The Frederick Douglass Isaac Myers Maritime Park Museum offers an in-depth look at two important historic figures and their involvement with African American maritime history in Baltimore. Visitors can view timeline histories of Frederick Douglass' life as an enslaved child and his younger years working on the docks, and of Isaac Myers, a free born African American who became an important player in maritime history.
Through historic maps, images, artifacts, and artistic renderings, the Museum also traces the history and establishment of the African American community during the 1800s. Among the maritime exhibits are the founding of the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company and an overview of the shipbuilding traditions of Chesapeake Bay. Many hands-on activities are provided, including learning to caulk a ship, using simple machines of the era, assembling a boat, and operating a model of a marine railway device used to pull ships ashore. Docent-led tours are available for guests of the Museum.
