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HISTORY
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NATIVE AMERICAN
AFRICAN AMERICAN
WILDLIFE
RURAL LIFE
HERITAGE
TOURING
OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND
We’re always happy to see you in Ocean City!
T
This popular seaside resort, famous for its three-mile, awardwinning boardwalk is your home base for enjoying life beside the
Atlantic and for exploring the cultural heritage of rural Eastern
Shore living.
Ocean City provides your group an opportunity to sample a
wide range of accommodations and fine dining as well as fun
activities and entertainment. This beach town is unique in its
proximity to rural life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Here you can
experience interactive museums, visit quaint small towns and see a
magnificent variety of wildlife viewing opportunities, all within a
90 minute drive from your home base in Ocean City!
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From the Inlet you can
see the barrier island of
Assateague, home to
the National Seashore
Park and Assateague
State Park, an
undeveloped area of
high sand dunes, salt
marshes and wild
ponies.
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From the Inlet you can
see the barrier island of
Assateague, home to the
National Seashore Park
and Assateague State Park,
an undeveloped area of high
sand dunes, salt marshes
and wild ponies.
Center. This facility is a
multi-million dollar heritage
and hands-on cultural
museum and will be a
regional center for learning
about the lower Eastern
Shore environment and early
rural life in the area.
The National Park Service
says of Assateague, “From
beach to bay, Assateague
Island holds a wealth of
habitats and natural features.
Forests, marshes, beaches,
shrublands, grasslands, and
dunes, can all be found
within the Seashore’s
boundaries.” It’s the perfect
place to observe the many
facets of nature and the
changing environment.
Assateague is also a
refreshingly scenic beach to
contemplate and reflect on
the world and all its
communities, both human
and non-human.
Pocomoke City, about 30
minutes from Ocean City, is
the home of this unique
exhibition. “The Delmarva
Discovery Center on the
Pocomoke River will be a
living museum, a space for
learning and discovery for
visitors of all ages. Located on
the Pocomoke River in
downtown Pocomoke City, the
Discovery Center will focus on
river ecology, the history of the
Pocomoke River, including
shipbuilding, trading, and
fishing, and local Native
American historical culture.”
A new attraction south of
Ocean City is the new
Delmarva Discovery
Spend some time in
Pocomoke City, Berlin or
Snow Hill to have lunch,
see the historic homes or do
some antique shopping.
The Museums of
Worcester County offer ten
individual experiences to
choose from including the
Sturgis One Room School,
the only African-American
one-room school remaining
in the county. Docents here
offer a wealth of information
on the rural African
American experience.
The Julia A. Purnell
Museum, nicknamed “The
Attic of Worcester County”
exhibits include Native
American history, historic
fashions and unique needle
art by Julia Purnell. Popular
Furnace Town has regularly
scheduled events that include
a printshop, woodworkers
shop and the other necessities of a 19th century
village.
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Ward Museum of
Wildfowl Art
The most comprehensive
collection of wildfowl
carving in the world invites
you to explore this unique,
indigenous North
American art form from
antique working decoys to
internationally acclaimed
contemporary sculpture and
painting. Sponsors of the
internationally known
wildfowl art competition,
held in Ocean City, this
unique facility in Salisbury,
is affiliated with Salisbury
University.
Tours can be arranged for
groups of all sizes and ages.
All tours are led by
experienced docents who
bring the collection to life
with anecdotes and details
about the individual
carvings, the evolution of
decoy making into a pure
American art form, and area
history. A resident carver is
available for a short carving
demonstration upon request.
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Heritage and Birding
Dorchester County is just a
short drive from Ocean City
and holds a treasure of
heritage-based touring.
Famous for seafood, the
Eastern Shore is especially
known for Maryland Blue
Crabs. You can tour a crab
processing plant, then enjoy a
crabcake sandwich at a great
restaurant or quaint
converted store that now
serves up seafood and local
‘flavor’.
Just south of Cambridge in
Dorchester is the Blackwater
National Wildlife Refuge.
Blackwater was established in
1933 as a refuge for migratory
waterfowl. Touted as the
“Everglades of the North” by
the Philadelphia Inquirer, this
area is composed mainly of
rich tidal marsh. It is one of
the chief wintering areas for
birds using the Atlantic
Flyway. Bald eagles and
Delmarva fox squirrels are
just two examples of the
endangered or threatened
species that can be regularly
spotted at Blackwater. A very
comfortable visitor center and
observation tower that is
serviced by an elevator makes
this an especially visitorfriendly facility for all ages.
The county holds many
paths to the past as several
sites serve as tribute to
Harriet Tubman and the
Underground Railroad
system used during the Civil
War, including the Harriet
Tubman Museum in
Cambridge.
Just east of this area is
Vienna. Located on the
shores of the historic
Nanticoke River, this portof-entry town served as a
center of commerce during
the Revolutionary years. The
town was attacked by British
forces and then was used by
blockade runners during the
Civil War.
Today, this quiet town has
done a wonderful job of
preserving its heritage with a
museum that contains an
assortment of antiques,
Native American artifacts
and historic photographs.
Another display features
equipment from the
Martinek Button Factory,
last family-owned manufacturer of mother of pearl
buttons.
Leave time for one last stop
on the way back to Ocean
City for the Adkins
Historical Museum
Complex. Located near the
Mason-Dixon Marker, Adkins
Historical and Museum
Complex offers visitors a tour
of eight buildings and the
gravestones of a Revolutionary
War patriot and his wife. The
furnished buildings include a
village store, a town lodge, a
The county holds
many paths to the
past as several sites
serve as tribute to
Harriet Tubman and
the Underground
Railroad system used
during the Civil War,
including the Harriet
Tubman Museum in
Cambridge.
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Your Ocean City accommodations await your return
along with wonderful choices for fine dining or
Boardwalk treats.
Ocean City hotels,
restaurants and attractions are
happy to be a part of your coastal
learning experience. Our seaside
resort serves as a fabulous
destination in spring and fall
when group rates are especially
attractive. Ocean City hospitality
partners can package an
experience to include
accommodations, exciting meal
events and entertainment to
complete your trip.
Contact the Group Tour &
Travel Coordinator at the
Convention & Visitors Bureau,
the Department of Tourism for
assistance, to learn more about
Ocean City and to receive free
planning materials. We can
connect you with our hospitality
partners who welcome your
group business. We offer meet
and greet service for your group
and we are always happy to see
you in Ocean City!
livery stable, a one room
schoolhouse and a
farmhouse circa 1724.
American Heritage. The
Chipman Cultural Center is
located right off Route 50.
Back in Salisbury, visit
the Delmarva Peninsula's
first African-American
school and church, built in
1838, and enjoy the variety
of educational displays and
cultural events that highlight
the area's rich African-
End your touring with
Ocean City’s own LifeSaving Station Museum.
Here the exciting life of the
early surfman is depicted.
These forerunners of today’s
Coast Guard policed the
shoreline pulling sailors to
safety with ropes and sheer
strength. The beach life of
Ocean City is shown
through fashions of the past
and unique doll houses,
replicas of the notable hotels
and attractions of Ocean
City past.
Norma Dobrowolski
Group Tour and Travel Coordinator
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Department of Tourism
Town of Ocean City, MD
4001 Coastal Hwy.
Ocean City, MD 21842
410-289-2800
410-289-0058 Fax
800-626-2326
www.ococean.com.
[email protected]