In case you hadn’t noticed, ShoreBread loves going Day Trippin’ to local museums. What’s not to love? History, culture, art…our local museums offer a little bit of everything. What’s more, we have an array of museums scattered across the Eastern Shore, from larger museums like the Ward Museum in Salisbury, to smaller selections such as the Taylor House Museum in Berlin. No matter you’re interest, there is undoubtedly a museum for you. We were thrilled to learn that National Smithsonian Day is this week, an annual event hosted by Smithsonian Magazine in which participating museums across the country open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Ticket…for free. Museum Day is this Saturday, September 28, so we’re Day Trippin’ our way to a local museum…and you should too.

Each year, Smithsonian Magazine hosts the National Museum Day in an effort to encourage the celebration of our national museums. As part of the celebration, free admission is offered to participating venues, with several participating venues in Maryland and Delaware. To participate, simply visit the Museum Day Live! Website to get an office Museum Day Live! Ticket. One ticket is available per household and grants access for two people. A ticket will gain entry to one of the participating museums, excluding parking and special events.

Maryland has a multitude of participating museums, and while most of them are over the bridge, there are several right here on the Eastern Shore to check out if you’re not up for a long day trip to Baltimore or Annapolis:

Historical Society of Talbot County, Easton

Julia A. Purnell Museum, Snow Hill

Mount Zion One Room School, Snow Hill

Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, Ocean City

The Ward Museum, Salisbury

Calvin B. Taylor House Museum

Delaware also has a collection of museums participating this year. The closer museums are as follows:

Treasure of the Sea Exhibit, Georgetown

The Lewes Historical Society, Lewes

Milton Historical Society, Milton

Elsie Williams Doll Collection, Georgetown

While any of the above museums would make for an entertaining day trip, we plan on killing two birds with one stone (metaphorically of course) by dual Day Trippin’ to the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum and the Wine on the Beach Festival. Both are located at the southernmost end of the boardwalk in Ocean City, and both are terrific ways to spend your day. ShoreBread went Day Trippin’ to the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum a few weeks ago and discovered a number of Ocean City facts and exhibits from boardwalk history to Ocean City surfing history. Spend a few hours checking out the history of the town and then head to the inlet parking lot for Ocean City’s Annual Wine Fest.  The 17th Annual Wine Fest at the beach features wineries from the East Coast, as well as micro-brewed beers, Delmarva cuisine, arts and crafts, and local and regional live music. Museum and wine day? What could be better?

Until next time…