The Maryland Historical Society (MdHS), founded in 1844, is the state’s oldest cultural institution. Located at 201 W. Monument Street in the Mount Vernon Cultural District, the MdHS collects, preserves, and interprets more than seven million artifacts and documents reflecting Maryland’s diverse heritage through a museum, library, press, and extensive educational programs. The collection includes the original manuscript of Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” as well as one of the most extensive collections of Americana in the world. This museum has several permanent exhibits including Looking for Liberty, Furniture in MD Life, Maryland Through the Artist’s Eye, and Served in Style: Silver Collection of the Maryland Historical Society. Temporary exhibitions are open throughout the year in the galleries of the museum and the library. Satellite sites include the Baltimore Civil War Museum and the Fells Point Maritime Museum.
This two-room museum overlooking the harbor recalls the shipbuilding history of Fells Point. With interactive displays, maps, photos, and models of ships of the War of 1812, pilot schooners, and Baltimore clippers, the museum aims to tell about the sailors and shipbuilders who made this part of the city their home. A continuously running video of the Pride of Baltimore II offers a glimpse of how sailors handled these ships.