annapolis maritime museum

In an old Oyster house, this museum tells the history o oystering on the Chesapeake Bay. The docents are delightful as are the displays which include actual old oystering boats outside. The site is beautifujl, a nice deck and pier to watch the boats sailing and motoring by. Donations accepted.

People come to Annapolis for a variety of reasons and then they don't want to leave. Ever wonder why? It's because of places to visit such as the Maritime Museum. Is it a Museum? Yes! Is it a place to take a nice lunch or dinner and sit out on the docks and enjoy the water, the nearby boats, the Sun Sets, the general Ambiance? Yes! You can sit on the pier or just grab one of the few picnic tables and enjoy a seafood meal as you watch the water fowl, boats, etc go by. The building is a former Oyster packing house. In its day folks worked 12 hour shifts to pack the harvested Oysters. Often there is an original Oyster harvesting boat known as a Skipjack and it is one of 13 remaining boats from a fleet of over 600 that were built for the sole purpose of working the Oyster harvesting trade. There are still 12 working Skipjack boats in the Chesapeake and the 13th boat is used for educational purposes and it is often docked right outside the Maritime Museum. Most of all the Museum is FREE and if there are kids in your group, this is a site NOT to be missed. Kids and grownups can learn all about Oysters, Blue Crabs, etc. This place is a real find!!! Go and enjoy!

We went here after reading the reviews and we are glad we did. It is small but my son loved it. He got to try on fishing gear and "work" on a boat. The real gem of this place is the guy who works there, Eric. He was a font of information, took a lot of time with us and really showed his love of the place with the care he took with everyone who visited. It is very small but if you have the time, it's worth the trip.

I hadn’t stopped by here in several years and I was recently reminded what a hidden gem this place is. Located in the Eastport section of Annapolis this is the site of the old McNasby Oyster Packing Plant. It has only been in operation as a museum since approximately 2000 but it is an integral part of the community reminding locals of their recent heritage and educating new residents and children to a time that is no longer. This is a hands on place with all the joys of “working” water communities. It is an educational place, a quiet place, a charming place and a real place that reeks of old Annapolis. Thanks gang for doing such a great job.

This is a small little museum on the Main Street but easy yo misuses it focuses on the history of the area and how it developed pretty interesting considering how small it is

Its a tiny museum but worth the trip. The gift shop has all kinds of cool things. There are historic photos in all the windows upstairs with descriptions - I liked that alot. A really cool old building also!

This is a cute little nautical exhibit with an oyster tank in the middle of the room. Interesting to walk around and read exhibits. This would take 1/2 hour or less to walk through. OR it would be a nice wedding venue. Although we didn't have the wedding here, it looked like a neat place to have it. They explained you could have high table with wine and appetizers in the exhibit area and a room on the water for the more formal reception. I liked the location - downtown Annapolis. They don't have food or drinks here. You would have to have it catered.

A very small museum with friendly staff. The best thing for kids is a dissected skip jack that kids can crawl all over, "steer" and explore. But a visit won't take longer than an hour. The views are great, and you get a good sense of the different types of oyster boats.

Annapolis is all about its maritime history - water and boats; they are the core of early Annapolis. This is a nice, little museum to take a stroll through. It's housed in an old oyster facility from when oysters were BIG, BIG business and the numbers are oysters taken was astounding. It's not big so well worth an hour or two of your time.

This converted oyster house maintains the tradition of the Annapolis waterfront. The museum has hands on exhibits that is great for kids and if in town on Thursday nights, the museum has presentations on maritime subjects for adults (drop ins welcome)

Eastport has changed from it's original working waterfront roots. This museum highlights what Eastport was like when oysters and watermen were thriving.

I found the Museum's oyster display incredibly informative. I could have stayed there for hours reading about this mighty bivalve, but sadly the group I was with didn't see the draw. Their huge aquarium is fascinating.I was disappointed that the store was closed (we were there in the afternoon) and a classroom full of fourth graders were allowed to run all over the place.

The day I went to the museum it was freezing cold. It's right on the water so it was a biting cold chill. The historical factors were awesome!!!!! Definitely good for children, family's, and couples. We also got to go crabbing. Didn't catch anything but was fun

Plan on spending a good amount of time to learn what you thought you knew. Very well displayed and requires a return trip.

The museum consists of one room with a few none functioning dioramas, an old oyster boat and several pictures and minor items from the oyster packing plant that was the buildings original use.