7 Most Beautiful College Towns In Maryland
College towns have an energy and excitement you can feel and see. You feel the students' youthful exuberance in the air. You see evidence of welcoming and collaboration in the theaters, festivals, and programs the town offers, and the ways the college opens its doors to the community. Maryland is not a large state, yet its geography from east to west is as different as night and day. From beaches to mountains, rolling hills and canopies of trees, each town beckons with its own special qualities, offering diverse activities for residents, students, and visitors to enjoy.
St. Mary's City
St. Mary's City is unique among college towns in that the entire town is a living history and archaeological museum and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Exhibits are pristine and well cared for, making it a beautiful college town. Most of the buildings are original, such as the 300-year-old Mackall Barn, Maryland's oldest agricultural structure that is still standing. The St. John's Site Museum, on the campus of St. Mary's College, gives visitors a close-up view of an open excavated site, while the Woodland Indian Hamlet lets you try your hand at starting a fire and shaping a canoe. (Note that the exhibit uses real animal parts in its processing.) St. Mary's City was Maryland's original capital, which became a ghost town when the capital was moved to Annapolis in 1693. It became a living history museum in 1966.
Situated on the St. Mary's River, the St. Mary's College itself is beautiful. It bills itself as the National Public Honors College because it is designed to give every student an honors education. The college's academic focus is on educating future teachers. Undergrads can earn a four-year, single-subject teaching degree with a Maryland teaching credential in four years, while grad students can earn a master of Arts in Teaching online in 7-11 months.
College Park
When talking about beautiful college towns, some people picture small colleges with ivy-covered buildings. College Park, however, with over 40,000 students on the campus of the University of Maryland, shatters that quaint image. The town has an extensive network of hiking/biking trails that connect to Washington, DC. The 87-acre Lake Artemesia has fishing, hiking, a playground, an outdoor adult fitness center, and is dog-friendly. In the winter, the lake is a popular spot to see migratory waterfowl. Visit the College Park Aviation Museum, which is affiliated with the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. The museum has Cub Corner for kids as well as events like Girls in Aviation Day on October 4, and special Sensory Hours for those who benefit from a less stimulating environment. College Park is just 4 miles from the border of Washington DC, and has a stop on the Green Line of the area's Metro rail transit system, so it is easy to get to the monuments, the White House, museums, and other attractions available there, many of which are free.
The University of Maryland is a research institution and offers over 100 bachelors degree programs as well as masters and doctoral programs. Its campus is considered an arboretum in itself and is beautiful in its own right. Take the Mindful Moments self-guided walking tour at your leisure. Also see Jim Henson (a UMD grad) talking to Kermit at the Jim Henson Statue and Memorial Garden.
Annapolis
With its location on the Chesapeake Bay, its Historic District's original Colonial buildings, and the well-manicured grounds of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in its midst, it would be hard to imagine a college town prettier than Annapolis. An extremely walkable town, it somehow feels quaint even when it's packed with tourists. Stroll the streets for eclectic boutiques and shops, from high-end cocktail attire to consignment shops. Don't miss the art galleries in the Arts District on West Street. Numerous companies offer walking tours that cover different areas and attractions.
One of the most complete tours is Watermark's Colonial Annapolis & Maryland State House Tour + USNA Option. Colonial-costumed guides will regale you with their knowledge of the town today and its history, along with little-known facts and local lore. (Note: You must have a US-issued Real ID or a US passport to enter the USNA grounds.) You can also tour the USNA on your own, via a Guided Walking Tour or GEM Electric Car Tour. Stop at the Visitors Center to book a tour; there are several types of tours, including one that explains the admissions process, what it's like to be a midshipman, and the commitments after graduation.
Westminster
Green spaces, flower gardens, and fountains will beautify any town, and Westminster has all of these and more. The town's beauty and ambiance is exemplified in Belle Grove Square, an in-town park with flowers in bloom, paved walkways leading to a brick circle surrounding a fountain, with benches to relax and enjoy the view. The town abounds with parks featuring different types of outdoor recreation. Westminster City Park boasts ball fields, tennis and basketball courts, and a grand playground with plenty of things to climb up, slide down, hop along, and swing. If you have a bit more time, head to Hashawha Environmental Center & Bear Branch Nature Center. Hashawha has 5 miles of walking trails, a pond, and wide open spaces to explore, while Bear Branch is an education center with an aviary and planetarium.
The McDaniel College campus is a beautiful complement to the charming town. As a liberal arts college, its goal is to expose students to a wide variety of subjects, and especially the arts, as a way to enrich their lives now and in the future. So students and Westminster residents often attend events, plays, concerts, and lectures given by the college and the town. Westminster holds many festivals throughout the year, such as the Irish Festival in March, the Flower & Jazz Festival in May, and A Toast to Italy in July. Meanwhile, the college also sponsors events for the students and the town, like the Westminster Fall Festival in September, which is presented by McDaniel and supported by the town. Whenever you come to town, check what is going on in town or on campus during your visit.
