Top 10 Hidden Gems Things to do in Maryland, United States

The Walters Art Museum is a cultural hub in the heart of Baltimore. Located in the city’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, the Walters is free for all. The museum’s collection spans more than seven millennia, from 5,000 BCE to the 21st century, and encompasses 36,000 objects from around the world. Walking through the museum’s historic buildings, visitors encounter a stunning panorama of thousands of years of art, from romantic 19th-century images of French gardens to mesmerizing Ethiopian icons, richly illuminated Qur’ans and Gospel books, ancient Roman sarcophagi, and serene images of the Buddha. The Walters' mission has been to bring art and people together and to create a place where people of every background can be touched by art. Admission to the museum and special exhibitions is always free.

Northside Park is located on 125th Street and the Bay. It is Ocean City's largest and most popular park and home to the Recreation and Parks Department administrative offices. This 58-acre complex boasts three lighted softball/baseball fields, a lighted soccer field, multipurpose field, a foot bridge, mini-borrowing library, concession stands, accessible playground, picnic shelter, two piers, over 1 mile of walking/jogging paths and a state of the art outdoor exercise area. Indoor facilities include a Community Center with 14,200 square foot gymnasium, kitchen, community room, conference room, patio, sitting areas and a Sports Center annex with a 21,000 square foot multi-use arena. Northside Park hosts more than 100 special events and recreational programs and activities each year for both residents and visitors to Ocean City.

The Great Allegheny Passage soars over valleys, snakes around mountains, and skirts alongside three rolling rivers on its nearly level path from Cumberland, Md. to Pittsburgh. Cyclists pass through the Cumberland Narrows, cross the Mason-Dixon Line, top the Eastern Continental Divide, wind their way through Pennsylvania’s breathtaking Laurel Highlands, journey through the region’s coke, coal, mining, and steel-making corridor, and end at Pittsburgh’s majestic Point State Park. Stunning views of waterfalls, gorges, river valleys, and farmland are everywhere, especially from outside the Big Savage Tunnel, from the sweeping Salisbury Viaduct, at both ends of the Pinkerton Tunnel, and via the Ohiopyle High and Low Bridges. Riders overlook the joining of rivers at Confluence, McKeesport, and Pittsburgh, and can explore adjoining peninsulas, state parks, hollows, wildflower stands, and forests on foot at many places along the trail.

The National Capital Radio & Television Museum is the only museum devoted to broadcasting in the National Capital Region. Open to the public Friday 10-5 and Saturday/Sunday 1-5. Closed major holidays. The historic (1906) Harmel house serves as the Museum building. The first floor is accessible and there is a video about the exhibits on the second floor that can be played for those who cannot access the stairs.

Recognized as a top cultural site by the Maryland Department of Tourism, this free museum contains several rare historical artifacts from the surfing world collected by surfing legend Bruce Gabrielson over a 60 year period. Displays include Dale Velzey's original 1950's templates and planer, an original Makaha Skateboard, the first day edition of the Duke Stamp from both Huntington Beach and Waikiki, signed posters from numerous surfing legends, a signed poster from the Wooden Year's exhibit opening at the International Surfing Museum, a set of Rick Griffin drawings, plus paintings and photos from artists and surf photographers from the East and West Coast. Several antique boards are also on display. The museum requires reservations and is located in the offices of the National Surf Schools and Instructors Association. During the summer months the museum is closed when the surf is good.

LYON RUM Distillery is a micro distillery located in Saint Michaels, Maryland, steps from the Chesapeake Bay. Founded in 2012, the distillery launched with a signature line of rums paying tribute to the rich, spirited traditions of the Eastern Shore. Hand-crafted from start to finish, LYON RUM begins as intentionally-sourced raw ingredients, and are hand-crafted – mashed, fermented, and double-distilled in small pot stills – every step of the way, resulting in a superior and unique final product. The goal is to create distinct spirits – working to define the category of new American rum. The distillery is also home to Gray Wolf Craft Spirits, a boutique operation offering grain-to-glass spirits.

Committed to putting Maryland back on the map as the premier distiller of Rye Whiskey. Sagamore Spirit's award-winning Straight Rye Whiskey is cut to proof with unique spring-fed water from Sagamore Farm. We are currently open for whiskey tastings and other guided experiences. Visit SagamoreSpirit.com to book your experience today. We also have curbside pickup for those shopping our online store!

State park that has three waterfalls and many hiking trails.

State park that is managed by Maryland's Department of Natural Resources.

One of America's last fully functioning barrier island ecosystems.