Discover Historic London Town & Gardens

Perched on a hill overlooking the South River, Historic London Town and Gardens has 23 acres of beautiful gardens, a historic tavern, several wooden outbuildings, and a rich history to discover. Your first stop should be the Visitor Center. Displays and activities have been carefully selected so that people of all ages can enjoy learning about the historic area. There are clothes that kids can try on, along with a brick building activity. An excellent interactive display shows the routes and cargo shipped back and forth from London Town to Europe and the Carribean. You will be astonished by what was imported.

The William Brown House, built in 1760, towers over the property. It was initially built as an upscale tavern. Now, visitors can see what the tavern looked like and the accommodations for travelers. Remnants of the dock where ferries landed when taking passengers back and forth to Annapolis are visible from the back of the house. London Town was the seat of Anne Arundel County for about 100 years. While the South River provided ships with easy access from the Chesapeake Bay to load and unload their cargo, the location was difficult for farmers to reach with their grain and lumber. This eventually proved the downfall of London Town.

Structures on the site have been recreated, including a carpenter shop, tobacco barn, and tenement rented to “lower-class” workers. You can go inside, where volunteers explain and recreate the activities that took place onsite.

Making Bread in the Tenement House at London Town

Visit the London Town Gardens

The gardens are magnificent and certified as a Level II Arboretum, meaning that they have a collection of at least 100 tree and woody plant species. Follow the path from the Visitor Center out past the Sound & Sensory Garden where kids can experiment with different sounds, most of them pleasant. Continue on to the Ruritan Pavilion and a great view of the South River. From here the path wanders through the woods under towering trees. Take your time and enjoy the beauty and quiet.

The path eventually makes a right turn and you’ll find a biorention cell that has been upgraded to a lovely little pond. Further along there are places to sit and look out at the river. Bridges and steps break up the gardens and often yield opportunities for solitude. You are never far from the Visitor Center and there isn’t much chance that you will get lost.

Public Archaeological Laboratory
The Anne Arundel County Archaeological Laboratory is tucked behind the Visitor Center. It is open to visitors on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. It is small space that has interesting stories to tell. The staff oversees the museum archaeological artifacts that were discovered from Colonial London Town.

Historic London Town & Gardens Visiting Details
Hours of Operation Wednesdays through Sundays, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Gate closes at 4pm

Parking is free
Pre-registration is not needed for visiting London Town
45-minute outdoor walking tours in the Historic Area and William Brown House at 11:00am and 2:30pm (Dependent on staff availability)
45-minute outdoor garden tours at 1:30pm on Saturdays only. (Dependent on staff availability)
Leashed pets welcome everywhere except in the William Brown House

Admission
Your admission goes directly to the London Town Foundation, a non-profit that cares for and shares the museum and gardens.