Historic Annapolis

Historic Annapolis Historic Annapolis ensures the legacy of Annapolis’s past will continue to enrich the city’s future. Check out what's going on at annapolis.org.

Exciting events and programs for the entire family throughout the year. Museum of Historic Annapolis
99 Main Street | 410.990.4754
For Hours and to Book Your Entry: museum.annapolis.org


William Paca House & Garden
186 Prince George Street | 410.990.4543
For Hours and to Book Your Entry: www.annapolis.org/other/visit-paca-house


Hogshead Trades Museum
43 Pinkney Street | 410.990.4543
For Hours: www.annapolis.org/contact/hogshead

This Labor Day, we’re celebrating the many hands that help preserve, restore, and share the stories of Annapolis. 💛 From...
09/07/2026

This Labor Day, we’re celebrating the many hands that help preserve, restore, and share the stories of Annapolis. 💛

From our dedicated staff and skilled gardeners to our incredible volunteers and contractors, so much of Historic Annapolis’s work is made possible by people who care deeply about our historic sites, landscapes, programs, and community.

Thank you for the time, talent, and hard work you contribute throughout the year—from caring for our gardens and historic properties to helping us bring meaningful programs and memorable events to life.

We are grateful for all you do to help keep Annapolis history thriving for generations to come.

Generosity keeps history alive.Today is International Day of Charity, a celebration of generosity, volunteerism, and the...
09/05/2026

Generosity keeps history alive.

Today is International Day of Charity, a celebration of generosity, volunteerism, and the power of communities working together. Observed each year on September 5, the day encourages people and organizations around the world to support causes that strengthen their communities.

At Historic Annapolis, your generosity supports the historic places, objects, and stories of Maryland’s capital city and helps us create meaningful opportunities for people to experience Annapolis’ diverse heritage.

On International Day of Charity, consider making a difference by supporting the places and stories that make Annapolis special.

❤️ Learn more about ways to support Historic Annapolis: https://www.annapolis.org/support/ways-to-give/

Fall is almost here, and we’re already dreaming about warm comfort food fit for Thanksgiving. This autumn season, Hist...
09/04/2026

Fall is almost here, and we’re already dreaming about warm comfort food fit for Thanksgiving.

This autumn season, Historic Annapolis unveiled some new faux food at the Paca House to reflect what individuals would typically eat in the 18th century.

The dining room table represents the first course of an autumnal meal with sweet potatoes, wild game, and seasonal fruits and nuts. The first course of a service a la francaise (French service) meal was always meat-heavy, but food was never wasted. Partially eaten roasts—like boiled calf’s head, saddle of lamb, and roasted goose—were served at breakfast or repurposed for service in supper dishes. Leftover roasts were used to make soups and stock, including the turkey soup you see on the table. In the kitchen, the Paca family’s enslaved cook would have prepared an apple pie, a common treat in Anglo-American cuisine.

Feast your eyes on this delectable dinner! And ask yourself: which of these foods would you eat in the fall?

09/04/2026

A tape loom was an ordinary and essential tool in colonial daily life. It was used to create woven tape, which was used in many everyday items like apron strings, petticoat ties, suspenders, garters, and straps for powder horns and tools. Looms could be set up to weave a variety of widths and allowed for creativity in colors and patterns. Stop by Hogshead and try your hand at weaving on the tape loom! We're open Friday 11-3, Saturday 11-3, and a special program on Sunday 11-3.

Loom by woodwright R. McKinney, 1777, and thank you to Vicki Embrey for her assistance with set up!

Special thanks to our amazing volunteer Laura Smith for helping bring this hands-on history to life!

The American Revolution was fought not only with muskets and bayonets but also with paint, wax, canvas, and even espio...
09/03/2026



The American Revolution was fought not only with muskets and bayonets but also with paint, wax, canvas, and even espionage.

Join Dr. Zara Anishanslin for a virtual lecture exploring the lives of three largely forgotten Patriot artists—Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright—and the roles they played in shaping revolutionary ideas on both sides of the Atlantic.

