Annapolis, Maryland (June 2016) – Whether you've yet to visit or consider yourself an Annapolis and Anne Arundel County expert, we've pulled together some facts to share. Some of them might surprise you!

1. Maryland's capital city is located just 26 miles from Baltimore's Inner Harbor and 32 miles from Washington, D.C. Its location on the map is 38 degrees, 58 minutes, 35 seconds north and 76 degrees, 28 minutes, and 46 seconds west.
2. Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is located just 24 miles from Annapolis in northwestern Anne Arundel County.
3. Annapolis served as the first peacetime capital of the United States. The Continental Congress met in the Old Senate Chamber of the Maryland State House from November 26, 1783 until August 13, 1784. During this time, George Washington came before Congress to resign his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the Treaty of Paris was ratified, marking the official end of the Revolutionary War.
4. Annapolis is the oldest incorporated city in Maryland. Its Historic District has been designated a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Treasure.
5. The Maryland State House is the oldest State Capitol in continuous legislative use and is the only state house ever to have served as the nation's capitol.
6. Annapolis is called a “Museum without Walls,” in part because there are more 18th-century brick buildings in the City than anywhere else in the United States.
7. Maryland's four signers of the Declaration of Independence had homes in Annapolis. The homes are still standing, and three of them are open to the public – including the William Paca House and Garden, Charles Carroll House (only Catholic and longest living Declaration of Independence signer) and Chase-Lloyd House.
8. Other popular museums in Annapolis include the Hammond-Harwood House, boasting the Most Beautiful Doorway in America; the Banneker-Douglass Museum, Maryland's official repository for African-American history; Historic Annapolis Museum; and the Annapolis Maritime Museum, located on the site of the last remaining oyster packing plant in the area.
9. Annapolis's Historic District is comprised of approximately 45 blocks and is one-third of a square mile in size. The entire City of Annapolis encompasses 6.7 square miles. All of its historic attractions are within walking distance of one another.
10. Annapolis is home to the United States Naval Academy, established in 1845 by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft. It began as the Naval School on ten acres of old Fort Severn. In 1850, it became the U.S. Naval Academy. The “Yard” now encompasses 338 acres. The Naval Academy is the training ground for officers in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
11. Tours of the U.S. Naval Academy depart from the Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center seven days a week. Everyone 16 years of age or older must present photo identification in order to enter the “Yard.”
12. One of the best opportunities for catching a glimpse of the 4,400-strong Brigade of Midshipmen is noon formation. Open to the public, it takes place weekdays throughout the academic year (weather permitting) before the midshipmen march into Bancroft Hall for lunch.
13. Annapolis is a gateway to North America's largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay and is world renowned as “America's Sailing Capital”.
14. Annapolis is “home” to the mock breakaway Republic of Eastport. The neighborhood “seceded” from Annapolis on Super Bowl Sunday in 1998. The tongue-in-cheek rivalry between Annapolis and Eastport is recalled annually during a tug of war across Spa Creek known as the Slaughter Across the Water. Teams use a 1,700-foot rope – the largest tug of war rope in the world.
15. Eastport is home to Annapolis's famous Restaurant Row, boasting some of the finest restaurants in the area.
16. Annapolis is home to John's College, the third oldest college in the nation. It was founded in 1696 as the King William's School. Francis Scott Key, who penned the Stars Spangled Banner, went to school here.
17. Each spring, St. John's and the U.S. Naval Academy compete for the Annapolis Cup in one of the largest croquet events in the country, if not the world. Legend has it the rivalry began in 1982 when the commandant of the U.S. Naval Academy told a St. John's freshman the Mids could beat the Johnnies in any sport. As of the 2016 Croquet Match, St. John's has won the Annapolis Cup 27 out of 34 matches.
18. Opened in 1989, St. John's College's Mitchell Gallery has received accreditation from the American Association of Museums, the highest national recognition for a museum. At the time of its accreditation in 2012, the nation was home to an estimated 17,500 museums. Of them, 779 were accredited, and the Mitchell Gallery was one of only 15 museums accredited in Maryland.
19. There are more than 20 art galleries in downtown Annapolis. Visitors are invited to explore then all during the annual Art in Annapolis
20. There are many was for visitors and locals to get out on the water in Annapolis, including: narrated tours of the Annapolis Harbor, two-hour sailing cruises, water taxi, electric boat rentals, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, family fishing adventures, Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake, among others. Individuals can take sail or powerboat lessons and/or charter boats with or without a captain.
21. Every Wednesday night from April to September, sailing enthusiasts head to their favorite waterfront restaurant or grab their favorite spots along the Spa Creek bridge and Annapolis harbor to watch some 130 crews compete in the Wednesday Night Sailboat Races.
22. Annapolis is home to two back-to-back boat shows each October: Recognized worldwide, the S. Sailboat Show (48th year in 2017) is the nation's oldest and largest in-water sailboat show featuring exclusively new boats. The U.S. Powerboat Show (46th year in 2017) is the nation's oldest and largest in-water powerboat exhibition.
23. Opportunities for shopping, boating, exploring history and discovering the rural countryside abound in Ann Arundel County. Popular sites near BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport include: one of the top three shopping attractions in the nation, Arundel Mills Mall; Maryland Live Casino, National Cryptologic Museum, National Electronics Museum and the Benson-Hammond House. The Annapolis countryside is home to the Captain Avery Museum in Shady Side, the Heritage House Museum in Galesville and the Herrington Harbor North Historic Village in Deale.
24. Anne Arundel County has more Chesapeake Bay coastline than any other region in Maryland. The Bay and its tributaries account for 534 miles of county shoreline. Maryland has nearly 4,000 miles of shoreline – more than any other state. Elevations in Anne Arundel county range from sea level to 3000 feet.
25. Annapolis and Anne Arundel county is a cultural hub. The destination is home to the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Live Arts Maryland, Annapolis Shakespeare Company, Compass Rose Theater, Colonial Players and Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre, among others.

For more information about Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Maryland, visit http://www.visitannapolis.org/.

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Contact:

Susan Seifried

Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County

Vice President, Public Relations and Communications

sseifried@VisitAnnapolis.org

410-280-0445, ext. 303