www.mdisfun.org

Capt. John Smith first explored Maryland in 1608. Since that time the state has furnished the nation with some of its most brilliant diplomats and patriots. Famous Marylanders include Benjamin Banneker, Francis Scott Key, Edgar Allen Poe, Upton Sinclair and Babe Ruth. The bravery of Maryland troops in the Revolution won the state its nickname, ‘‘The Old Line State.” Named after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I of England, Maryland is the eighth smallest state in the union with a total area of 10,460 square miles. Two hundred Europeans settled Maryland in 1634 and the state has flourished ever since. Maryland was the seventh of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution on April 28, 1788. In the War of 1812, a British fleet attempted to seize Fort McHenry in Baltimore. During a 25-hour bombardment from Sept. 13-14, 1814, American troops successfully defended the fort, inspiring Marylander Frances Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner, which later became our national anthem. The historic sights of Maryland are a great attraction for tourists and residents alike.

United States Naval Academy

121 Blake Road

Annapolis, MD 21402

(410) 293-1000

www.nadn.navy.mil

Visit the U.S. Naval Academy and walk the grounds of the world-famous higher institution for U.S. Naval officers and home for approximately 4,500 midshipmen and women. Established in 1845, the academy displays parades, concerts and other various events every year during ‘‘Commissioning Week,” finishing off with midshipmen graduation in late May. The Naval Academy Museum features 300 years of American Naval history. The center is open daily. Guided walking tours of the grounds are offered through the visitor center.

Annapolis

(410) 263-1183 ¥ www.annapolis.gov

Founded in the mid 17th century, Annapolis has been the capital of Maryland since 1695. It was the first peacetime capital of the United States. Since 1845, it has been the home of the U.S. Naval Academy. Tours are available at the State House, where Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris in 1784 that officially put an end to the American Revolution, just weeks after receiving George Washington’s resignation. The State House, built in 1772, is located in the center of Annapolis and was the first capitol of the United States. Today, it is the oldest state house still in legislative use in America.

Antietam National Battlefield

5831 Dunker Church Road

Sharpsburg, MD 21782

(One mile north of Sharpsburg, MD,

on Route 65.)

(301) 432-5124

www.nps.gov⁄anti

General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North culminated with the Battle of Antietam, in Maryland (or Sharpsburg, as the South called it). The battle took place Sept. 17, 1862, just 18 days after the Confederate victory at Second Manassas, 40 miles to the southeast in Virginia. The Visitor Center houses the museum, an observation room, a 134-seat theater, bookstore and research library. The Visitor Center is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. An all-inclusive park entrance fee is required. Children 16 and under are free. Ask about Military Group rates.

Baltimore

(443) 263-2220 ¥ www.ci.baltimore.md.us

The original town of Baltimore was founded in 1729, but it wasnÕt incorporated until 1796. Baltimore was named to honor the title of Maryland’s founding family, the six Lords Baltimore. It was a tiny village of 200 homes in 1768 when it became the Baltimore County seat. The city grew and became an important shipbuilding center where merchants prospered and the city’s port flourished. The city was separated from Baltimore County and given status equal to that of the counties in 1851. Baltimore was the third largest city in the nation by 1860 and today is the 13th largest. It is one of only two independent cities in the United States. With a world port, government offices, significant medical and educational institutions, and major tourist attractions, Baltimore is one of the most important cities on the East Coast.

Neighborhoods in Baltimore include Federal Hill, Fells Point, Little Italy and Mount Vernon Place. The popular neighborhood of Federal Hill was named for a huge celebration the residents held in honor of the ratification of the federal Constitution. The cannon on the hill overlooking the Inner Harbor is a reminder of the Civil War, when federal troops seized the railroads and occupied Baltimore and Annapolis to keep Maryland in the Union and to prevent Washington, D.C., from being surrounded by Confederate states. Among BaltimoreÕs literary landmarks is a house lived in by Edgar Allan Poe, who died in Baltimore in 1849. He is buried in Westminster Cemetery, where Baltimore teachers and schoolchildren erected a monument to him with money collected in 1875.

