Destination Annapolis

For the past 70 years, Historic Annapolis has worked to preserve some of the City's greatest architectural treasures. Had the organization not been established in 1952, Annapolis would look far different than it does today. Listen as the Vice President of Education and Interpretation for Historic Annapolis, Inc., Mary-Angela Hardwick, provides an insight into the nonprofit's ongoing work and an invitation to visit their latest offering, Annapolis: An American Story, at the Museum of Historic Annapolis.

The Hammond-Harwood House has been gracing the corner of Maryland Avenue and King George Street in downtown Annapolis since 1774. Listen as Executive Director Barbara Goyette provides an insight into the home's stunning architecture, the families who lived there, and the decorative arts treasures it has to offer.

Since 2006, the Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians (AM/FM) has been providing temporary financial relief to professional Annapolis musicians who are unable to work due to sickness, injury, or other circumstances that make it impossible for them to perform. Listen as AM/FM President and Founder Matt McConville explains how the organization helps jump start musical careers for talented youth and helps experienced area musicians to persevere in the field when the going gets tough.

The Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse has been safely guiding voyagers to the shores of Annapolis for 146 years. But to those of us who live here, the Lighthouse is far more than a navigational tool. It's a part of our family. Listen as Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse Manager John Potvin explains how the Chesapeake Bay icon has come to hold such a special place in the hearts of so many.

For 37 years, he's been at the helm of a dynamic organization that encompasses three beloved performing arts groups in Annapolis. Listen as Live Arts Maryland Artistic Director J. Ernest Green shares the evolution of an ever-young organization dedicated to providing live musical experiences that enrich audiences and resonate for a lifetime.

He joined the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra on the eve of its 60th anniversary year, and he's overseen the creation of a five-year strategic plan designed to help the organization emerge from the pandemic stronger and more relevant than ever before. Listen as Executive Director Edgar Herrera discusses the many exciting projects the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra has in the works to help enrich lives near and far with extraordinary musical experiences.

For the past six years, this dynamic husband and wife team has been inspiring and empowering underserved youth through their nonprofit organization. Listen as Jeff Huntington and Julia Gibb discuss the genesis of Future History Now and how it works to provide an inclusive environment where young Annapolis-area artists can feel comfortable expressing themselves as they help beautify their City.

With 390 farms involving more than 27,000 acres of land, agriculture represents one-third of the land use in Anne Arundel County. Listen as Lisa Barge, Agricultural Marketing and Development Manager for Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation, discusses the growing trend of smaller farms with more diverse products, recent legislation supporting the growth of agritourism, and the many programs available to help hard-working farmers survive and thrive as they work to cultivate a local sustainable food supply chain for Anne Arundel County residents.

For the past 41 years, the National Electronics Museum in Linthicum, Maryland has been sharing the history and evolution of electronics to inspire careers in science and engineering and satisfy the curiosity of inquiring minds of all ages and all walks of life. Listen as Director Michael Simons explains how the Museum uses hands-on exhibits and one-of-a-kind artifacts found nowhere else in the nation to help engineers, students, and the general public experience the yesterday, today, and tomorrow of the defense electronics industry.

For 37 years, the Captain Avery Museum has been preserving the history and culture of Southern Anne Arundel County and its strong ties to the Chesapeake Bay. Listen as Executive Director Deborah Gangloff explains how the recently renovated attraction is using new exhibits and offerings to help fulfill its mission of bringing cultural and arts programming to Shady Side, Maryland.

For the past 30 years, Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) has been providing individuals with disabilities and youth from underserved communities with the thrill, freedom, and therapeutic value of sailing. Listen as Executive Director Paul Bollinger explains how CRAB lifts spirits, builds confidence, and helps dreams come true for individuals who never thought they'd have the opportunity to enjoy the simple, invigorating pleasures of sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.

The Naval Academy Business Services Division supports the Brigade of Midshipmen with a host of their everyday needs. Listen as Heather Skipper, Hospitality Sales Manager for the Naval Academy Business Services Division, provides a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes to add to the enjoyment of a midshipmen's experience at the U.S. Naval Academy and how visitors can support the Brigade of Midshipmen by touring the Yard, dining at the Dry Dock and Alley Restaurants, shopping at the Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center, and more.

Annapolis and Anne Arundel County have a wide range of options for people of all ages and abilities who want to get out and bike, walk, or run. Listen as Jon Korin, President of Bike AAA and Chairman of the Anne Arundel County Bicycle Advisory Commission, explains the great strides that have been made in recent years to extend trails, improve bike safety, and encourage the use of bikes for recreation as well as transportation.

