The Tour Annapolis
PHILOSOPHY
The guided tour reimagined:
Welcoming. Thought-Provoking. Made to Inspire.
Our tours welcome visitors into a 375-year-old story. You will come to know Annapolis's venerable naval and civic traditions, her beautiful waterways and charming brick streets, her delicious local cuisine, her stunning neo-classical architecture, and much more.
Annapolis unites a fascinating past with a flourishing present and future. Our tours combine national and state history with contemporary and family stories. We will share educational moments and also friendly conversation. Questions and special visit requests are encouraged.
Our tours are also easy-going and convenient. We'll take photos for you at the best locations. We can stop any time for ice cream, coffee, a restroom break, or just to sit in the shade and enjoy the view.
By the end of your tour, we hope to part as friends and fellow lovers of the "Jewel of the Chesapeake,"
that is, as fellow Annapolitans.
The Tour Annapolis
STORY
Hello and welcome! My name's Michael,
and this is the story behind Tour Annapolis.
I was young when I first started "touring" Annapolis. My father, a Naval Academy graduate and later Academy instructor, would often take our family downtown. As a competitive high school sailer, I got to know the beautiful waters that surround Annapolis—Spa Creek, Ego Alley, the Severn River, and the Chesapeake Bay. Annapolis drew me in, and as I got older, I started to lead informal tours for visiting family and friends.
As a college student in California, I sought out colorful destinations like Santa Barbara, L.A., Ventura, San Francisco, Sonoma County, and Seattle. These places increased my curiosity about Annapolis's East-Coast story, including her neoclassical and Beaux-Arts architecture, her naval and maritime traditions, and the lives of her famous citizens.
My doctoral studies have opened up new insights into Annapolis. This city is where General Washington resigned as Commander-in-Chief, Charles Carroll wrote his First Citizen letters, and the world's first Great Books curriculum was implemented. These and other achievements show why Annapolis was once known as "the Athens of America."
Annapolis is a city unique in beauty and charm—I look forward to sharing it with you.