Photo credit: Museum of Historic Annapolis
Photo credit: Museum of Historic Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland—Historic Annapolis, Inc., the leading non-profit preservation and history organization in the Annapolis, will hold the Grand Opening of the new Museum of Historic Annapolis at 99 Main Street on Saturday, March 19 at 10 am.
The Museum will officially unveil its groundbreaking permanent exhibition, Annapolis: An American Story, already regarded by community leaders as a centerpiece for the city—representing the full and rich diversity of its community, a museum for all.
Festivities will include a grand opening ceremony, with remarks provided by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, and Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, and Robert Clark, President and CEO of Historic Annapolis. Community leaders and historic site partners will be among the distinguished guests. Special performances by the U.S. Naval Academy Band, poet and historian Chris Haley, and the Naptown Brass Band will augment the ceremony, which will be followed by a ribbon-cutting. The outdoor ceremony is open to the public and will begin at 10 am on Saturday, March 19 across the street from the Museum. Family activities and special living history events will be offered from 11:30 am to 4 pm at the Museum and additional Historic Annapolis sites.
Ties to Our National Historic Narrative
The Museum shares the deep historic connections of Annapolis to the larger American historic narrative. Through dramatic personal stories, visitors discover the role of the Annapolis community at the center of the national story. A colonial printing press and a 1950s lunch counter both demonstrate ways Americans have brought forth new ideas, voiced protest, and demanded systemic change across more than 300 years in Annapolis.
A Collective Voice, Our Untold Stories
Historic Annapolis directly involved community residents, many whose families have been here for generations, to gather their stories and family histories. Many shared photos and objects from their family collections that are now displayed in the exhibits. Through this community outreach and partnership, the museum provides a wider, more inclusive narrative that reveals the struggles within the community during the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Jim Crow era of segregation, and the triumphs of the community across the centuries as the home of revolutionaries, visionaries, and civil rights champions in our nation’s continuing quest for liberty and justice.
A Gateway for Visitors to the City
The Museum is the place for everyone to start their visit to Annapolis, providing a fun and engaging overview of the city’s history. Visitors are encouraged to go out and explore more in a city-wide experience with 10 additional partner sites all located within walking distance of the Museum, including the William Paca House and Garden, Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park, Banneker-Douglass Museum, Hammond-Harwood House, the Maryland State House, Mitchell Gallery at St. John’s College, the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, the James Brice House, Hogshead, and the historic Waterfront Warehouse.
The Museum of Historic Annapolis is located at 99 Main Street and is currently open Fridays through Mondays. The Museum will be open seven days a week beginning March 19.
Museum admission on March 19 will be half-price and will include living history and special activities for all ages. Additional family activities will be offered all day at Historic Annapolis sites: the William Paca House and Garden, Hogshead, and the Waterfront Warehouse.
For more information about the Museum and current hours, please visit museum.annapolis.org.
