Starting Labor Day Weekend, Historic London Town and Gardens will be offering two new tours every Saturday and Sunday in September: Three Families, Three Stories and Myths & Misconceptions.

Three Families, Three Stories explores the lifestyles of three different families from London Town's colonial history. To heighten your experience, you will be invited to dress in period clothing. The tour begins in the Lord Mayor's Tenement with the Midiates, a shipwright and his family.  After learning about the Midiates, the tour goes into the William Brown House (a National Historic Landmark) where participants learn about the Browns, a tavernkeeper's family.  The tour ends with participants learning about the other 'family' that lived in the Brown household, enslaved Africans.

Museum Myths and Misconceptions will take you through the William Brown House where our experienced guides will discuss some of the "myths" that are often repeated at many historic sites and museums throughout the country.  During the tour you will learn about "poisonous" tomatoes, four-foot tall people, and other misconceptions that though may be based in truth, have become misunderstood throughout the years.  Maybe you'll have a few myths and misconceptions to share.

Additionally, you will be able to see our two new interactive, temporary exhibits in the Visitor Center, designed for family entertainment.  Architecture Nook includes a display of architectural artifacts that have been found in Anne Arundel County and allows participants the challenge of building a brick wall.  Batteries Not Required: Colonial Games examines some game-related artifacts excavated at London Town and includes the opportunity to play a variety of colonial-era games with family and friends.

As these tours continue through September, feel free to comment on them, offer your own myths for review, and post pictures of our site on London Town's Facebook page.

     On Sunday, July 11, the beginnings of the American Revolution came to Historic London Town and Gardens.  Over 200 visitors enjoyed live cannon fire by Ships Company, participated in militia drills, learned about hearth cooking, played colonial games, and toured the William Brown House while interacting with 1st-person interpreters.  Additionally, Annapolis Ice Cream Company gave out free scoops of ice cream to our visitors.  The demand was so much that all of it was gone by 2:30pm.

     This event was successful due to the large numbers of volunteers who helped interpret London Town's history and stories to the public.  The London Town Foundation thanks them for their invaluable service.

     Our next large living history event will be Sunday, November 7, when we explore the market and trades aspect of the colonial Chesapeake.

London Town is a little more festive this year thanks to Mrs. Wentz and her fourth grade class at Bayside Elementary in Stevensville, MD who reconstructed London Town using gingerbread.  With the assistance of  David Perry the class made the gingerbread, baked it in the school ovens, measured and cut all pieces to scale, and with the assistance of parents constructed the William Brown House, the Carpenter Shop, the Rumney-West Ordinary, and the Lord Mayor's Tenement.

This project came about after the fourth grade's annual field trip to Historic London Town and Gardens.  Each year they select a site to reconstruct in gingerbread, this year it was London Town!  The students donated their work to us, and is on display in the Pavilion.  London Town volunteers marveled at the kids work at our Annual Holiday Party.  In fact, Frank Marzucco, director of Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks was so impressed with their work that he decided to feature the gingerbread town on the county's website www.aacounty.org/recparks . 

A special thank you to all the students, Mrs. Wentz, and Mr. Perry for all of their hard work and creativity! 

Students working on the Lord Mayors Tenement

Students working on the Rumeny-West Ordinary

Students working on the Carpenter Shop

Students working on the William Brown House

The finished town on display

Visitors to our Native American Cooking demonstration today (Friday, November 27, 2009) avoided the shopping malls while learning about the various foodways the English colonists adopted from the local Woodland Indians during the colonial period.  Young and old alike helped grind corn, cook (sweet) potatoes, roast chestnuts, and chop wood.

Three of our education docents, Elly, Carole, and Barbara, as well as two of our junior docents, Perry and Lexie, worked hard and gave our visitors many excellent hands-on opportunities.  Below are some pictures of our docents in action and the food prepared on-site.

Above: Visitors learning about Native American foodways.

Below: Corn, dried apples and pumpkins, and other good food.

School is about to begin in just a few short weeks.  We are booking field trips for the Fall and Spring seasons.  We are doing our best to accommodate each individual school and teacher's schedule and objectives.  Please call soon to book your field trip! 

All of our programs are hands-on, allowing kids to experience Maryland's colonial history, participate at one of Maryland's largest on-going archaeological excavations, learn about colonial foodways, explore the interdependence of plants and animals in our 8-acre Woodland Garden, and learn how we know what we know about the African Americans who lived and built London Town.