historic annapolis museum

Many shoppers of this beautiful gift shop often miss something even better than the shopping itself! Upstairs, on the second & third floors is the most incredible "Freedom Bound: Runaways of the Chesapeake" exhibit.....presenting the true stories of nine men & women and their resistance to slavery in the Chesapeake area. The videos, artifacts, and memorabilia depict a side of slavery, which I think, that we have seldom heard. I guarantee that you will leave this exhibit with a new understanding of servitude & slavery. The exhibit is totally free, although there is a donation box located at the bottom of the stairs. I'm sure that, after viewing Freedom Bound, you will agree that this museum offering is definitely worth a donation.This is a definite "Do Not Miss"!

This small museum, located on the second and third floors of the building, is free to the public and houses a fascinating exhibit about some of the earliest inhabitants of Annapolis, highlighting several personal stories about slaves, indentured servants, and those who were brought as convicts.

We almost felt like we were visiting someone's restored home while touring this museum. It was wonderful to get a different perspective on life in Annapolis, including the lives of slaves. One thought-provoking exhibit: If you were a run-away slave, what would you take with you in order to survive? The whole exhibit is hands on and gets you to use all of your senses. The views from the windows are also great, as the museum sits right on the water. The gift shop has wonderful offerings, and I'm not really the gift-shop type. Worth a visit.

I hadn't been to downtown Annapolis for years and was disheartened that the T-shirt and tchotchke shops now greatly out number art galleries, but my discovery of the Historic Annapolis Museum Building made up for this. Worth a pop-in just to walk through a beautifully restored classic Annapolis brick building, the Museum Store that is housed on the first floor has a really nice selection of tasteful "stuff" at fair prices. I am not a big shopper and almost never buy things when on trips, but I left the store with festively decorated bags (free) holding perfect gifts for friends. I went upstairs reluctantly - expecting to see the usual Chesapeake historical exhibits (tall ships and the Battle of the Severn - important but done to death) and was transfixed by the current exhibit -"Freedom Bound Runaways of the Chesapeake". I think the quality and breadth of the exhibit is worthy of the Smithsonian and is worth a trip to Annapolis on its own merits. Informative but not preachy, factual but compelling - this exhibit is thought provoking and accessible to adults and children. Kudos to the curator! What a great traveling exhibit this would make for schools in counties along the bay. The museum is free - but if you love it as much as I did be sure not to miss the donation box. And best of all when you buy your T-shirts here, your money goes to support the museum :-)

O prédio é histórico, claro, com 3 andares: a exposição do museu fica no 2o e 3o andares e conta mais sobre a história de Annápolis e, apesar de pequeno, é super interessante, vale a visita. No 1o andar tem uma lojinha muito bonita com souvenirs e peças bem legais, nada muito caro, pelo contrário, melhor do que se vê por aí. O museu é gratuito.