Visit Frederick - Maryland

05/13/2026

The Creek is calling and I simply must go 🏃🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Share with someone who hears the call, too.

05/11/2026

America turns 250 this year. Frederick's German roots go back even further.

Long before the United States existed, waves of German immigrants carved out a new life along the Monocacy River Valley in Maryland, planting the seeds of what would become Frederick County. And one of the most remarkable surviving pieces of that story is waiting for you to visit right now.

Schifferstadt Architectural Museum is Frederick County's oldest house open to the public — and it's a National Historic Landmark, the highest historic honor in the country.

Here's the story: In 1729, Joseph and Cathrina Brunner led three generations of their family from the war-ravaged Palatinate region of Germany to Philadelphia. By 1736, they had followed the Monocacy River south into Frederick County, settling a 303-acre tract they named Schifferstadt — after their hometown back in Germany.

In 1758, their son Elias and his wife Albertina built the stone house that still stands today.

What makes Schifferstadt so extraordinary is what's inside. Step through the cross-and-bible doors and you'll find:
▪️Two-foot-thick stone walls built to last centuries
▪️A radiant heating system that is the only one in America still in its original location
▪️A barrel-vaulted cellar that served as the colonial refrigerator
▪️Four bedrooms, a massive kitchen, and a tightly winding staircase to the second floor

The U.S. Department of the Interior designated Schifferstadt a National Historic Landmark in 2017, recognizing it as one of the finest examples in America of how German settlers wove their cultural heritage into frontier life — Georgian on the outside, distinctly Germanic on the inside.

And the connection to Germany is alive today: Schifferstadt is one of Frederick's sister cities,
As America celebrates 250 years, take a moment to go further back and discover the German pioneers who helped build this corner of the republic.

Tour the house, wander the award-winning Heritage Garden (a faithful recreation of a colonial four-square kitchen garden), and catch one of the special events, including the beloved Schifferstadt Oktoberfest this October.

Open weekends 2–5 p.m. | Appointments available through Frederick County Landmarks Foundation.

📍 1110 Rosemont Ave, Frederick, MD 🔗 Plan your visit at VisitFrederick.org

05/08/2026

From 1776 to 1903 Catoctin Iron Furnace was a community in itself made up of founders, miners, charcoal makers, clerks, storekeepers and more.

Take a step back in time during the Maryland Iron Festival at Catoctin Furnace from May 16-17. Enjoy black smithing demos, live music, vendors, food trucks, guided tours and more.

Learn more at https://www.visitfrederick.org/events/annual-events/maryland-iron-festival/

05/07/2026

Nothing but good, sunshiny vibes for May 😎

05/06/2026

The collaboration you didn’t know you needed! A traditional German beer that pays homage to Frederick’s German roots, but of course with a modern twist; paying tribute to the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country while looking toward the future.

A huge thanks to Monocacy Brewing Company for bringing this brew to life and to Messy Bee Studio by giving it its own personality through the incredible can art.

Try a taste at the Maryland Craft Beer Festival this Saturday, May 9, on draft at Monocacy and Brewer's Alley or pick some up around Frederick-area retailers.

When Karl Knoop talks about beer, he talks about people. As general manager of Monocacy Brewing Company in Frederick, Knoop has spent his career thinking about what draws people together

05/04/2026

We're less than a week away from the Maryland Craft Beer Festival!

VIP Plus tickets are SOLD OUT but there are still VIP, General Admission and DD tickets up for grabs for this Saturday, May 9 event. Will we see you on Carroll Creek?

Purchase tickets and get more info at https://www.visitfrederick.org/event/maryland-craft-beer-festival/11681/ 🍻

📷 Marc Shapiro

05/01/2026

Looking for a unique animal encounter? Catoctin Wildlife Preserve should be on your list! 🦥

04/30/2026

Did you know the ground beneath Sky Stage once helped arm a revolution?

Before it became one of Frederick's coolest outdoor arts venues, the site at the corner of All Saints and Carroll streets had a role in the founding of America itself.

In December 1775, Maryland delegates chose this very lot in Fredericktown to establish a gun-lock factory to manufacture the firing mechanisms that Revolutionary War soldiers desperately needed.

The following year, three prominent figures were appointed to get it off the ground: John Hanson, James Johnson, and Charles Beatty. (Yes, that John Hanson — the Frederick County patriot who would later become President of the United States in Congress Assembled.) The factory operated until 1783, and some historians believe it may be the reason this part of downtown is still known as "Cannon Hill."

The site's industrial story continued for generations. By 1860, a handsome stone warehouse rose on the same ground. That building stood for 150 years before a devastating fire in July 2010 destroyed everything but the historic stone walls.

Frederick doesn't let history go quietly. From the ruins of that warehouse, Sky Stage was born. This innovative, open-air performing arts venue transformed the remaining industrial bones into a one-of-a-kind backdrop for theater, music, and arts experiences unlike anywhere else in Maryland.

📍 Sky Stage | Corner of All Saints & Carroll Streets, Downtown Frederick, MD

Learn more at VisitFrederick.org