Maryland Office of TourismWhat’s New
• Dinosaur Park: Site of dinosaur and plant fossil deposits from the Cretaceous Period. Interpretive signs tell the story of early flowering plants and of the industrial history of the area. Fossils unearthed on site will be donated to the Smithsonian Institute. Laurel, Prince George’s County.
• Piedmont Wine Trail: Stop in historic towns, hike through numerous state parks and tour the many cultural attractions along The Piedmont Wine Trail. Six different wineries are located on this trail. Baltimore and Harford Counties.
• Canal Quarters: Visitors can now spend the night in one of four refurbished lockhouses along the 297-kilometre C&O Canal that have been furnished to evoke different eras in the canal’s history. Various counties.
Attractions
• Historic St. Mary’s City: Original point of settlement in Maryland, today a living history museum with costumed interpreters re-enacting life in the 1600s.
• National Aquarium in Baltimore: World-renowned facility and Maryland’s top tourist attraction is home to more than 11,000 creatures in naturalistic habitats.
• Antietam National Battlefield: Preserves the scene of the bloodiest one-day battle in U.S. history, when Union soldiers fought to end the first northern invasion of General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate soldiers in 1862.
Maryland Office of Tourism• Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine: Location of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812 and birthplace of the National Anthem as written by Frederick lawyer Francis Scott Key.Events
• Preakness Stakes (May), Baltimore.
• Maryland State Fair (late August to early September), Lutherville Timonium.
• National Hard Crab Derby and Fair (Labour Day Weekend), Crisfield.
• Autumn Glory Festival (October), Oakland and throughout Garrett County.
Places
• Baltimore: The state’s largest and most-visited city. Known for its redeveloped Inner Harbor.
• Eastern Shore: Popular from May to October, when visitors can sail or fish by day and participate in an old-fashioned crab feast at night.
• Ocean City: Maryland’s family-friendly seaside resort town, with a 16-kilometre-long white sandy beach.
• Annapolis: The capital of Maryland since 1694 and home to the U.S. Naval Academy.
• Deep Creek Lake: Maryland’s four-season resort with the largest freshwater lake (105 kilometres of shoreline) and the only downhill ski resort in the state.
Hidden Gems
• Cunningham Falls State Park: Situated within the Catoctin Mountains. Known for its history and scenic beauty, as well as its 24-metre cascading waterfall. Clients can enjoy “easy” to “steep and strenuous” day hikes with rock outcrops and waterfalls. Two trails, Old Misery and Cat Rock, link together and rise to an elevation of 475 metres.
• Arts & Entertainment Districts: Hubs of cultural activity. Highlights include museums, gardens, galleries, theatres and upscale shopping.
Did You Know?
State Motto: Industry, The Means, Plenty The Result
State Flower: Black-eyed Susan
State Bird: Baltimore oriole
Fast Facts
Region: MID-ATLANTIC
America’s Byways: Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway, Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway, Historic National Road.
Direct Flights: Air Canada, Northwest, United Airlines, US Airways.
Cruise Lines: Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises.
Sales Tools: For collateral material call 1-800-719-5900 or visit www.visitmaryland.org.
Info: Maryland Office of Tourism Development
1-800-791-5900
www.visitmaryland.org