Frostburg
Located in the Allegheny Mountains, Frostburg gets an average of 80 inches of snow annually, making it a skier's paradise. In the spring, summer, and fall, however, residents, college students, and visitors have other ways to take in the spectacular mountain views. The Great Allegheny Passage (aka the GAP) is a bicycling and hiking trail that goes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Washington, DC. You can do any part of it, however, like a bit of the Frostburg to Cumberland stretch. Some people like to combine it with Frostburg's Tracks and Yaks aluminum rail "bike" excursion. The bikes, each holding up to four people, are attached to the rails on which the now-defunct Western Maryland Railroad used to run. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, whose restored steam engines and modern rail cars run on different rails, offers a three-hour round trip between Cumberland and Frostburg. In addition to the Frostburg Flyer, the railroad has Murder Mystery and other themed and holiday excursions.
Frostburg State University offers 47 undergraduate majors and 14 graduate programs ranging from education to computer science. The administration proudly considers the college to be a vital part of the Frostburg community and encourages its 4,000+ students to be an integral part of the town. The school provides free shuttle buses from campus to town so students can enjoy -- and contribute to -- the restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses in the town.
Chestertown
Situated on the Chester River, Chestertown was an important port town in Colonial times, taking goods to and from Baltimore, Washington DC, and Philadelphia, particularly tobacco and wheat. Many of its original buildings still remain, have been painstakingly preserved, and are on the National Register of Historic Places. One such structure is the Hynson-Reinggold House, on Water Street, which businessman Thomas Reinggold had built by combining three houses. Today, the president of Washington College lives in the restored home. Check out the other architecturally significant buildings on Water Street as well; each is a historic masterpiece. Be sure to take in an experience at RiverArts during your visit. Check out at least one of their five centers: the Gallery showing work by local artists, try your hand at the Clay Studio, KIDSpot, where kids can drop in, Arts Education for a class, or see what the Store has in store for you. Since you are in a river town, book a public or private cruise from the Chester River Packet Company; the season runs from April through December and New Year's Day.
Washington College is a liberal arts college that is highly ranked for its academics and its outstanding faculty who are known for advising and mentoring students in addition to teaching. Students are encouraged to become involved in the community as well as the larger society through internships, research, and projects. The college and the town regularly collaborate and partner for events and experiences. The college's Academy for Lifelong Learning enables community members to take classes on campus. The campus itself is an arboretum, beautiful in its own right, and it is inside the town's limits. The Chestertown Rail Trail is a great way to get from campus to town, and it is accessible from the campus's North Commons.
Salisbury
Salisbury has a natural beauty due to its location on Maryland's Eastern Shore and, specifically, on the Wicomico River that flows through the town and through Salisbury City Park. The town has 10 parks, including a skate park. City Park has walking trails, a playground, a tennis court, and picnic tables. Schumaker Park, situated along Schumaker Pond, has a disc golf course and a long deck ideal for fishing from the pond. Pemberton Historical Park is a 262-acre conservation area with numerous trails and a museum in the 1700s-era house on the property. We often hear about the need for more kindness in the world. The town of Salisbury takes that to heart by celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day and partnering with national groups like Dance for Kindness and Life Vest Inside, making part of its mission to promote kindness and compassion towards each other.
That attitude of kindness and inclusion extends to the town's relationship with Salisbury University (SU). Students are encouraged to become involved in the town through volunteering, especially on clean-up days or other civic events, and town residents also become involved with the university. SU is consistently ranked among the Best Mid-Atlantic Colleges, Best Value Colleges, and a "green" school that emphasizes sustainability. Even its library is ranked among the top 20 collegiate libraries in the US. SU's focus on serving each student's individuality gives them unusual opportunities like the ability for undergrads to conduct research in their fields and even publish papers as co-authors with professors, typically only possible for grad students at most colleges and universities.
Consider What Beautiful Means To You
As the famous adage states, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." What one person considers to be among the most beautiful college towns may be lost on someone else. Undoubtedly, more schools could have been included on a list of "Most Beautiful" college towns. Many of those described here have an internal beauty as magnificent as what meets the eye. Salisbury and Chestertown connect with students and welcome them with opportunities to become involved. Frostburg will certainly appeal to people who favor winter as a favorite season. Bustling Annapolis, the antithesis of a quiet college town, nevertheless shows its beauty in its 18th-century buildings and the stunning grounds of the US Naval Academy.
