The Mariners’ Lake within The Mariners’ Park is a stunning 167-acre freshwater lake that makes the perfect backdrop for outdoor activities.

Matthew Henson was the first African American to reach and stand on one of earth’s farthest reaches – the North Pole. Hear about his adventures in his own words from his 1912 autobiography, A Negro Explorer at the North Pole.

Just as the smoke cleared from the scene of the first Confederate victory at Big Bethel, onto the battlefield rapidly marched what would become one of the most colorful, daring, and poorly disciplined units of the Army of the Peninsula: Coppens’ Battalion.

Aside from the beautiful ship models of all shapes and sizes, the Museum has all sorts of maritime paraphernalia, from old compasses and teapots to uniforms and interactive exhibits. What I was most surprised and excited about, however, was the Museum’s Asian print collection.

USS Monitor was the strangest warship many sailors had ever seen. While all the enlisted men were volunteers, as soon as some arrived on board, they immediately deserted to “parts unknown.” When the ironclad was repaired in the Washington Navy Yard, the sailors were granted liberty. Many did not return. Not only was Monitor unseaworthy, it was also very uncomfortable, prompting many to desert.

We're familiar with aircraft pilots, but did you know that ships have pilots too? In this special episode of Beyond the Frame, we take a peek into the career of ship pilots as told through Former Maryland Pilot and Artist Captain Brian Hope's work, Boarding a Liberty ship - 1947.