Kent County

Maryland's second oldest county was founded in 1642 by settlers who named it for the county they left in England. Living and working on the water are very important here. The Rock Hall Museum shows Native American artifacts and nautical relics, and the Waterman's Museum, also in Rock Hall, has exhibits on oystering, crabbing and fishing.

Many historic homes line the waterfront of Chestertown, which is the county seat and located on its namesake, the Chester River. It is the home of Washington College, the only college to which George Washington gave permission for the use of his name. Following the Boston Tea Party in 1773, the angry citizens of Chestertown threw a shipload of tea from the British brigantine, Geddes, into the river. Each May, the town's residents gather and hold a weekend festival to reenact the Chestertown Tea Party.

Near Chestertown, visit area wildlife in the 3,000-acre Remington Farms refuge or take a boat ride and visit each of the 31 marinas in the county.

Queen Anne's County

Although Queen Anne's County was founded in 1706, Kent Island was established as a trading post in 1631. As more people settled there, the county was formed and named for the reigning Queen of England. The county seat is Centreville and the county courthouse there is the oldest 18th-century courthouse still in use in Maryland. A statue of Queen Anne stands in front of the courthouse.

Today, Kent Island is the gateway to the Eastern Shore for travelers driving east from Annapolis on the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge - or Chesapeake Bay Bridge, as it is better known. In the town of Stevensville, on Kent Island, is the 1902 Queen Anne's Railroad Station. Across from the island, in Grasonville, the Wildfowl Trust of North America/Horsehead Wetlands Center will give you glimpses of deer, red fox, river otter, geese and many species of ducks. Boating, fishing and hunting also are popular activities in Queen Anne's County.

The boundary between Queen Anne's and Talbot counties runs through Wye Mills, where the mill ground flour for George Washington's army. Nearby, in Talbot County, are the 450-year-old Wye Oak and the 1721 Wye Church.

Talbot County

You'll find yourself immersed in Bay history and lore at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. Its collection includes exhibits on boat building, Chesapeake Bay craft, steamships and decoy carving, plus the Hooper Strait Lighthouse, a restored skipjack, a bugeye and other Bay craft. St. Michaels has been called "the town that fooled the British" because the townspeople hung lanterns in the trees during the War of 1812 and the British cannons overshot the houses. Southwest of St. Michaels is Tilghman Island, home port for many of the Chesapeake Bay's remaining skipjacks.

Talbot County was created in 1662 and named for Grace Talbot, the sister of Cecil Calvert. In Easton, the county seat, is the Third Haven Meeting House, probably the oldest church building in the country.

Another old town is Oxford, once a major port and shipbuilding center. You can get to Oxford by taking the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, the longest cable-free ferry in the U.S. There you'll find a replica of the first Customs House in the U.S. and the Robert Morris Inn, home of Robert Morris, Sr., a successful colonial merchant and father of Philadelphian Robert Morris, often called the "financier of the Revolution." 

Caroline County

Welcome to Caroline County, located in the heart of Maryland's beautiful Eastern Shore.

Caroline County was created in 1773 from Dorchester and Queen Anne's counties. The county is named for Lady Caroline Eden, the wife of Maryland's last colonial governor, Robert Eden (1741 - 1784). Lady Caroline was the daughter of Charles Calvert, Fifth Lord Baltimore, and the sister of Frederick Calvert, Sixth Lord Baltimore.

Come and discover its natural beauty. The county is home to more than 5,000 acres of parkland and wildlife preserves, a perfect setting for year-round recreation. Visit our miles of trails available for hiking, cycling or canoeing. Wildlife enthusiasts will marvel at our hunting, fishing or boating opportunities. Golfers will find challenging courses to tackle. There is something for everyone to enjoy!

Stroll through charming small towns, tour our historic landmarks and museums.

Dorchester County

Like most places on the Eastern Shore, water and history complement each other in Dorchester County. English settlers came to the area in the early 17th century and named the county for Sir Edward Sackville, the Earl of Dorset and friend of the Calvert family.

The 1684 port town of Cambridge, the county seat, has many historic homes, buildings and museums with agricultural, maritime, industrial and Native American displays. The Brannock Maritime Museum houses exhibits on Maryland's "Oyster Navy" and Chesapeake Bay history. Outside of Cambridge, the Dorchester Heritage Museum has exhibits on aviation, archaeology and local history, and the Richardson Museum focuses on the Bay's long heritage of wooden boat building. Also near Cambridge is the only existing post windmill in Maryland. The Spocott Windmill still grinds flour on special occasions. Next to the windmill are the Tenant House, the 1868 Schoolhouse and the General Store, which complete the picture of life in another era.

