St Michaels MD (Maryland)

Saint Michaels MD is a Miles River (Chesapeake Bay) cruise port and town in Maryland USA, located along Miles River. The small town has total area approx 3 km2 (1,3 mi2) and population around 1,000. The town is a popular tourist attraction, with high-quality hotels, seafood restaurants, inns and gift shops. Tour boat cruises link the town with Annapolis MD across Chesapeake Bay. The for-pay public ferryboat service offered in nearby Bellevue also takes passengers across Tred Avon River to Oxford MD.

Saint Michaels derives its name from an Episcopal Parish established here in 1677. The church drew settlers who engaged in shipbuilding and tobacco growing.

The local tourist industry originates in the mid 19th century with steamboats bringing passengers from Baltimore, as well as summer guest cottages for weeklong rentals. However, tourism was not a major part of the economy until the 1970s. The opening of a maritime museum in 1965 started the impetus. A tour boat and waterfront seafood restaurant followed prior to the end of the decade.

One of the town's main tourist attractions is Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum built on land previously occupied by a cannery and seafood packing houses. St Michaels MD is home to several historic bay ships, including Edna E.Lockwood (bugeye / locally developed sailboat used for oyster dredging) and skipjacks (traditional fishing boat used for oyster dredging).