Things to Do in Berlin, Maryland
The best things to do in Berlin, Maryland, are walking its restored Victorian Main Street, seeing the wild horses on Assateague Island, and poking into the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum. Berlin is a town of 5,026 people in Worcester County, about 8 miles inland from Ocean City.
Locals say it “BURL-in,” a pronunciation tied to the Burley Inn, an early tavern at the crossroads where the town grew. After an 1895 fire leveled much of downtown, merchants rebuilt with Victorian storefronts. Those streets later stood in for fictional towns in Runaway Bride (1999) and Tuck Everlasting (2002).
Downtown Berlin and Main Street
Downtown is the reason to stop. It’s a Maryland Main Street community and an Arts and Entertainment District, with more than 60 shops, galleries and antique stores and 15-plus places to eat. Forty-seven buildings in town are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, spanning Federal, Victorian and 20th-century styles.
★ Good to know The Welcome Center at 14 S. Main Street has a vestibule open around the clock with brochures and a walking map.
Assateague Island National Seashore
The seashore’s Maryland entrance is at the end of Route 611, eight miles south of Ocean City, and its offices and visitor center carry Berlin addresses. The barrier island is 37 miles long and never more than a mile wide. The Maryland herd of wild horses is managed as wildlife, with a target of 80 to 100 animals.
★ Good to know Rangers can cite you for getting within 40 feet of a horse, and the horses do bite and kick, so watch from a distance.
Assateague State Park
Maryland’s state park sits on the same island, and the road into the national seashore runs through it. It has a lifeguarded ocean beach and a day-use area with the 5 Tides restaurant and shop, run by Assateague Outfitters.
★ Good to know 5 Tides is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with limited hours in spring and fall.
Calvin B. Taylor House Museum
This 1832 Federal-style house at 208 N. Main Street is the town’s history museum. The main block is furnished as a period house, and the west wing holds a gallery of local memorabilia. It also hosts lawn events, including a Peach Festival each August.
★ Good to know The museum is open seasonally, roughly May through October, so check the schedule before you go.
The Mermaid Museum
Opened in 2020, this upstairs museum at 4 Jefferson Street collects mermaid oddities, art and ocean lore. Its own tagline sums up the town’s mix of beach traffic and quirk: come for the ponies, stay for the mermaids.
★ Good to know It’s open daily in summer and on weekends in the off-season; hours change by season, so check before you go.
The Ghost Museum
Founded in 2024 on Pitts Street, the Ghost Museum gathers artifacts and local ghost stories on the second floor of a historic building. It bills itself as suitable for all ages, with no jump scares.
★ Good to know It’s upstairs with no elevator, which matters if anyone in your group can’t do stairs.
Burley Oak Brewing and Heron Park
Burley Oak’s taproom and beer garden sit at 10016 Old Ocean City Boulevard, on the north side of town. Heron Park, a town park, is right across the road and is open dawn to dusk for walking, running and bird watching.
★ Good to know Heron Park is also where the town sets off its early-July fireworks.
The Atlantic Hotel
Built in 1895, the year fire leveled much of downtown, the Atlantic Hotel has anchored Main Street ever since. It still runs as an inn, with guest rooms and a restaurant in its Victorian building.
Also in town
Berlin also has 21-acre Stephen Decatur Park with a nature pond and trail, a Sunday farmers market from May through October, and stops on the StoryWays mural and history tour.
What movies were filmed in Berlin, Maryland?
Runaway Bride (1999), with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, turned Main Street into the fictional town of Hale, Maryland. Tuck Everlasting (2002) transformed the streets into the town of Treegap.
How far is Berlin from Assateague Island?
Close. The seashore’s Maryland entrance is at the end of Route 611, south of Ocean City, and its visitor center and offices use Berlin addresses. There’s no road between the Maryland and Virginia ends of the island.
How do you pronounce Berlin, Maryland?
BURL-in, with the stress on the first syllable. Local tradition ties it to the Burley Inn, the early tavern at the town’s crossroads.
Can you see wild horses near Berlin, Maryland?
Yes, on the Maryland end of Assateague Island, where the National Park Service manages a herd of about 80 to 100 horses. Keep at least 40 feet away. For more trip ideas, see our small towns in Maryland.
Where to find them
- Downtown Berlin and Main Street 14 S. Main St., Berlin, MD 21811 Website Directions
- Assateague Island National Seashore 11800 Marsh View Lane, Berlin, MD 21811 Website Directions
- Assateague State Park Assateague Island, Berlin, MD 21811 Website Directions
- Calvin B. Taylor House Museum 208 N. Main St., Berlin, MD 21811 Website Directions
- The Mermaid Museum 4 Jefferson St., Berlin, MD 21811 Website Directions
- The Ghost Museum 11 Pitts St., Berlin, MD 21811 Website Directions
- Burley Oak Brewing and Heron Park 10016 Old Ocean City Blvd., Berlin, MD 21811 Website Directions
- The Atlantic Hotel Main St., Berlin, MD 21811 Website Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Berlin, see the official visitor site →
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Where to stay in Berlin
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