that may get tired and want to come back later. Discounts are offered for kids, seniors, students, and military. The entrance building has a cute little area where you can get complimentary coffee and bottled water. There’s no snack bar but there is a cart where you can buy drinks and sno cones.

My fiancé and I had a lovely visit yesterday when we decided to go to St. Michael’s for a day trip. We LOVE that they support military families by providing free admission. We loved watching the several boats being built, exploring «Thor,» and poking around the exhibits. We even saw mention of our tiny town, Galesville! Beautiful location and great quality of exhibits.
We will definitely be back!

WOW! A Great place to visit. Living History at it’s finest!
Great Historic Village representing the Ship Building, Hunting, and Fishing Industries. A real Boat Building experience. Summer Study Programs for Children, Apprenticeship Boat building opportunities, Historic Boat Tours! Decoys, Models, A Huge Collections of Shot Guns, Boats, and Fishing Lures. This is a Totally Rounded History Museum! PLAN ON SPENDING A DAY! Remember, this is a NON PROFIT, All Proceeds go to the Bay Museum. Memberships are available, and encouraged to keep a part of Americana Alive!!!

YES! This is a fabulous museum for any age group, with plenty of hands-​on activities to keep people interested and really enhance the learning.
I hadn’t been to this museum in years and years, and wow, it’s changed. I could honestly go again and again.
Each exhibit is carefully curated, with plenty of visuals to illustrate the rich history of the wonderful Chesapeake.
I could have honestly spent an entire day there, as there are plenty of buildings with lots of interesting exhibits and things to see and do.
Honestly, we had such a great time we’re thinking of annual membership.
They also have boats for sale, some of which are pretty neat!