Baltimore Zoo

Druid Hill Park

Baltimore, MD 21217

(410) 366-LION

www.marylandzoo.org⁄

The Baltimore Zoo is located in northern Baltimore. Visit the zoo to see more than 2,000 animals while learning more about the animal kingdom. Learn about endangered wildlife at Keeper Encounters, EdZOOcation classes, behind-the-scenes tours, and Zoo Camps. The main zoo features a three-acre African elephant park and a hippo, and African flamingo exhibit. Take a safari through Africa. Discover hands-on adventures in our number-1-rated Children’s Zoo, and explore the winding path through the Lyn P. Meyerhoff Maryland Wilderness. Open every day except Christmas.

Fort McHenry

2400 East Fort Avenue

Baltimore, MD 21230-5393

(410) 962-4290

www.nps.gov⁄fomc

This historic site, located in south Baltimore, features a replica flagpole on the 1814 site that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that later became our national anthem. The fort, named after James McHenry, Secretary of War from 1796 to 1800, also features guard rooms, officers’ quarters, barracks, and cannons from the War of 1812 and Civil War periods.

The Fort McHenry guard, in historic attire, re-enacts life at the garrison on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Guided tours are conducted daily from mid-June to August. Special exhibits are available for those people who are visually or hearing impaired, and the visitor center has an exhibit area featuring a film. Open daily except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Harborplace & The Gallery

200 East Pratt Street, 4th Floor

Baltimore, MD 21202-6103

(410) 332-4191

www.harborplace.com

Spend the day in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and witness first-hand what makes Baltimore one of the greatest cities on the East Coast. Offering everything from exquisite dining and endless shopping to adventurous nightlife. Many sights await visitors at the Inner Harbor.

Maryland Science Center

Davis Planetarium &IMAX Theater

601 Light Street

Baltimore, MD 21230

(410) 685-5225⁄2370

www.mdsci.org

Located in the inner harbor, the Maryland Science Center makes science fun for children and adults alike. The center features exhibits about the Chesapeake Bay, hands on scientific experiments and more. The IMAX Theater features a five-story high screen and 38 surround sound speakers. Admission is $7 for military members, students and seniors; $9 for others. Check with ITT.

National Aquariumin Baltimore

501 East Pratt Street Pier 3

Baltimore, MD 21202

(410) 576-3800

www.aqua.org

Visit the Nation’s premier aquarium, the National Aquarium in Baltimore. See an all-new Dolphin Show and more than 10,500 marine and freshwateranimals. Journey deep into the heart of the Amazon River Forest, come face to face with the stunning creatures that make a home in the Atlantic Coral Reef, glance into the eye of a menacing Shark in our Open Ocean exhibit, and so much more! Best time to visit is before 11am. Discount tickets may be purchased through recreation⁄ticket offices on local military bases.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

333 West Camden St.

Baltimore, MD 21230

(410) 685-9800

www.theorioles.com

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the beautiful baseball-only facility in downtown Baltimore, became the official home of the Orioles April 6, 1992. Oriole Park is state-of-the-art yet unique, traditional and intimate in design. It blends with the urban context of downtown Baltimore while taking its image from baseball parks built in the early 20th century. The ballpark seats 48,876. A light rail system brings fans directly to the park.

Laurel Park

Route 198 and Racetrack Road

Laurel, MD 20725

(301) 725-0400, (410) 792-7775

www.laurelpark.com

With 360 acres, Laurel Park is located midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and only seven miles from Fort Meade. Pimlico, under the same management, is located in Baltimore. It is home to the renowned Preakness Stakes since 1873. This second leg in Thoroughbred’s Triple Crown is run on the third Saturday in May.

Washington, D.C.

