The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park sits at 1417 Thames St in Baltimore’s Fells Point, the working waterfront neighborhood where free and enslaved Black caulkers once built and repaired ships. This small museum and shipyard-turned-heritage site tells a story largely absent from other Baltimore harbor attractions: the role African-American shipwrights played in the city’s maritime economy.
Visitors walk through the Bearman Gallery, where rotating exhibits pair historical photographs and artifacts with work from local African-American artists. The museum centers on Isaac Myers, who in 1868 helped found the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company, a Black-owned shipyard that employed hundreds of workers at a time when white unions barred them from the trade. Frederick Douglass himself worked as a ship caulker on these same docks in the 1830s. The waterfront setting, with Fells Point’s cobblestone streets and restored piers nearby, grounds the exhibits in the physical landscape where this history unfolded.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Weekday mornings offer the quietest visits, since Fells Point draws heavier foot traffic on weekend afternoons. The park sits within easy walking distance of the Broadway Market and the water taxi stop, making it simple to combine with a harbor-side lunch or a stop at the nearby historic ship exhibits. Self-guided and group tours are available, and the venue also books private events and weddings on-site. Call ahead or check current hours before visiting, as staffing can vary by season.
