In Annapolis, there’s history to be found around every corner; but sometimes you just have to discover it for yourself.
“One of our favorite ways to give groups an Annapolis history experience is to customize a really fun scavenger hunt—an ‘Amazing Race’—to find locations in the historic district,” says Lisa Culver of Annapolis-based Destination Paradise. “Folks seem to love this activity, which usually takes about 90 minutes. We give them visitor guides and maps and send them out with a challenge to find specific locations associated with Annapolis history. The district is a perfect walking area, so this really gets people acquainted with the city’s story.”
A broader Annapolis view comes during narrated trolley tours operated by Discover Annapolis Tours, which showcases not only the history but also capital views, Culver offers. The trolley winds through backstreets and boatyards, the city dock, past the State House, Colonial mansions, and Victorian painted ladies. After a bridge crossing, guests behold sweeping water views, the Naval Academy campus and historic church steeples on the Annapolis skyline from the Severn River Overlook.
Four Annapolis houses belonged to signers of the Declaration of Independence, and a couple of them make memorable platforms for private events juxtaposed against the history and water.
“The Charles Carroll House is on the water, the William Paca House has a garden that is considered a museum,” Culver says. “We’ve done some spectacular events at both.
“Most people want to be on the water at some point while they are in town,” she continues, “and so we like to put groups on a schooner to give them a cruise out of the harbor, past the Naval Academy and into the Severn River in view of the Bay Bridge. They get a lot of history narration along the way and a really fantastic outing that melds the maritime heritage with the rest of it.”
Wenches and squires in 18th century attire often mingle with groups during Annapolis receptions, regaling them with funny stories about life in their times. And these same characters can lead groups on walks between taverns and other history stops during progressive dinners inside the historic district. It’s an exciting way to combine 21st century culinary treats in the many restaurants and inns where America’s founding fathers may have dined.
Maritime heritage and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay is the theme of environmentally based educational programs that focus on the natural history of oysters and the cultural history of people who harvested and processed them. Groups of up to 40 can participate in the two-hour program offered by Watermark and Annapolis Maritime Museum.
Destination Paradise can be found on the Web at www.destination-paradise.com. Discover Annapolis Tour’s website is located at www.discoverannapolis.com
