LEONARDTOWN, Md. – On March 25, 2021, celebrate the founding of Maryland at the state’s birthplace at St. Clement’s Island Museum with free museum admission and free water taxi rides from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In light of the continuing pandemic, the customary commemoration ceremony will be virtual this year. Tune into the St. Clement’s Island Museum’s Facebook page at 12 p.m. March 25, 2021, to view the special Maryland Day video produced just for 2021.
Maryland Day commemorates the first landing of English colonists on St. Clement’s Island March 25, 1634 – a significant part of St. Mary’s County’s and the State of Maryland’s story. The St. Clement’s Island Museum, which sits just a half-mile from the island from which it takes its name, is under the care of the St. Mary’s County Museum Division and interprets the fascinating stories of the island and surrounding Colton’s Point from colonial times until the present.
“Maryland Day is the most important event in our program year since it marks the beginning of the state of Maryland in 1634,” says Karen Stone, Manager of the St. Mary’s County Museum Division. “On this day, we honor the meeting of two cultures – the newly-arrived English and the native Piscataway – and the friendship and collaboration that ensued. It is also a day on which we celebrate Maryland’s religious history and its place in the development of the statutes of religious freedom that are so pivotal in this country’s history.”
The annual Maryland Day celebration is usually a popular, in-person ceremony attended by dignitaries and visitors from all around the state to remember Maryland’s establishment and its tenets of toleration. Though guests are invited to enjoy the Museum and water taxi for free all day, the ceremony will be aired on Facebook at noon.
The museum store will be open all day for shoppers and features a huge variety of Maryland, and St. Mary’s County-themed items, as well as a wide range of apparel, games, kid’s items, local books, art, souvenirs and much more.
Masks are required for all patrons, and distancing measures are in effect. Hand sanitizer and masks are available for the public. Staff will be masked and frequently cleaning any high touch surfaces.
Beginning on Maryland Day, the Museum officially kicks off its summer hours, which are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily. The water taxi to St. Clement’s Island State Park also begins daily operation.
For more information regarding Maryland Day at St. Clement’s Island Museum, please call the Museum at 301-769-2222. For hours of operation, programs, admission prices and more visit Facebook.com/SCIMuseum or museums.stmarysmd.com.