CBMM's New At Play on the Bay
is Now Open

ST. MICHAELS, MD—On Saturday, June 4, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum hosted a grand opening celebration of its largest permanent exhibit to date, At Play on the Bay. The exhibit explores one of the most dramatic aspects of the Bay's twentieth-century history— its shift from a place of work to a place where people now come to play. Showcasing many of the Museum's beautifully restored boats, as well as over 400 historical artifacts and photographs, the two-story exhibition building is located on Navy Point's waterfront.

Designed to allow visitors the opportunity to explore the Bay's unique recreational story, At Play on the Bay features fourteen sections, including an early twentieth-century canoe campsite, a boathouse and Owens cruiser, a 1950s tackle shop, and a yacht club.

Organized chronologically, the show explores historical moments, from the early touristswho traveled to the region, to the role of organized sailboat racing and cruising in community development, to the mass production and marketing of motorboats, to the founding of African American resorts and the widening access to recreation.

As visitors travel through the show, they are able to experience racing sailboats and hydroplanes, climb aboard a 30-foot Owens cruiser, view the historic and contemporary landscapes of the St. Michaels Harbor, design their own burgee, and watch home movies of families having fun on the Bay. Video throughout the exhibition includes log canoe, one-design, and hydroplane races as well as interviews with some of the racers.

At Play on the Bay was designed by Chris White of Chris White Designs. The building plans were developed by Quinn Evans | Architects and the structure was constructed by Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. The two-story exhibition building boasts an atrium filled with natural light, extensive views of the surrounding landscape, and a rooftop deck offering new perspectives of the Miles River, St. Michaels Harbor, and Fogg's Cove.

While the structure is not rectangular, the overall footprint is approximately 65-feet wide and 85-feet long. At Play on the Bay allows greater public and handicapped access to the waterfront throughout the entire year.

• Learn about the story the exhibit tells.

• Find out more about the exhibit
itself and the artifacts that are included.

• View renderings and plans for the new building.

• Read the latest news and articles about the
exhibition and recreation on the Chesapeake Bay.

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