15 Unique Things to do in Westminster MD and Greater Carroll County: Get Your Zen On

WHY GO: There are things to do in Westminster MD and greater Carroll County that will restore your faith in humanity and American ingenuity. In contrast to the sometimes frenetic surrounding areas, particularly the District of Columbia, Carroll County MD is “Zen Peaceful” – in only the way that an agricultural region can be.

But what puts this Maryland county on this Maven’s Go List is a phenomenal inn, compelling Living History Museums, innovative winemakers, and an annual art contest with an medium you’d have to see to belive.

Sure, Carroll County, which encompasses the towns of Westminster, Taneytown, Hampstead, Mt. Airy, and more, has some pretty quirky aspects, including the backstory of a tiny-town ultra luxurious inn.

Carroll County is on our list of 17 Best Romantic Getaways in Maryland. Check it out for more adventures with your loved one.

It’s also included on our Best Romantic Getaways in Maryland post.

Things to Do in Westminster MD and Greater Carroll County

Carroll County MD Visitor Center
Carroll County MD Visitor Center

STOP: Carroll County Visitor’s Center, Westminster

As the County Seat, Westminster, founded by William Winchester, is smack on the route from Baltimore to Gettysburg PA (about 1 ½ hour drive). Which makes it the perfect place to stop for a few hours or a few days.

The Carroll County Visitor’s Center is located in beautiful Emerald Hill: a whitewashed brick Pennsylvania farmhouse meets Georgian mansion that previously served as Town Hall. Here – you’ll find the best things to do in Westminster MD and greater Carroll County. Come in for a chat, or to pick up some information and brochures. Check website for open hours.

TOUR: Carroll County Farm Museum, Westminster

Let me preface this by saying that the Carroll County Farm Museum is not your typical Living History Farm Museum. From 1852 until 1965, this was the county Alms House and 300 acre farm – where families and individuals who “lost everything” could work the land and live free. It seems this was a compassionate way to take care of the destitute and homeless. Touring it, and its outbuildings and barns, is remarkably compelling.

Alms House Carroll County MD Farm Museum
Alms House Carroll County MD Farm Museum

Men’s And Women’s Buildings

The main home housed women and children. Men and older boys stayed in what we’d now consider dorm rooms in a separate building. Girls, beginning at age 13, and young men of 21 would be taught a trade, and work as indentured servants for room and board. At its height, about 90 people lived and labored here.

Bank Barn, Carroll County Farm Museum
Bank Barn, Carroll County Farm Museum

When the Alms House closed in 1965, the buildings were in such good repair, they needed very little restoration. The Carroll County Farm Museum was opened in 1966 with the mission to foster “the preservation and proper appreciation of the rural culture of Carroll County and the spirit and the values which this culture typifies.”

To that end, the dozen or so buildings on 160 remaining acres stand as they were. The home is decorated as it would have looked in the 1890’s for upper middle class caretakers who made $400 a year, and lived on the 2nd floor. The poor lived on the 3rd floor.

Mens Dorm Carroll County Farm Museum MD
Mens Dorm Carroll County Farm Museum MD

The Men’s building has been converted into a showcase for different crafts and service jobs. There’s a blacksmith, and tinsmith, a large-animal veterinarian office, hearth kitchen with brick oven – and on weekends, lots of demonstrations. In outbuildings, there are farm implements and exhibits about the crops grown here.

Wormseed Central

In the 20th century, this area of Maryland was rich in wormseed, a very labor intensive crop whose oil was used for myriad reasons: to rid the body of intestinal parasites, as an additive in women’s perfumes, and on ships’ hulls to repel barnacles. Locals could produce ten to fifteen gallons a day (synthetics killed the industry, however).

Marlin K Hoff Memorial Log Barn

One barn displays Mail Wagons from the late 1890’s, when Westminster became an RFD. This newfangled personal delivery service faced resistance from local residents who looked forward to daily social interaction while picking up their mail from the General Store.

Barn Built “When George Washington Was President”

Hoff Barn interior Carroll County Farm Museum MD
Hoff Barn interior Carroll County Farm Museum MD

The Hoff Log Barn, a 1794 Bank Barn, was built, as it blares on a large sign, “when George Washington was President.” Visitors learn that the largest animals were positioned near the door to prevent predators from entering, and kids love to test their strength against their 18th century counterparts by hoisting hay via a pulley system.

This generally sparks discussions about the fact that farmers had to grow their own hay and grains for the livestock – as there were no feed stores. Check website for date and hours open, admission fees.

Carroll Arts Center, Westminster MD
Carroll Arts Center, Westminster MD

GO: Carroll Arts Center, Westminster

Have you heard of the PEEPshow? That yearly extravaganza of art made entirely from the little yellow (and now multi-colored) marshmallow chicks associated with Easter Season? If so, you already know about the Carroll Arts Center in this small Maryland town.

The original 1937 movie theater was beautifully renovated and reinvigorated in the early 2000’s. It remains a vibrant place at all times – what with a constant stream of art shows, book talks, vintage movies, lectures, and theatrical performances. The annual ten-day PEEPshow, however, is by far the Carroll Arts Center’s biggest event.

