Skip menu to read main page content
Closed Today hours
Explore the People, Places, & Events that shape Maryland.
Open Now!
 Art| Artifacts |Community

Art| Artifacts |Community

Through the lens of “We Are. . .” our core values of Community, Authenticity, Dialogue, and Discovery are echoed in objects, ideas, and stories throughout the galleries.

Explore the People, Places, & Events that Shape Maryland.

Image of Art| Artifacts |Community
Explore the People, Places, & Events that shape Maryland.
Opening Soon!
 Lafayette in Maryland

Lafayette in Maryland

MCHC joins the American Friends of Lafayette and a network of museums and sites commemorating the bicentennial of Lafayette’s tour and its impact on Maryland.

Explore the People, Places, & Events that Shape Maryland.

Image of Lafayette in Maryland
Explore the People, Places, & Events that shape Maryland.
On View Now!
 Painted Screens of Baltimore

Painted Screens of Baltimore

A sampling of the painted screens collection is exhibited now on the first and second floors of the lobby atrium.

Explore the People, Places, & Events that Shape Maryland.

Image of Painted Screens of Baltimore
Explore the People, Places, & Events that shape Maryland.
Passion and Purpose: Voices of Maryland's Civil Rights Activists
 Explore the Exhibit

Explore the Exhibit

MCHC’s oral history collections are at the heart of the exhibition. Visitors encounter excerpts of oral history conversations with dozens of notable civil rights leaders.

Explore the People, Places, & Events that Shape Maryland.

Image of Explore the Exhibit
Explore the People, Places, & Events that shape Maryland.
Learn More
 Claire/McCardell

Claire/McCardell

Claire McCardell redefined women’s fashion in America during the 1930s –1950s and she continues to influence American sportswear today.

Explore the People, Places, & Events that Shape Maryland.

Image of Claire/McCardell
Explore the People, Places, & Events that shape Maryland.
Plan Your Visit
 Antietam shadow box

Antietam shadow box

Shadow box made in 1886 by John Philemon Smith who witnessed the Battle of Antietam. It records the dedication of the Antietam National Cemetery in 1867 and lists Union soldiers who died.

Explore the People, Places, & Events that Shape Maryland.

Image of Antietam shadow box
Explore the People, Places, & Events that shape Maryland.
Plan Your Visit
 Etting Mug

Etting Mug

To commemorate their contribution to history, the men who defended North Point and Fort McHenry in 1814 scratched their names into this six-inch tall tin mug owned by Samuel Etting.

Explore the People, Places, & Events that Shape Maryland.

Image of Etting Mug
Explore the People, Places, & Events that shape Maryland.
Elizabeth Talford Scott and the Crazy Quilt Tradition: Opening February 1, 2024
 Material & Memories

Material & Memories

Featuring Abstract #1 by Elizabeth Talford Scott in dialogue with responsive works by the African American Quilters of Baltimore and historic quilts from MCHC’s collection.

Explore the People, Places, & Events that Shape Maryland.

Image of Material & Memories

Become a Member

Receive free admission, our biannual scholarly journal, and discounts on event tickets and Museum Store items.

Join or Renew

We Are Acknowledging

Explore MCHC’s Land Acknowledgement Statement

View the statement

Explore the Future of MCHC

The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) is poised for the future, following the newly-developed 2023-2028 Strategic Plan.

Explore the Plan

The Maryland Center for History and Culture is more than a Museum and Library. We provide space for discovery and developing a deeper understanding of the nation’s history and culture through the lens of Maryland.

Next Upcoming

Upcoming Event

Wye Oak Lecture Series—Finding Black Identity in Early American Art

View Event Detail
This oil painting by Charles Willson Peale, circa 1784, depicts several men in military uniforms standing on a grassy area overlooking a coastal scene. In the background, a settlement with buildings and a windmill is visible, along with several ships anchored near the rocky shore. The sky is painted with warm hues, suggesting a sunrise or sunset. In the foreground, figures and horses are engaged in various activities near the shoreline.
Current Exhibitions

Liberté/Liberty

Liberté/Liberty

Lafayette in Maryland

Located in the H. Furlong Baldwin Library alcove gallery, Liberté/Liberty highlights the affection and esteem in which Marylanders held him through a variety of fine and decorative arts, letters, and newspaper clippings. At the exhibition’s center is a full-length portrait of Lafayette ca. 1822 A celebrated hero of the American Revolution, Gilbert de Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, was a frequent and favorite visitor to Maryland both during and after the war. On his return tour across all 24 states of the union from 1824 to 1825, he was fêted at parties, balls, and less formally in private homes. In acknowledgment of the esteem held for him across the state, the Maryland Legislature declared him, and all his heirs forever, citizens of Maryland.

