The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is located at 213 N. Talbot Street in historic St. Michaels, just nine miles from Easton on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. By car, CBMM is just one hour from Annapolis, 90 minutes from Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, Del., and two hours from Philadelphia. Click here for directions.
Yes! Our coordinates are 38° 47′ N, 76° 13′ W. Marina users must be CBMM Members. Click here for information about docking.
CBMM and the Museum Store are open year-round. Hours are 10am–5pm April through October and 10am–4pm November through March. CBMM is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s days.
Yes. General admission is good for two days. Click here for admission fees.
Reduced admission is available for seniors, college students, and retired military. And children ages 5 and under are always admitted free. CBMM Members are admitted free for general admission. CBMM also participates in Museums for All, which offers admission for a minimal $3 fee for low-income families. As a Blue Star Museum, CBMM provides free general admission to active-duty military, National Guard, and Reserve families. Click here for detailed admission information.
Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more guests with advance reservations. Guided and self-guided exploration opportunities are offered for groups of all ages.
Adult Group Tours
For adult group reservations, visit the Adult Group Tours page or contact groups@cbmm.org.
Student Group Tours
To provide your students with a CBMM in-person or virtual experience, visit our Student Groups page for options. Contact our Education team at registration@cbmm.org or 410-745-4960 for questions and more information.
Much of CBMM’s 18-acre waterfront campus is accessible, with the exception of the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse, upper decks of the Boatshop, Mitchell House, the lower level of Oystering on the Chesapeake, and the Mill Street walk-through gate. CBMM’s walkways are unpaved and consist of gravel and stone pathways and boardwalks. Please note that CBMM does not offer wheelchair rentals. Our new Welcome Center is fully ADA accessible.
Our old Welcome Center had outlived its useful life and did not support the guest orientation we have designed. The new, fully ADA-accessible building enhances the guest experience at CBMM. Our Master Plan is designed to create increased space for CBMM’s core offerings—including exhibitions, education, and in the Shipyard. We can’t wait for you to see it!
Yes! CBMM offers numerous wedding and event venues with magnificent water views and first-class event coordination. Click here to learn more.
Leashed dogs are welcome on CBMM’s campus but are not permitted during special events and festivals, with the exception of certified service dogs. Nor are they permitted on museum vessels or inside any exhibition buildings. Cleanup bags and water are available. Please do not leave dogs in your car in warm weather.
CBMM’s educational programs and resources for all ages are designed to bring the heritage, ecology, and culture of the Chesapeake alive through experiential learning. Click here for options to explore the Bay through specialized tours, hands-on programs, and on-the-water experiences.
CBMM is located in the historic village of St. Michaels, a historic waterfront town and a popular destination for locals and guests alike. St. Michaels has numerous inns, bed and breakfasts, hotels, and resorts where you can spend a night, a weekend, or a week, as well as many shops, boutiques, and restaurants. Learn more at stmichaelsmd.com.
Thank you for asking! CBMM Members play a critical role in supporting our rich legacy of educational programs, fascinating and ever-changing exhibitions, and maintaining the world’s largest collection of Chesapeake watercraft. Learn more about membership levels and benefits here.
CBMM welcomes your photographs and videos of CBMM, taken for personal use, and sharing and tagging CBMM through your social media avenues (find us at @chesapeakemaritime on Instagram, for example). Commercial photography is prohibited, unless prior, written permission from CBMM’s Communication’s Department has been made.
Drone use on CBMM’s property is prohibited, unless prior approval by CBMM is made. Please see the latest FAA requirements for operating a drone, which must first be met prior to any consideration, along with the ability to provide a certificate of insurance naming CBMM insured.
Please note: The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum frequently takes photographs and videos of campus, that may include our guests, that are used to promote CBMM in a number of formats. Permission is implied by your visit to CBMM.
Beverages and light snacks are available in the Museum Store.
Renovated and expanded in 2022 as part of the Norman & Ellen Plummer Center for Museum Collections, the Howard I. Chapelle Library is CBMM’s hub for researchers.
The Library is located at 109B Mill Street in St. Michaels, Md., and is open by appointment only and free of charge, Monday through Friday, 9am–5pm. Click here to fill out a Research Request form and/or to request an appointment.
Prepare for your visit and explore more than 80,000 items in CBMM’s collections through our online collections portal.
A significant portion of CBMM’s collection has been acquired over more than fifty years through generous donations from our community of supporters. All donations are considered and approved quarterly by the Curatorial Committee, based on whether the offered object or materials fall under the scope of CBMM’s Collections Policy.
CBMM evaluates offers of artifacts, and library and archival materials connected to the maritime history and culture of the Chesapeake tidewater region based on criteria including the item’s known history, condition, duplication in our collection, exhibition potential and its cost to acquire, preserve and maintain.
To ensure security and proper legal transfer, drop-offs and unscheduled donations are not accepted. To offer an item for donation, e-mail the Curatorial staff at collections@cbmm.org and provide your contact information, description and history of the item, and reference photographs.