📅 Tuesday, September 8
🕢 7:30–9 pm
💻 Virtual via Zoom
🎟️ Free; advance registration required

Can’t watch live? Register and you’ll receive access to the recording after the event.

Learn more and register: https://www.annapolis.org/

What’s brewing in colonial Annapolis? ☕ Stop by Hogshead Trades Museum and meet Mary Howard, proprietress of the Marylan...
09/02/2026

What’s brewing in colonial Annapolis? ☕

Stop by Hogshead Trades Museum and meet Mary Howard, proprietress of the Maryland Coffeehouse. Discover how colonial coffeehouses became lively gathering places for news, rumors, debate, and revolutionary ideas.

📅 Sunday, September 6
🕚 11 am–3 pm
📍 Hogshead Trades Museum
🎟️ Free; $5 suggested donation

This is a drop-in program, and advance registration is recommended but not required.

Learn more and register: https://www.annapolis.org/event/livinghistory-coffeehouse-sept2026/

What can a gown tell us about life in 18th-century Annapolis? 👗 In a new post on the HA Blog, Curator Elizabeth Fox take...
09/01/2026

What can a gown tell us about life in 18th-century Annapolis? 👗

In a new post on the HA Blog, Curator Elizabeth Fox takes readers behind the scenes of a new reproduction gown created to represent Mary Chew Paca at the William Paca House & Garden.

Inspired by 18th-century fashion, surviving portraits, and historical records, the striking pink silk taffeta sack-back gown reflects the luxury and social status associated with elite women during Annapolis’ Age of Elegance. From stays and hoop pockets to gold embroidery, ruffles, and matching silk shoes, every detail helps us imagine how Mary might have dressed—even though no known portrait of her survives.

Discover the research, craftsmanship, and collaboration that brought this new interpretation to life, one seam at a time.

🔗 Read the full story: https://www.annapolis.org/anatomy-of-a-gown-mary-chew-paca/

References:

Pendergast, S., & Pendergast, T. (2004). Fashion, costume, and culture: Clothing, headwear, body decorations, and footwear through the ages.

The Papers of George Washington Digital Edition, Colonial Series, Vol. 6.

The Selected Papers of Charles Willson Peale and His Family (Vol. 5). (1983). Yale University Press.

Curious about midwifery and herbal medicine in colonial Annapolis? Meet Charlotte Small at the Museum of Historic Annapo...
08/31/2026

Curious about midwifery and herbal medicine in colonial Annapolis?

Meet Charlotte Small at the Museum of Historic Annapolis and discover her daily life as a midwife, herbalist, and tradeswoman. After the presentation, Charlotte will step out of character for an engaging Q&A.

📅 Saturday, September 5

🕦 11:30 am–12:30 pm or 1:30–2:30 pm

📍 Museum of Historic Annapolis

🎟️ $7 General Admission; free for children 7 and under, HA members, volunteers, and Military

Learn more and register: https://www.annapolis.org/event/livinghistory-callthemidwife/

Missed it live? Now you can watch the full conversation on YouTube! 🎥In April, Historic Annapolis welcomed historian and...
08/30/2026

Missed it live? Now you can watch the full conversation on YouTube! 🎥

In April, Historic Annapolis welcomed historian and philanthropist David Rubenstein and NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell for The American Experiment: Democracy at 250.

Recorded live at Maryland Hall on April 12, 2026, the conversation explores how America’s founding ideals have been documented, interpreted, and carried forward—and why they remain relevant today.

▶️ Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTpYS4TZT70
📸 Photo credit: Iris Nikki Photography

Love books and history? Join the Historic Annapolis Book Club for great conversation and a fresh look at the past throug...
08/28/2026

Love books and history? Join the Historic Annapolis Book Club for great conversation and a fresh look at the past through storytelling.

This month, we’re continuing The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History by Ned Blackhawk with Part II: Struggles for Sovereignty.

📅 Thursday, September 17
🕔 5–6 pm
📍 Museum of Historic Annapolis
🎟️ Free and open to all

Learn more and register: https://www.annapolis.org/event/historic-annapolis-book-club-5/

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99 Main Street
Annapolis, MD
21401

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