Maryland Office of Tourism Development,
217 E Redwood Street, 9th Floor, Baltimore
MD 21202; 410-767-3400; 877-333-4455 or
866-MD-Welcome; Fax: 410-333-6643.
Web: http://www.mdisfun.org and http://www.mdwelcome.org.
State Bird: Baltimore oriole
State Boat: skipjack, the last working boat under sail in North America
State Cat: calico
State Crustacean: Maryland blue crab
State Dinosaur: Astrodon johnstoni (star tooth)
State Dog: Chesapeake Bay retriever
State Drink: milk
State Fish: striped bass, or rockfish
State Flower: black-eyed Susan
State Folk Dance: square dancing
State Fossil Shell: Ecphora quadricostata (an extinct snail)
State Gem: Patuxent River stone (actually an agate, a cryptocrystalline form of quartz. Found only in
Maryland, the stone's colors of red and yellow reflect the Maryland State Flag.)
State Horse: thoroughbred
State Insect: Baltimore checkerspot butterfly
State Nickname: Old Line State, Free State
State Quarter:
State Reptile: diamondback terrapin
State Seal:
State Song: Maryland, My Maryland
State Sport: jousting
State Summer Theater: Olney Theatre Center for the Arts, Olney-Sandy Spring Road (Route 108), Olney, Maryland.
State Theater: Center Stage, 700 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland.
State Tree: white oak
State Capitals
Historic St. Mary's City, P O Box 39, Saint Mary's City MD 20686;
301-862-0960; 800-327-9023. Web: http://www.saintmaryscountymd.com/decd. Maryland's first capital (17th century).
Baltimore, Maryland — U.S. Capital
(1776-1777).
Brookeville, Maryland — U.S. Capital
(August 26, 1814).
Maryland State House, 91 State Circle, Annapolis MD 21401; 410-974-3400. America's oldest state
house in continuous legislative use. It was the United States capital from November 26, 1783 to August 13, 1784.
State Firsts
College Park Aviation Museum, College Park Airport, 1985 Corporal Frank Scott
Drive, College Park MD 20740; 301-864-6029. Web: http://www.pgparks.com. — Established in 1909, it
is the world's oldest continually operating airport.
Historic St. Mary's City, P O Box 39, Saint Mary's City MD 20686;
301-862-0960; 800-327-9023. Web:
http://www.saintmaryscountymd.com/decd. The birthplace of religious toleration in America.
Lexington Market, 400 W Lexington Street, Baltimore MD 21201;
410-685-6169. Web: http://www.lexingtonmarket.com. — Founded in 1782, it is the oldest continually
operating fresh food market in the U.S.
Mount Carmel Monastery, 5678 Mount Carmel Road, La Plata MD 20646;
301-934-1654. Web: http://www.erols.com/carmel-of-port-tobacco. — Established in 1790, this is the first U.S. monastery
for nuns.
National Shrine of the Basilica, 408 N Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201;
410-727-3564. Web: http://www.baltimorebasilica.org. — The first metropolitan cathedral in the U.S.
National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 333 S Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg MD 21727;
301-447-6606. Web: http://www.setonshrine.org. — Shrine to the first American-born canonized saint.
Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, N Morris Street, Oxford MD 21654; 410-745-9023. Web:
http://www.oxfordmd.com/obf. —
Established in 1683, this is America's oldest privately owned ferry. Take a ride across the Tred Avon River!
St. Francis Academy, 501 E Chase Street, Baltimore MD 21202; 410-539-5794. Web:
http://www.sfacademy.org. — Established in 1828, it is the oldest school with African-American roots in the U.S.
St. Francis Xavier Church, 1501 E Oliver Street, Baltimore MD 21213;
410-727-3103. Web: http://www.josephite.com/parish/md/sfx. — Founded in 1793, this is the first African-American
Catholic community in the U.S. This present church was built in 1864.
St. Francis Xavier Church, 21370 Newtown Neck Road, Leonardtown MD 20605; 301-475-9885.
Established in 1731, this is the oldest Catholic church in continuous use in English-speaking America.
St. Ignatius Catholic Church, 8855 Chapel Point Road, Chapel Point MD 20684;
301-934-8245. Web: http://www.chapelpoint.org. — Established in 1641, it is the nation's oldest active Catholic parish.
Strawbridge Shrine, 2650 Strawbridge Lane, New Windsor MD 21776; 410-635-2600. A replica of
the 1760 Methodist meeting house, probably the first in the U.S. Also features the log cabin home of the first American convert to Methodism.
Washington Monument State Park, Boonsboro MD Web:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us. — Built in 1827 by the citizens of Boonsboro, this is the first monument to honor George Washington.
