Explore Worcester through a variety of experiences: On Ocean City’s Boardwalk, family bike rides sit alongside traces of the area’s history. Trails through the woods and past ponds offer a different perspective, while historic houses and museums tell the story of the region’s past. Explore these subjects according to your interests, without having to combine them into a set itinerary.
Boardwalk, Coast and Trails
Ocean City’s Boardwalk stretches 2.5 miles from the Inlet in southern Ocean City to 27th Street. Family bike rides are among the experiences available there. If you’re interested in the promenade’s history, Ocean City’s first wooden walkway was built in 1900. Another way to orient yourself along the coast is the Maryland section of the Cape to Cape Scenic Byway, which runs from Ocean City to Stockton.
Assateague offers more ways to experience the landscape. In the Maryland District of Assateague Island National Seashore, ranger-led walks are offered on the Life of the Marsh Trail. Check the official program schedule before your trip. There is a fishing pier at the marina in Assateague State Park. The campground there has 345 sites, just a short walk from the beach.
For a trail with specific landscape features, try the 1.5-mile Rackliffe Trail. The loop passes through mainland forest and stands of bayberry and wax myrtle, as well as freshwater ponds. The trail’s length, loop format and described habitats offer different points of reference if you’d like to pair it with a visit to the water or a historic site.
Regional Buildings and Stories
Furnace Town Historic Site encompasses a 25-acre 19th-century village centered around the Nassawango Iron Furnace. The village is preserved, restored and interpreted. Its historic buildings and artisans’ workshops form a learning center for history, art and nature. The site’s story includes not only the iron furnace, but also its preserved buildings and artistic aspects.
Rackliffe House offers a different example of historic architecture: This restored 18th-century coastal plantation house overlooks Sinepuxent Bay. Together, Furnace Town and Rackliffe House offer two distinct ways to explore history—one a house on the bay, the other a village centered around an iron furnace.
Museum buildings themselves can also tell stories about their former uses. The Delmarva Discovery Museum is located on the Pocomoke River in downtown Pocomoke City. It’s housed in a historic Art Deco brick building originally built as a car dealership in 1922. Its exhibits explore the ecology of the Pocomoke River; the experience includes touching, listening, experimenting and exploring. The museum is also home to Mac and Tuck, North American river otters. Programs, tours and presentations are offered regularly; check the schedule before your visit.
At the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, learn about the history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service. Permanent exhibits include the original USLSS logbook. Those interested in school history will find another specific chapter at the Sturgis One Room School: Until it closed in 1937, a single teacher taught grades 1 through 7 there. The school operated for 37 years in total.
The Julia A. Purnell Museum also combines the history of a building with insights into local life. Its building was constructed in 1891 as St. Agnes Catholic Church. The exhibits explore various aspects of life for residents of Snow Hill and Worcester County.
A Break Along the Way
5 Tides Restaurant offers takeout and an extensive breakfast and lunch menu. Since service details can change, check ahead to make sure the offerings suit your visit. This lets you plan meals separately from your other explorations—from a walk along the Rackliffe Trail to visits to historic buildings and museums.
Discover more destinations: Ocean City, Pocomoke City, Bishopville, Whaleyville.
More destinations: Prince George's, Frederick, Saint Mary's County, Baltimore.
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