Things to Do in Easton, Maryland

Local artists led by sculptor Lee Lawrie founded the Academy in 1958, and it moved into a historic schoolhouse at 106 South Street in 1960. The permanent collection holds more than 1,500 works, from Goya, Cézanne, Picasso and Miró to photographers like Ansel Adams. It’s accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

★ Good to know Admission is free, and the museum also runs art classes for adults and kids.

The Avalon opened in 1921 as a movie palace billed as the “Showplace of the Eastern Shore.” A 1934 renovation gave it the Art Deco look it still has. After closing in 1985, it was restored and reopened as a performing arts center in 1989. Today it’s the town’s main stage for concerts, at 40 E. Dover Street.

★ Good to know Check the Avalon’s calendar before your trip; a show here is the easiest way to spend an Easton evening.

Generally considered the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in America, the Great Meetinghouse held its first meeting on August 14, 1684. Its white-oak frame was widened in 1797, which gives it a slightly lopsided look. A brick meeting house was added beside it in 1880 for winter use.

★ Good to know It’s still an active congregation, and visitors are welcome at worship on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.

Easton’s biggest weekend has run for more than 50 years and draws about 25,000 visitors and 350 artists and vendors. Expect wildlife art, carvings, retriever and raptor demonstrations, DockDogs and the World Waterfowl Calling Championship. It has raised millions of dollars for conservation.

★ Good to know It’s held over a weekend each November, so book rooms early.

This 450-acre working farm and sanctuary sits on a tidal creek just outside town. It has more than five miles of walking trails, bird blinds, a freshwater pond and 120 acres of restored wetland. More than 200 bird species have been recorded here.

★ Good to know Dogs aren’t allowed, and trail hours change with the season, so check the center’s site before you go.

Downtown’s brick streets hold galleries, antique shops and restaurants, plus historic inns. A walking tour of the Hill takes you through one of the oldest free African American communities in the nation. In 2011 the county added a statue of Frederick Douglass, who was born enslaved in northern Talbot County in 1818.

★ Good to know Time a visit for the First Friday Art Walk if you want to make an evening of the galleries.

The Tidewater Inn, steps from the Avalon, is downtown’s classic hotel, with 86 rooms and suites and a spa. Hunters’ Tavern, inside, serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, which makes it an easy stop even if you’re not staying.