131 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Maryland - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Maryland

Ellicott City, Maryland

St. Mary's College

The haunting "Hell House Altar" is one of the few remnants of an abandoned college that has been a magnet for local legends.

Baltimore, Maryland

Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death

Eighteen miniature death-scene dioramas.

Fort Meade, Maryland

Forest Haven Asylum

This abandoned asylum was once a state of the art facility before devolving into one of the most deadly mental institutions in American history.

Baltimore, Maryland

George Peabody Library

It's not hard to see why the historic Peabody Conservatory of Music's library has been described as a "cathedral of books."

Baltimore, Maryland

Edgar Allan Poe's Grave

The trials and tribulations of marking Poe's grave.

Baltimore, Maryland

Bazaar

Crammed into a Baltimore row house is an oddities shop that sells everything from skulls to dead insects.

Baltimore, Maryland

The Book Thing

This free, take-a-book shop seems like a trick but isn't.

Baltimore, Maryland

Site of Edgar Allan Poe's Death

The site where Poe "in great distress, and ... in need of immediate assistance" likely died.

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Upcoming Maryland Experiences

Exploring the Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

Nanjemoy, Maryland

$100 per person

Explore the Ruins of Seneca Quarry

Poolesville, Maryland

Unique Food & Drink in Maryland

Smearcase

A few Baltimore bakeries still serve this cheesecake named after 19th-century cottage cheese.

White Potato Pie

This velvety, vintage treat still has a fan base in Maryland.

Beach Plum Jelly

This tangy East Coast spread is becoming increasingly hard to find.

Smith Island Cake

This dessert island is known for its refined layer cakes.

See all 10 things to eat in Maryland See all 10 things to eat in Maryland

Atlas Obscura Trips

Maryland: Tracing the Steps of Tubman & Douglass

Spend a weekend in historic Maryland deepening your understanding of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, visiting sites that are foundational to Black American history.

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Stories About Maryland

A ghost forest in Dorchester County, Maryland.

The Haunting Ghost Forests of Maryland's Eastern Shore

Rising seas are claiming land, changing lives, and transforming our relationship with nature.

by Sarah Laskow

Once upon a time there was a cemetery here, in Tangier, Virginia.

From Indonesia to Ingonish, Some Bones Won't Stay Buried

As seas and storms erode coastlines, cemeteries are giving up their dead.

by Jennifer S. Holland

October 28, 2019

Strawberries, illustrated by Deborah G. Passmore.

Why the USDA Hired Artists to Paint Thousands of Fruits

Researchers and a Twitter bot use them today.

by Rohini Chaki

Excavation of the slave quarters at Belvoir.

How DNA From a 200-Year-Old Pipe Connects Maryland and Sierra Leone

Genetics has many stories to tell about enslaved people.

by Evan Nicole Brown

Part of Harris's interest in the culinary traditions of Maryland involves the rich history that accompanies it.

The Blogger Quietly Preserving Maryland’s Culinary History

Kara Mae Harris hopes to archive every local cookbook.

by Kristina Gaddy

Oyster pirates illegally dredging under the cover of night.

The Notorious Oyster Pirates of Chesapeake Bay

They were the colorful villains in a conflict that lasted almost a century.

September 28, 2017

Tyler G. Tyler, right, pulls crab pots at the start of blue crab season.

Maryland's Smith Island, Home to a Vanishing Dialect and Rising Sea Levels

Despite climate scientists' predictions, the laid-back inhabitants aren't too concerned.