Historic Sites Consortium of
Queen Anne's County

Kent Narrows,
Maryland

The Chesapeake Exploration Center is the gateway to Queen Anne's County, the Eastern Shore, and the Chesapeake Bay Region. The center features an interactive exhibit, public restrooms and visitor information for the entire region.

Our Chesapeake Legacy

Located within the Chesapeake Exploration Center is an interpretive exhibit that explores the relationship between humans and the Chesapeake Bay over time - how that relationship has shaped the culture and history of the region, as well as the environment of the Bay.  The exhibit explore 7 key themes:

• The Creation Kitchen - learn how to make the Soup of the Bay.  Discover how the Bay was formed 125,000 years ago by glaciers.  Check inside the fridge to see real fossils and inside cupboards to see wildlife in their habitats.

• Early Settlement of the Bay - uncover evidence of man's first footsteps in the Bay environment.  Arrowheads, trade beads and the oldest dated piece of ceramic found in America are tucked away in drawers and cabinets for you to discover.

• The Tobacco Era, 1630-1760 - the "stinking weed" paid for the construction of the colony, but not without slavery.  How many hogsheads of tobacco do you think it cost to build a church?

• A Place Apart, 1760-1952 - fields depleted by nutrient-drawing tobacco began to be used for produce and grains.  Harvesting the Bay's seafood was a booming business.  New transportation methods took canned oysters to the gold fields of California and tomato juice to soldiers serving in Germany.  Steamboats and railroads brought visitors and supplies to the Eastern Shore.

• The Eastern Shore, 1952 - Today - the Bay Bridge opened the gate to change on the Eastern Shore.  View a 12-minute video on how the first Bay Bridge was built, and get the facts on how long, how high and how many cars go across.

• Man's Impact on the Bay - what we put in, what we take out, and how we build around the Chesapeake watershed can hurt the Bay.  Find out what the problems are and how we are trying to fix them.

• Saving the Bay - Are the rockfish back?  Are the crabs gone forever?  Will the oysters continue to die from disease?  Take home a tear sheet with suggestions of things you can do to help save this natural resource.