Learn More
Black and white portrait of Scott smiling, both hands are held to her lower face. Her face and hands fill the frame.
Current Exhibitions

Material & Memories

Material & Memories

Elizabeth Talford Scott and the Crazy Quilt Tradition

Talford Scott’s work as the centerpiece of this collaborative exhibition which engages the crazy quilt form in dialogue with responsive works by the African American Quilters of Baltimore and the antique quilts in MCHC’s collection. Crafted from the scraps of family members’ clothing and decorative household fabrics, these quilts are deeply personal “landscapes of memory.” Of Abstract #1, Elizabeth Talford Scott said, “This is a family quilt, all something from the family. Everything that I didn’t want to throw out I saved a piece of it.” In 1999, MCHC partnered with the Maryland Institute College of Art’s Exhibition Development Seminar to present Eyewinkers, Tumbleturds, and Candlebugs: The Art of Elizabeth Talford Scott, a retrospective of her work. Material and Memories reconnects MCHC as a community partner with the Baltimore Museum of Art’s anniversary show, presenting Talford Scott’s work at locations throughout Baltimore City.

Learn More
Realistic oil painting of a watermelon and grapes, with dramatic lighting to emphasize the colorful fruits.
Current Exhibitions

Collecting Maryland

Collecting Maryland

Art | Artifacts | Community

The 350,000 objects, artworks, and artifacts within the museum collections of MCHC tell the stories of our state’s interconnected communities. Collecting Maryland: Art, Artifacts, Community returns important works of fine and decorative arts to public view. Vignettes highlighting major collecting themes are organized to provide an introspective look at our institution and dive into the depth and breadth of our collections assembled over our 180-year history.  Through the lens of “We Are. . .” our core values of Community, Authenticity, Dialogue, and Discovery are echoed in objects, ideas, and stories throughout the galleries. Collecting Maryland is designed as a flexible space for our curatorial team to experiment with new ideas and rotate frequently. We invite our members and larger community to come and learn something new with each visit.

Learn More
Black Panther Party_Childress
Current Exhibitions

Passion and Purpose

Passion and Purpose

Voices of Maryland’s Civil Rights Activists

Passion and Purpose: Voices of Maryland’s Civil Rights Activists will be closed to the public for a private event on Friday, November 15, 2024. It will reopen on Saturday, November 16. Marylanders have been at the forefront of the national Black freedom struggle, from lawsuits that revealed the lies of the “separate but equal” doctrine in the 1930s and ’40s, to massive protests in the streets during the 1960s that forced a nation to confront its moral consciousness. This legacy continues through today. Visitors to Passion and Purpose learn and draw inspiration from the lived experiences of these activists who make up a complex mosaic of the long and continuing fight for civil rights in Maryland and the nation. This exhibition is on long-term view.

Learn More
Profile photograph of Claire McCardell.
Current Exhibitions

Claire / McCardell

Claire / McCardell

On view now!

Claire McCardell redefined women’s fashion in America during the 1930s –1950s and she continues to influence American sportswear today. By designing for modern American women like herself, McCardell became synonymous with the American fashion rebellion. Beneath her dynamic, confident, and strong-willed business persona, Claire was a shy introvert in conflict with this perceived identity. Through family letters, personal interviews, and archival documents, juxtaposed with examples of McCardell’s designs spanning her career, this exhibition gives a more intimate look at the woman behind the iconic label. This exhibition is curated by Tory Burch Claire McCardell Fashion Fellow Robyn Levy. Support for this Fellowship is generously provided by the Tory Burch Foundation.

Learn More
1
Something for Everyone
10000
Household + Office Objects
2500
Toys, Dolls + Games
2200
Paintings + Miniatures

Library

Dedicated to preserving the irreplaceable history of Maryland

The H. Furlong Baldwin Library invites visitors to explore the records of Maryland’s past and preserves irreplaceable historical materials for future generations.

Image of Library Catalog

Library Catalog

Search for books, periodicals, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps and more.
View More
Image of Digital Collections Item

Digital Collections

View digitized paintings, photographs, prints, and other materials.
View More
Paul Robeson, photograph by Paul Henderson, 1948, HEN.00.A2-156

Membership

A Word From Our Members

Our members believe what we believe: history can illuminate the past, lend perspective to the present, and inform the future. Don’t take our word for it. Hear what they have to say.

Join or renew
“ ”
This place is fascinating and has interesting programs and displays. I’ve had excellent personal interactions with everyone. All friendly and helpful folks. I love history and this is an excellent place to learn more about it.
Virginia Green, Member Since 2011
Image of 100+ Years of the Maryland Historical Magazine

100+ Years of the Maryland Historical Magazine

Read past issues digitized through a partnership with the Maryland State Archives. Enjoy print copies mailed to you with membership.

view issues

Blogs & Updates

All Updates
Image of A Major Booster Event for Baltimore
September 29, 2022

A Major Booster Event for Baltimore

Post published September 29, 2022 One hundred eight years ago this fall, the city of Baltimore played host to the…

Read More

Generous leading support for this website was provided by the Sheridan Foundation with additional support from the Helen Clay Frick Foundation.