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, submariner, and later Academy instructor, often took us to enjoy the downtown. As a competitive high school sailer, I got to know the beautiful waters of Annapolis—Spa Creek, Ego Alley, the Severn River, and the Chesapeake Bay. My native city fascinated me, and as I grew up, I began to lead informal tours for family and friends.
As a college student in Southern California, I sought out colorful destinations like Santa Barbara, L.A., Ventura, San Francisco, Sonoma County, and Seattle. My West-Coast experiences made me more curious about Annapolis's East-Coast character, including her neoclassical and Beaux-Arts architecture, her naval and seafaring traditions, and the lives of her famous citizens.​
My current PhD studies have shed even more light on Annapolis, which was once known as "the Athens of America." This is where Charles Carroll wrote his First Citizen letters, the Sons of Liberty met to plan the Annapolis Tea Party, General George Washington resigned as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and the world's first Great Books curriculum was implemented.
Annapolis is a city unique in beauty and charm—I look forward to sharing it with you.