Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum | Ocean City

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM), located in the charming town of St. Michaels, Maryland, is an extensive cultural institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and celebrating the rich maritime history and heritage of the Chesapeake Bay region. Situated on an 18-acre waterfront campus along the Miles River, the museum serves as both an educational resource and a lively community hub, attracting visitors interested in maritime culture, boatbuilding, environmental stewardship, and Chesapeake Bay traditions.

Museum Grounds and Facilities

CBMM’s campus features a blend of indoor and outdoor spaces, including exhibit galleries, historic structures, working shipyards, and a harbor filled with historic vessels. The waterfront location allows visitors to experience the maritime environment firsthand while exploring the museum’s diverse offerings.

The museum’s facilities include a modern Visitor Center, an exhibit hall, a research library, and restoration workshops. These spaces support a broad mission that combines public education, preservation, and active cultural engagement.

Historic Vessels and Floating Fleet

One of the museum’s signature attractions is its Floating Fleet, which comprises more than 100 historic boats and watercraft native to the Chesapeake Bay. This collection includes iconic traditional vessels such as:

Skipjacks: The E.C. Collier (built in 1910) is one of the last surviving commercial sailing dredgers used historically for oyster harvesting in the bay. Visitors can board the E.C. Collier to learn about the challenging life of Chesapeake watermen.

Buyboats: Workboats historically used to transport oysters and other seafood from harvesting boats to processing facilities.

Log Canoes and Sharpies: Classic Chesapeake Bay workboats used for fishing and transportation.

The Floating Fleet is accessible via the museum’s piers, allowing visitors to walk aboard and explore these vessels, gaining a tactile and immersive understanding of maritime craftsmanship and history.

Key Exhibits and Interpretive Experiences

Hooper Strait Lighthouse: This 1879 screw-pile lighthouse was relocated and restored on the museum grounds. It is one of only a few remaining of its kind and offers insights into the history of navigation and lighthouse technology on the Chesapeake Bay. Visitors can tour the lighthouse and experience how lighthouse keepers lived and worked.

Oystering on the Chesapeake: This interactive exhibit centers around oyster harvesting, one of the bay’s most historically significant industries. Visitors engage with displays explaining oyster dredging, the life cycle of oysters, and their ecological and economic importance.

Waterman’s Wharf: A recreated crab shack where guests can participate in hands-on activities such as hauling eel traps and crab pots, offering a window into the daily work of Chesapeake Bay watermen and women.

Mitchell House: A historic building on-site that was once home to Eliza Bailey Mitchell, the sister of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. This house provides personal history contextualizing the region’s social and cultural landscape during the 19th century.

Water Lines: Chesapeake Watercraft Traditions: This exhibit displays nearly 30 small watercraft, showcasing the craftsmanship and diverse boatbuilding techniques unique to the Chesapeake Bay, reflecting the adaptability of local maritime culture to the bay’s varied conditions.

Educational and Hands-On Programs

The museum emphasizes experiential learning through a variety of programs designed to engage visitors of all ages:

Boatbuilding Workshops: CBMM operates an active shipyard where traditional boatbuilding and restoration take place. The “Apprentice for a Day” program invites visitors to participate in hands-on boatbuilding activities under expert guidance.

Historic Workboat Cruises: Visitors can take 45-minute rides aboard authentic Chesapeake Bay workboats, gaining practical insight into traditional fishing and oystering methods.

Patriot Cruises: The 65-foot Patriot vessel offers narrated sightseeing tours along the Miles River, combining natural beauty with maritime history interpretation.

Women’s Woodworking Workshops: These are specialized weekend programs aimed at introducing women to woodworking and boatbuilding skills in a supportive environment.

Youth and Family Programs: Seasonal camps, educational workshops, and school field trips immerse younger visitors in Chesapeake Bay ecology, maritime history, and cultural traditions.

Special Events and Community Engagement

CBMM hosts numerous festivals and events throughout the year, including seafood festivals, art shows, maritime heritage celebrations, and environmental awareness programs. Events such as “Free Fishing Fridays” encourage community participation in local fishing traditions with catch-and-release opportunities for all ages.

The museum also collaborates with regional organizations to promote Chesapeake Bay conservation and sustainable use of maritime resources, bridging cultural heritage with environmental stewardship.

Visitor Information and Amenities

Location: 213 North Talbot Street, St. Michaels, Maryland, along the scenic Miles River waterfront.

Accessibility: The museum is wheelchair accessible with designated parking and facilities.

Hours: Open daily with seasonal hours-generally 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM during spring through fall, and shorter hours in winter months.

Admission: Tickets provide two-day access to all museum exhibits and programs, with discounts for seniors, students, military personnel, and families. Admission is free for children under six.

Facilities: On-site amenities include a museum store offering maritime-themed gifts and books, a café serving light fare, picnic areas, and boat docking for members.

Significance

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum stands as a vital institution preserving the Bay’s unique maritime identity. Through its expansive collection, hands-on programs, and educational outreach, CBMM fosters appreciation for the Bay’s ecological, economic, and cultural significance. It is an essential destination for understanding how generations of watermen, boatbuilders, and communities have lived in harmony with the Bay’s waters, shaping the region’s history and sustaining its future.