(202) 789-7000 ¥ www.dchomepage.net

The District of Columbia, named for George Washington and Christopher Columbus in 1791, is the seat of the federal government and the nation’s capital. This 63-square-mile city boasts a population of more than a half million residents with hundreds of sights and points of interest that attract visitors from around the world. The city’s climate is described as humid subtropical with the temperature in winter averaging 34 degrees and 77 degrees during the summer, although these are subject to wide fluctuations. Maj. Pierre L’Enfant designed Washington D.C. in 1791. It was the first city planned for a specific purpose. L’Enfant laid out the city around numerous circles and squares connected by straight boulevards. The layout has often been described as reminiscent of a series of wagon wheels. This design, often described as brilliant, allowed for growth; however L’Enfant could not have foreseen the advent of automobiles in a nation of more than 230 million people. Four sections make up Washington northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest. Any address is always followed by an abbreviation of the appropriate section of town: NE, SE, NW and SW. Washington has one of the most comprehensive and attractive public transportation systems on the East Coast, with Metro at the top of it all. The Metro not only connects the numerous sights in the city with each other, but the subway also branches out to parts of Virginia and Maryland.

Washington, D.C.

Jefferson Memorial

900 Ohio Drive, SW

Washington, D.C. 20024

(202) 426-6821 or (202) 619-7222

www.nps.gov⁄thje

A monument to our third president, this 19-foot bronze statue stands beneath a rotunda inscribed with passages from the Declaration of Independence and Jefferson’s other famous writings. Open daily except Christmas.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

2700 F Street N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20566

(800) 444-1324 or (202) 467-4600

(202) 416-8341 (group tours)

www.kennedy-center.org

Overlooking the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., the nation’s busiest arts facility presents more than 3,300 performances each year for audiences numbering more than 2 million. The Kennedy Center continues to fulfill his vision by producing and presenting an unmatched variety of theater and musicals, dance and ballet, orchestral, chamber, jazz, popular and folk music, and multi-media performances for all ages.

The Kennedy Center contains the Opera House, Concert Hall, Eisenhower Theater, the Terrace Theater, Hall of Nations and the American Film Institute Theater. The Millennium Stage presents free performances in the Grand Foyer every night at 6:00 p.m. Open daily for public viewing, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Shuttle available from Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro.

Lincoln Memorial

900 Ohio Drive, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20024

(202) 426-6841

www.nps.gov⁄linc⁄

The classic Greek temple memorial is located at West Potomac Park. This grand memorial overlooks the Reflecting Pool. Inside, the 19-foot marble statue of the 16th president is flanked by inscriptions of his Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address. Open daily, 8am-midnight. The nearest metro, Foggy Bottom-GWU; walk eight blocks south along 23rd Street N.W.

National Air & Space Museum

6th St. & Independence Avenue., S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20560

(Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near

Dulles International Airport)

14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway

Chantilly, VA

(202) 357-2700

www.nasm.si.edu

The National Air and Space Museum is open daily, except Dec. 25. General admission is free. Exhibits include the Wright Brothers’ flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Langley Theater IMAX films, the Einstein Planetarium, as well as hundreds of other aviation and space exhibits. Cafeteria and restaurant facilities are available. The new construction of the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles International Airport opened Dec. 15, 2003. The new facility displays hundreds of additional artifacts and offers events, educational programs, IMAX films and more. Closest Metro is Smithsonian.

National Zoological Park

3001 Connecticut Avenue. N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20008

(202) 673-4717

www.natzoo.si.edu

Highlights include the Great Flight Cage, Amazonia and the Great Ape House. Visit creatures ranging from giraffes to boa constrictors to big cats to the new panda bears. Open daily, except Christmas. From May 1 - Sept. 15, animal buildings are open 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the grounds are open 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. From Sept. 16 - April 30, animal buildings are open 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and grounds open 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Free. Closest Metro is Cleveland Park or Woodley Park-National Zoo.

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20500

(202) 456-2121

www.whitehouse.gov

Construction on this hallowed residence began in 1792 and ended amongst much patriotic fanfare in 1800. Though never inhabited by George Washington himself, the White House was nevertheless conceived by the Father of Our Nation as a Holy Fortress from which to guard against the tyranny of ‘‘big government” and ‘‘social programs.”

The President’s house is one of the most popular sights in D.C. Only the public rooms on the ground floor and the state floor may be visited, and the hours are limited. The White House may be closed at various times due to security concerns and special events. Nearest Metros are Farragut West, McPherson Square or Metro Center.