10 Best Things to Do in Havre De Grace, MD

By VI Staff on January 2, 2020 - Updated

walt1957/stock.adobe.com

Havre de Grace has been named as one of America's best small towns to visit by Smithsonian Magazine, noted for its gorgeous location at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay where it meets the Susquehanna River. The city is home to one of Maryland's oldest existing lighthouses, the 1827 Concord Point Lighthouse, which is open to the public throughout the year as a living history museum. Visitors can explore the beautiful Susquehanna State Park grounds, which offer year-round fishing and hiking experiences, or learn about the area's history at museums such as the privately-operated Steppingstone Museum. The city's lovely historic downtown district is lined with antique shops, theaters, and eclectic dining destinations. CDC information for travelers. Hours/availability may have changed.

1.Concord Point Lighthouse

Concord Point Lighthouse is a charming historic lighthouse in Havre de Grace, constructed in 1827 at the point where the beautiful Susquehanna River meets the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The lighthouse is the Chesapeake Bay's northernmost lighthouse and is the second-oldest lighthouse tower still standing on the bay today. It was constructed by prominent area lighthouse architect John Donahoo, made of Port Deposit granite and standing 36 feet above the river's waters. It defended the city of Havre de Grace during the War of 1812, when it was used as a site for a cannon battery. After being decommissioned in 1975, the lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places the following year and completely restored to its historic condition. Today, the lighthouse is open to the public as a living history museum, offering guided tour experiences throughout the year.

700 Concord St, Havre De Grace, MD 21078, Phone: 410-939-3213

2.Susquehanna State Park

Susquehanna State Park is a lovely public recreation area along Havre de Grace's northern Susquehanna River shoreline, overseen as part of a broader park complex with nearby Palmer and Rocks State Parks. The park was founded in 1958 after land donations by Baltimore Museum of Art president J. Gilman D'Arcy Paul and has become a popular area for outdoor recreational activities throughout the year. Visitors can enjoy opportunities for fishing, boating, hiking, and equestrian riding throughout the park at areas such as the Rock Run Historical Area, which is also home to the preserved 1804 Carter-Archer Mansion. Other historical remains preserved at the building include the restored Jersey Toll House and remains of the former Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal. The privately-operated Steppingstone Museum, located on the park's grounds, showcases exhibits connected to the rural arts community in Harford County at the turn of the 20th century.

4188 Wilkinson Rd, Havre De Grace, MD 21078, Phone: 410-557-7994

3.Mount Felix Vineyard and Winery

Mount Felix Vineyard and Winery is a delightful winery located within the historic 1830s-era Mount Felix Manor, right at the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River. The winery uses unique growing methods to optimize photosynthesis along the Chesapeake Bay's southeasterly-oriented slopes, growing delicious grape varietals that reflect the region's unique terroir. Old World-style techniques are blended with environmentally-friendly practices to create a wide variety of highly drinkable white and red wines and blends for sale throughout the year. Wines produced in small batches include unique favorites like the company's Arias Mangonnay, which blends chardonnay with mango wine flavors. The winery's public tasting room is open Wednesdays through Sundays, offering tastings complemented by locally-sourced cheese and charcuterie platters.

2000 Level Rd, Havre De Grace, MD 21078

4.Susquehanna Museum at the Lock House

Susquehanna Museum at the Lock House is a unique museum preserving the history of Havre de Grace's Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, housed within its former 1840 Lock Tender's House building. The museum is open to the public Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between April and October, with additional hours offered during the holiday season. Visitors can explore the museum's interactive exhibits and learn about the area's indigenous history, early pioneer settlers, and growth via economic and military interests from the 18th century onward. Maps and artifacts recreate the canal's route, while a working model of the canal lock demonstrates period-appropriate technologies. Outside the museum, a working swing bridge is located within a five-acre park, which also offers nature trails and day-use picnic sites.

817 Conesteo St, Havre De Grace, MD 21078, Phone: 410-939-5780

5.The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum

The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum is a delightful museum showcasing the rich maritime heritage and history of the Susquehanna River region. The museum was incorporated in 1988, founded as a nonprofit educational institution created by a group of historically-minded citizens. Nearly two dozen permanent exhibits are showcased throughout the museum's floors, including the museum's signature Beyond Jamestown: Life 400 Years Ago exhibit, which tells the tale of a 1608 regional visit by Captain John Smith. Other exhibits detail Chesapeake Bay fishing history, native waterfowl populations, and local United States Coast Guard operations throughout the years. Additional artifacts are showcased in the museum's ground floor boat shop, which houses recreated and reconstructed historic boats.

