Howard Berliner

Anne Arundel Area Guide

Rich in history yet totally in touch with today’s world, Anne Arundel County offers something for everyone. The sizeable county located directly on the Chesapeake Bay boasts vibrant town centers, warm neighborhoods, excellent schools, active communities. Tree-lined streets, beautiful landscaping, and historic buildings and architecture make many areas of Anne Arundel extremely appealing to the eye.

Its close proximity to the bay offers residents a multitude of choices for healthy outdoor lifestyles. High-ranking schools make Anne Arundel County a responsible choice for parents in search of quality educations for their families. With so much to offer, it’s no wonder they call Anne Arundel County “the land of pleasant living!” Come see for yourself! http://www.aacounty.org/

Cities and Towns
Anne Arundel is made up of an amazing number of residential areas. Click here for a complete list: Anne Arundel residential Areas

History
Anne Arundel County was named for Anne Arundell, a member of a distinguished family in Cornwall, England. Around 1627 she married Caecilius Calvert, the 2nd Lord Baltimore, for whom Baltimore City is named. Anne Arundel County was originally a part of St. Mary’s County in the Province of Maryland. The county broke off from St. Mary’s County and was established by a prominently Puritan group of settlers in 1650, just after Anne Arundell’s death. It was the 3rd of 23 counties in Maryland.

In 1655, Anne Arundel County was the site of the Battle of the Severn, a battle fought between Puritan supporters of the Commonwealth of England and those having loyalties to Caecilius Calvert. The capitol of Maryland was moved from St. Mary’s City in St. Mary’s County to Annapolis (previously called “Providence”) in Anne Arundel County in approximately 1694.

Another great note of historic importance is that the first regular passenger railroad service ran from Baltimore City to what is presently called Ellicott City, then known as Ellicott Mills, in Anne Arundel County. This began in 1830 via horse-drawn train, offered by the Baltimore & Ohio (B & O) Railroad.

To further research the historical prominence of Anne Arundel County, please visit this website, which offers a comprehensive listing of the National Registry of Historic Places: Anne Arundel County History

Attractions and Activities
It’s a difficult task to choose which area attractions to list here; there are so many incredible places from which to choose! Since there are so very many locations of interest within Anne Arundel County, we have broken area attractions down into categories by type of attraction rather than locale. We hope this helps you figure out where to begin on your adventure of discovering how very much Anne Arundel has to offer!

All Things Chesapeake
http://www.baygateways.net/exploring.cfm

Annapolis & the Chesapeake Bay
http://www.visitannapolis.org/index.aspx

Anne Arundel County Historical Society
http://www.aachs.org/

Bennett’s Curse Haunted Attractions
http://www.bennettscurse.com/

Museums
http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/museums/an/html/an.html

Other Places of Historic Interest
http://www.aacounty.org/Visit/index.cfm

Pumpkin Patches, Christmas Tree Farms, Pick-you-own Orchards (scroll down for Anne Arundel County)
http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/MDpumpkins.php

Swim Centers
http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/swimcenters/index.cfm

Anne Arundel County Veterinary Clinics

There are two amazing state parks in Anne Arundel just waiting for you to explore!
Patapsco Valley State Park
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/patapsco.asp

Sandy Point State Park
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/sandypoint.asp

Events
There is always something going on in Anne Arundel! For a current list of “what’s up,” visit Anne Arundel Events

Yet another Events Calendar
http://www.whatsupmag.com/index.php?option=com_jevents&Itemid=679&task=range.listevents

Recreation and Parks Events
http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/calendar.cfm

Annual Events (a few of many!)
Anne Arundel County Fair
http://www.aacountyfair.org/

Maryland Day Celebration
http://www.marylandday.org/

Maryland Renaissance Festival
http://www.rennfest.com/