Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park

My (now) husband and I used Frederick Douglass as our wedding venue for November 2025 and it was absolutely perfect. We did our ceremony on the pier (we got lucky with the November weather), we did our cocktail hour on the 2nd floor, and we did our reception on the 3rd floor. All of our guests raved about the venue and the location. We were able to use the Canopy by Hilton as our hotel so everyone was a 5 minute walk from the wedding, and our rehearsal dinner was in fells point. Having the full weekend of festivities within walking distance was a major selling point for this venue. The space is beautiful in the evening and really embodies the Baltimore charm. One thing to note is the art installations on the 3rd floor rotate and you won’t know what they are until about one month before your event. We got lucky and had an incredible installation, but you can rent drapes if you’d prefer to cover them. Our wedding had 130 people and it was the perfect size to have the dance floor in the same room as the tables. Any bigger and it would have been tight or the dance floor would have had to move. It does require you to have all of your own vendors, but there’s a good list of vendors that do this space all the time, so this didn’t end up being an issue for us. Overall, we absolutely loved the space and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to show their guests the best of Baltimore.

Enjoyed another Maritime Magic benefit at Frederick Douglass . What great time. There were a few thousand people there and the crowd never felt too crowded. Perfect setting. Beautiful sunset over the water. Great food and drink. The best was the music. Dumpsta Funk out of New Orleans was funkolicious. Then the show got even better when hometown hero Chris Jacobs joined in. He set the place on fire. Such a great night.

Explore Baltimore - Frederick Douglass - Isaac Myers Maritime Park The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park is a Living Classrooms Foundation campus and national heritage site. It celebrates the contributions of African Americans in the development of Baltimore’s maritime industry, focusing on the saga of renowned author Frederick Douglass’ life as an enslaved child and young man, as well as on the life of Isaac Myers, a free born African American who became a national leader

We had the best wedding at the Frederick Douglass on October 12, 2025! We were able to have our wedding out on the pier, which was just incredible! Our cocktail hour was on the second floor so our guests could enjoy the museum. Our reception was on the third floor and was absolutely stunning. We have received many compliments on our unique venue and Natalie and her team made this all possible!

One of the most lovely wedding venues in Baltimore! In addition to the rich history of the location and it's contents, it's in a beautiful place on the harbor to enjoy a plethora of creativity with the right photographer!

More of a black history museum than a maritime museum. The third floor is mostly empty. There’s an outdoor balcony, but it was locked. They have four old ships, but you’re not allowed to go out on the dock. There’s a workshop for maintaining them, but you’re not allowed in.

Weddings at Frederick Douglass Maritime Park are not only unique because they can be held right on the waterfront pier, but because portraits in and around the venue, especially the views taken from the 3rd floor looking out onto the brick courtyard, are incredible! The flow happens seamlessly for guests as they move from the ceremony on the pier into the courtyard for cocktails and then up to the 3rd floor for the reception. Night portraits on the pier are my favorite here! IG: @urbanrowphotography

Heard about this gem on Samantha Brown Places to Love. It's off the beaten path. Great location. Coffee shops in the area.

Calling the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park a "museum" might be a bit of a stretch--it's small and more of an exhibit--but it's absolutely worth a visit. For just $5, you get to learn about an important and often overlooked piece of Baltimore's history, especially the lives of Frederick Douglass and Isaac Meyer, two African-American men who settled in Baltimore and made huge contributions to their communities. You also have a chance to learn more about maritime workers and the scourge of slavery in America. It won't take a lot of time to go through, but it leaves a lasting impression and helps you see the city in a new light. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

On the morning we arrived in Baltimore, we took a walk to the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park. The park is named after Frederick Douglass, who was born into slavery and later escaped, and Isaac Myers (whom I had never heard of), an African American who was born free, even though Maryland was a slave state, and worked in the shipyards. Overlooking the harbour, the "park" is well-maintained brick plaza featuring a five foot tall, 1,100 pound sculpture of Frederick Douglass' head. Honestly, there wasn't much to see, and after five minutes, I was ready to leave. There is also a museum, but I believe it was closed when we visited, otherwise I would have gone in. [Yelp collections: East Coast 2022; Baltimore, MD 2022; Parks and Gardens]

Our Washington, DC History & Culture Meetup group visited this off-the-beaten-path museum that is fun on many levels. First the overall interior architecture of the building is very impressive with pretty views of the harbor. Second it's interesting learning about the lives of both Frederick Douglass, whom I already knew quite a bit about but still learned a lot more, and Isaac Myers, whom I had not heard of. They have a really nice introductory film and many of the exhibits include physical objects you can touch. Be sure and check out the often-photographed Douglass sculpture outside. Third, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and provided our tour group with extra historical information on the area and its redevelopment. Close by are many restaurants in Fells Point and Little Italy. We'll definitely be going again.

i'd say worth checking out. this was a great opportunity for me to learn about the African American maritime experience. this is a beautiful landmark off the water and a great showcase of baltimore history. i was able to tour the museum that showcased the life of Frederick Douglass and Isaac Myer who played roles in the shipbuilding industry in Baltimore. there was even a ship making building next door they allowed me to check out. the people were very friendly and they run a program for inner city kids to practice science and math by making ships and other maritime activities.