Historic St. Mary’s City will open its new Visitor Center to the public Saturday, Nov. 14, with exhibits shaped in partnership with Piscataway leaders and with stories of the enslaved and free African Americans who lived and worked at Maryland’s first capital.
Admission on opening day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free, thanks to support from the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, the museum said. The opening starts an “inaugural season” ahead of a formal grand opening celebration planned for spring 2027.
The center, at 47373 Old State House Road in St. Mary’s City, is meant to be the new front door to the state-run museum of history and archaeology. Inside, visitors will explore the origins of religious freedom, representative government and self-determination through stories tied to St. Mary’s City and the people who shaped early Maryland, according to Historic St. Mary’s City.
“This new Visitor Center represents a watershed moment for Historic St. Mary’s City, one that was made possible through collaboration with our community,” said Travis Parno, the museum’s director of research and development. “We are thrilled to share a new vision of Maryland’s deep history and to connect the past with the present through archaeology, history, and the perspectives of community leaders.”
Who helped tell the story
The museum developed the exhibits with tribal leaders, historians, educators and community organizations. Piscataway leadership played a central role in how Indigenous history is presented, an approach the museum describes as “grounded in respect and shared authority.”
Mark Tayac, 29th hereditary chief of the Piscataway Indian Nation, appears in the center’s introductory film. “We are all stepping collectively together into the light, building bridges of friendship and cooperation to tell the story even if the story’s hard to tell,” he says.
Francis Gray, chair of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, said the center “honors the people, stories, and events that have shaped our tribal community and left their mark upon generations.”
“Together, we are creating places where history comes alive, deepening our understanding of who we are, and inspiring pride in our legacy,” Gray said.
The center also includes the stories of enslaved and free African Americans “whose lives and labor shaped this landscape from the beginning,” the museum said.
Built by national museum designers
The exhibits were designed by Howard + Revis, the firm behind work at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Cortina Productions created the media installations, and Explus Inc., which built the “Road to Berlin” exhibit at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, fabricated the exhibits.
The building includes immersive exhibits, interactive media and educational spaces, and is designed for students, families, tourists and “lifelong learners,” the museum said. The museum did not release the project’s cost.
Parking is on Old State House Road. The Chronicle most recently covered Historic St. Mary’s City’s 19th annual RiverFest on the museum grounds.