Harriet Tubman was an enslaved woman who was born in Dorchester County in 1820. She later escaped to the North and became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, which helped slaves escape to freedom. Today you can see a marker at her birthplace and visit The Underground Railroad: Harriet Tubman Museum and Gift Shop.

The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is an important nesting and feeding area for wild geese, osprey, swans, owls, muskrats, rare Delmarva fox squirrels and bald eagles. South Dorchester County has been called the "Cape Cod of the South" for its quaint watermen's villages and ferry bridge.

Wicomico County

Wicomico County was created in 1867, but was settled as early as the 1660s. The name comes from the Native American words meaning "place where houses are built." The English and Scottish settlers came because of the abundant land available for farming.

The county seat, Salisbury, is the largest city on the Eastern Shore. Take a walk in the park along the Wicomico River or cruise aboard the Maryland Lady and imagine yourself back in the days of the steamboats, or follow county history through exhibits at the Wicomico Heritage Center or at nearby Pemberton Hall. The art of decoy and bird carving is celebrated at the famous Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art. Salisbury's excellent zoo has animals and birds indigenous to North and South America.

Somerset County

Harvesting seafood is a way of life in Somerset County. This rural county was founded in 1666 and was named for Lady Mary Somerset, sister of Cecilius Calvert's wife, Lady Anne Arundell. Most of the settlers came from Virginia to escape religious persecution.

The town of Crisfield is known as "The Crab Capital of the World" because so many of the residents' lives are centered around these tasty crustaceans. A visit to the Governor Tawes Historical Museum in Crisfield will take you through the town's history, its seafood industry and life of the area. Take a cruise boat or ferry to Smith Island, a unique community where things have changed very slowly since the island was first settled.

In the historic district of Princess Anne, the county seat, the county historical society is headquartered in the Teackle Mansion, an imposing replica of a Scottish manor house. From horse-drawn farm implements to musical instruments, you'll see thousands of items from turn-of-the-century rural life at the Burgess Americana Museum. The Fairmount Academy in Upper Fairmount is another reminder of days gone by. This two-story gothic revival structure is the last 19th-century schoolhouse standing in the country.

Worcester County

The only ocean-front county in Maryland, Worcester County was founded in 1742 and was named for the Earl of Worcester. The county seat, Snow Hill, was named after the Snow Hill section of London by Colonel William Stevens. The Julia A. Purnell Museum in Snow Hill has exhibits depicting the Victorian period of the Southern Eastern Shore, and the nearby Pocomoke River State Park has nature trails, indoor exhibits and areas for bird watching.

Another town with Victorian charm is Berlin. Its name is a combination of "Burleigh," after Burleigh Plantation and "inn". You can learn more about the town's history and its prominent citizens at the Calvin B. Taylor Museum. Or visit the Atlantic Hotel, which is more than 100 years old.

Wild ponies roam the beaches and dunes of Assateague Island National Seashore, a 37-mile long barrier island south of Ocean City. One legend says the ponies are descendants of horses that survived the shipwreck of a Spanish galleon. Another says they were brought to the New World by early settlers. Maryland's only ocean park, Assateague State Park, has campsites, bike trails and rental boats so both residents and visitors can enjoy the shore.

Cecil County

Cecil County, which wraps around the upper end of the Bay, is known for its horse farms, historic churches and taverns, as well as many miles of waterways.

The county was founded in 1674 and was named for Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore and founder of Maryland. This was an important stop for colonial travelers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who stopped at Rodgers Tavern in Perryville on their way to and from Philadelphia. Later, the town of Chesapeake City got its share of travelers as they passed through the C&D Canal, which connected the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River. In Chesapeake City, you'll find the C&D Canal Museum in an old pump house and a huge water wheel used to maintain the water level in the nearby canal locks. This canal, which is one of the most important canals in the country, became federal property in 1919.

The Fair Hill Nature and Environmental Center offers outdoor educational programs for all ages. More than 750,000 American shad pass through the fish lift at the Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant each year. It is one of the nation's largest hydroelectric generating stations and has a visitors center. Popular local pastimes such as hunting, fishing, boating and decoy carving are celebrated at the Upper Bay Museum in North East.