100 Lafayette St, Havre De Grace, MD 21078, Phone: 410-939-4800

6.The Steppingstone Museum

The Steppingstone Museum is a lovely nonprofit cultural museum in Susquehanna State Park, located just northwest of the city of Havre de Grace. The privately-owned museum preserves and interprets the region's rural heritage and culture, showcasing a collection of more than 7,000 preserved tools and artifacts originally collected by area resident J. Edmund Bull. The museum was originally founded as a private collection within Bull's home before being transferred to the 18th-century Gilman Paul farm within the state park's boundaries in 1979. Visitors can learn about the region's history of farming and trade practices through a variety of interactive exhibits, including exhibits connected to area blacksmithing and stonecutting trades. Animal exhibits on the museum's grounds include an apiary and a traditional farmhouse chicken coop.

461 Quaker Bottom Rd, Havre De Grace, MD 21078, Phone: 410-939-2299

7.Bahoukas Antique Mall

Bahoukas Antique Mall spans more than 9,000 square feet throughout Havre de Grace's historic Main Street District, housed within a gorgeous preserved historic 1880s-era building. The unique antique mall was the vision of George Adams, the founder of the BrewMania Beer MuZeum. Visitors can explore the lovely mall, opened in 2007, and browse collections of all sorts of antique, vintage, and retro items. Collections for sale range from midcentury toys, Boy Scout items, arcade games, and collectible PEZ dispensers to sports memorabilia, vintage radios and jukeboxes, and household decor items. Items are sold by six dealers, including Adams himself. Upstairs on the mall's second floor, visitors can explore collections of beer and alcohol-related items, including sports and NASCAR-related beer memorabilia.

408 N Union Ave, Havre De Grace, MD 21078, Phone: 410-942-1290

8.The Cultural Center at the Opera House

The Cultural Center at the Opera House is a gorgeous preserved historic theatrical venue that was originally constructed in downtown Havre de Grace in 1870. Despite its name, the opera house has rarely performed opera pieces, instead named for the common naming convention for theater halls at the turn of the 20th century due to lower-class associations with vaudeville or burlesque theater. It was fully renovated in 2013 and is located within the city's lovely National Historic District arts and entertainment area. High-quality live entertainment is showcased at the theater throughout the year, including live theatrical performances, concerts, dance presentations, and film showings.

121 N Union Ave, Havre De Grace, MD 21078, Phone: 443-502-2005

9.La Cucina

La Cucina is a delicious Italian-style restaurant located in the heart of Havre de Grace's delightful historic district, within easy walking distance of the city's Chesapeake Bay waterfront and downtown shopping district. The restaurant is helmed by a family of Naples immigrants, who relocated to the Havre de Grace area in 2001 after moving to Baltimore. A plethora of delicious regional Italian specialties are served up throughout the week at the restaurant, including stuffed manicotti, homestyle meat or vegetable lasagna, and traditional eggplant parmigiana. Classics like veal piccata, chicken marsala, and shrimp scampi are also served up, along with pasta favorites like fettuccine alfredo and beef bolognese.

103 N. Washington St., Havre De Grace, MD 20178, Phone: 410-939-1401

10.Bella's Tea Room

Bella's Tea Room is a charming Havre de Grace restaurant owned and operated by Peru immigrants Mia and Al Rosas, who bring more than 30 years of combined culinary industry experience to the Baltimore County region. The couple are best known as the owners of former Cockeysville favorite The Bamboo House. Diners can enjoy full afternoon tea experiences in a family-friendly atmosphere and sample classic tea sandwich varieties, including cucumber sandwiches and smoked salmon sandwiches. A full menu of flavored, herbal, and decaffeinated teas are available to complement all meals. Fresh fruit spreads are served up with traditional scones, including favorites like lemon curd and clotted cream. Diners can also enjoy a full menu of housemade sweets, including pies and macarons prepared onsite daily.

421 St John St, Havre De Grace, MD 21078, Phone: 443-502-5423