ARTS & CULTURE Would you like to see former President Obama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks? You can—in wax—at The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the first wax museum in the nation showcasing African-American history through significant men and women from past to present. More than 100 wax figures and exhibits tell the story of the 400-year history of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. See a life-size re-creation of the dark belly of a slave ship, a moving experience. Wear your walking shoes and go wild at Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury, where you’ll find over 2,500 antique and contemporary wood carvings displayed in eight galleries. The lifelike wildlife sculptures are so realistic, they are often mistaken for “real” ducks, but no taxidermy is used in this museum. ARTS AROUND THE STATE At Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center in Dowell, sculptures weave through the forest and immerse the aesthetically curious in a one-of-a-kind art experience among the trees and natural scenes. Explore the indoor museum, outdoor gallery and fairy garden on your trip to this beautiful locale in Southern Maryland. For an awe-inspiring work of modern art and architectural design, see the sleek exterior of Montgomery County’s Glenstone Museum. This free museum in Potomac holds a contemporary gallery, larger-than-life works around the sculpture garden and embodies the evolution of a minimalist architectural style from the last century. One of the finest small museums in the nation, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown hosts a diverse collection of more than 6,500 paintings, prints, sculpture and decorative arts. The collection reflects the founders’ cosmopolitan worldview with a range of works and includes fine Old Master paintings along with Modernism in America. Nearby Boonsboro is home to Nora Roberts, one of America’s favorite novelists. Several times a year, she hosts multi-author book signings at her local bookstore, Turn the Page Bookstore. Phish, Sugarland, Jason Mraz and The Roots are just a few of the famous names on the agenda at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, an open-air amphitheater located on 40 acres of forest in Columbia. The Pavilion features the best in rock, country, rhythm and blues, pop, jazz, hip hop, alternative and classical. Salisbury also continues to host the National Folk Festival in 2019 and 2020. Sit back for a show at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, where award-winning Broadway and original musicals are performed alongside an exceptional buffet-style dinner. In-the-round staging provides each guest with an interactive experience and a great view—no seat is more than 30 feet from the stage. Toby’s is one of the few regional dinner theaters featuring a live orchestra. Who says Shakespeare has to be stuffy? Baltimore’s Chesapeake Shakespeare Company produces shows that are fresh and fun takes on classics. Everyone is invited to get involved, and summer outdoor seating puts the audience up close to performers for Shakespeare in the Ruins. MUSIC & THEATER Pictured Clockwise: Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury; Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia; Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown 30 ✥ VISITMARYLAND.ORG | 1-877-333-4455 PHOTOS: WARD MUSEUM OF WILDFOWL ART; KARMEN OSEI FOR HOWARD COUNTY TOURISM COUNCIL
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2019 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 30