Since 1934, the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis has served as a steward of Maryland's story as told through art, artifacts, public records, and the built environment. Listen as Deputy State Archivist and Secretary of the State House Trust, Elaine Rice Bachmann, explains how the ongoing process of discovery and learning about what was meaningful to our ancestors helps provide an insight into the behaviors of 21st century Marylanders and beyond.

The Chesapeake Arts Center is a focal point for the arts in Northern Anne Arundel County. For the past 20 years, it's been providing area residents and visitors with joy, opportunity, and a strong sense of community. Listen as Executive Director Donna Anderson shares the vision and the initiatives in the works to further the Center's outreach to individuals of all ages through enhanced programming and the planned addition of a new exhibition space to showcase the work of local artists.

Since 2001, the Four Rivers Heritage Area of Annapolis, London Town and South County has been working to help create a more livable and economically sustainable community for all by serving as a funding resource for non-profit organizations dedicated to preserving the region's unique heritage. Listen as Four Rivers Executive Director Dr. Carol Benson explains how her organization uses every tool in its tool kit to help its partners tell their own stories in their own voices. Having just doubled the size of the heritage area, Four Rivers looks forward to helping even more organizations by administering grants and fostering collaborative efforts to help share stories that otherwise might be forever untold.

Featuring 137 parks and natural resources areas and 533 miles of shoreline, Anne Arundel County is a favorite with outdoor adventurers and nature enthusiasts. Listen as Colleen Joseph, Marketing and Communications Director for Anne Arundel County Recreation & Parks, shares the latest updates. From new construction and programming at county parks, to the opening of a state-of-the-art golf course, to enhanced biking and hiking trails, swimming opportunities, and more, Anne Arundel County Recreation & Parks is on a mission to fulfill its pledge, “We Make Life Better.”

Thanks to a little bit of serendipity and a lot of strategic leveraging, stewardship, hard work, and persistence, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center has been conducting some of the best environmental research in the world right here in Anne Arundel County for nearly 56 years. Listen as SERC Director and Principal Investigator, Dr. Tuck Hines, explains how the organization's findings on climate change, pollution, land use effects, fishing, and changes in biodiversity help provide policy makers with the information they need to make sound science-based decisions to safeguard the health of our planet for generations to come.

Oysters are a keystone species that play a major role in helping to ensure the health of the Chesapeake Bay. With an oyster population at one-to-two percent of what it was in the 1800s, massive intervention efforts are underway to help restore their numbers. Listen as Maryland Oyster Restoration Specialist Pat Beall explains the recycling, spat-on-shell production, and reef-building work underway at the Maryland Oyster Restoration Center in Shady Side, Maryland.

Inside and outside, art experiences are alive and well at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis. And opportunities for engaging in the arts are poised for a quantum leap as the 40-year-old institution begins a community-wide conversation about creative space making. Listen as Director of Creative Advancement Damian Sinclair talks about the bold new dialogue to identify creative ways for using the shared Maryland Hall campus to help provide “Art for All” in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.

At a time when there is a heightened urgency for racial equity, for social justice, and for amplifying black voices, the Banneker-Douglass Museum in Annapolis is dedicated to spreading an understanding of African American history and culture. Listen as Executive Director Chanel Compton explains how knowledge of the past can serve as a blueprint for inspiring everyday African Americans to become agents of social change and innovation in their communities.

Historic London Town and Gardens has long attracted lovers of nature and the great outdoors to its scenic location on the South River. Captivated by the beauty of year-round blooms, visitors soon discover the 24-acre site has a deeper story to tell – that of commoners struggling to make ends meet in colonial America. Listen as Executive Director Rod Cofield and Deputy Director Lauren Silberman share what's in store for visitors to London Town during its 50th anniversary year and beyond.

The Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park is the perfect place to take a fun and engaging deeper dive into Chesapeake Bay ecology and the maritime history of Annapolis. Listen as President and CEO Alice Estrada describes the high tech, high touch, newly renovated museum, tours aboard the historic Wilma Lee skipjack, and new opportunities for exploring the Chesapeake in up-close and personal ways.

What started as a food movement has morphed into a jobs movement. Listen as Feed Anne Arundel Founder Monica Alvarado share's the organization's mission of helping area restaurants survive so they can eventually thrive.

Listen as Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County's Susan Seifried interviews Elvia Thompson of Annapolis Green, a local nonprofit organization dubbed the ‘conscience' of Annapolis.