Carroll County PEEPshow History

Peep Dragon - Carroll County Arts Council 2017 PEEPshow
Carroll County Arts Council 2017 PEEPshow – A Display of Marshmallow Masterpieces! Featuring more than 150 sculptures, dioramas, graphic arts, oversized characters and mosaics created and inspired by Peeps®!

It all began ten years ago, after Executive Director, Sandy Oxx, submitted her “Peep With A Pearl Earring” diorama into the Washington Post Peeps Diorama Contest and was rejected. Undeterred, Oxx decided to launch her own competition. She widened it to include sculptures and PEEPs art of all sizes (e.g Game of Thrones Dragon was made up of 5,000 Peeps).

Over the past decade, the PEEPshow has turned into a major happening. The annual event draws upwards of 27,000 people from all over the world who line up around the block to see the latest creations every late March or early April. This is Carroll Arts Center’s biggest fundraiser, and helps cover its annual operating costs. However, according to Oxx, “we’re much more than marshmallows.”

The Carroll County Arts Council runs a myriad of both performing and fine art presentations throughout the year. Consult the website to see what’s on during your visit.

HIstorical Society of Carroll County Westminster MD
Historical Society of Carroll County Westminster MD

VISIT: Historical Society of Carroll County, Westminster

The Historical Society of Carroll County is housed within the 1800 Kimmey House. Pop in to see vignettes of the area from centuries ago. I bet you didn’t know that venetian blinds were used in fancy 1700’s homes! Check website for dates and times open.

Off Track Art Gallery, Westminster MD
Off Track Art Gallery, Westminster MD

SHOP: Off Track Art Gallery, Westminster

The multi-partner Off Track Art Gallery is located across from The Cup Café, and right beside the railroad tracks. (Hence the name). It features unusual and eye catching wall art, home goods, and jewelry.

Union Mills Homestead, Union Mills MD
Union Mills MD

TOUR: Union Mills Homestead, Union Mills

This gem of a home – the Union Mills Homestead – sits in the middle of nowhere. To get here, drive miles west from Westminster on undulating back roads, traversing farmland with split rail fences. The Shriver homestead served as both domicile and business center for B.F. Shriver Company, which operated Union Mills as merchant millers from 1870’s – 1940’s.

Front porch, Union Mills Shriver Homestead MD
Front porch, Union Mills Shriver Homestead MD

In 1797, brothers Andrew and David Shriver built two 14 x 17 ft homes side by side near a creek. Here, they set up their gristmill, sawmill, tannery and other shops. Andrew arrived with his wife and six children. David was a bachelor at the time.

The Sergeant Shriver Connection

The home’s last occupant was the artistic and quirky Bessie Shriver Kemp planted the property’s beautiful gardens. (She passed away in 1957). A tour brings you through the two homes, linked together and expanded over 160 years: showcasing six generations of the Shriver family.

And yes, this is the same family that eventually merged with the Kennedy Family when Sergeant Shriver, Jr. married Eunice Kennedy. A wonderful tour weaves together tales of both branches of the family, and ends at the still operational gristmill.

Andrew’s side of the house grew faster by necessity, as he and his wife arrived with six children. Andrew eventually served as Postmaster of Union Mills, so, incredibly, his living room became the Post Office.

Francis Scott Key,  James Audubon, Washington Irving All Slept Here

In 1824, Thomas Jefferson appointed David Superintendent of Roads. (Look for a copy of Jefferson’s missive on Monticello letterhead). Subsequently, Shriver established a toll road that led to his house and multiple businesses. Hence, Union Mills became an important “whistle stop” for celebrities of the day.

Francis Scott Key addressed a crowd from the home’s balcony. Washington Irving stayed overnight. James Audubon watched a Baltimore Oriel build a nest in a nearby willow tree: and we all know what he did with that observation.

Wooden machinery, Union Mills MD
Wooden machinery, Union Mills MD

In the early days, furniture, like the feather-painted corner hutch, was made on site and much of those pieces are still here. Though the sawmill is gone, the gristmill has been brought back to life. Its original millstones and recreated wooden shafts and gears provide an accurate depiction of how grain was milled 200 years ago.

It is quite thrilling to see how the gears move and hear the rumbling of the completely wooden apparatus, put together with dowels rather than nails. “There are no other mills in Maryland quite like this,” says a docent. Check website for dates, hours, and tour fees.

Taneytown Historical Museum MD
Taneytown Historical Museum MD

VISIT: Taneytown Historical Society, Taneytown

You’ll discover the essence of a small town at the Taneytown Historical Society Museum.  On display are two Taneytown-made Eli Bentley clocks. One was made exclusively in the late 1700’s for Michael Waggoner, a Revolutionary War hero whose name graces the clock face.

That one was purchased at Sotheby’s and donated to the Historical Society, as Bentley lived in Taneytown. The second one was donated after broadcasting the time in a nearby funeral home for decades.

Mason-Dixon Marker, Taneytown Historical Museum MD
Mason-Dixon Marker, Taneytown Historical Museum MD

Also on exhibit is a rare Mason/Dickson Line marker stone– emblazoned with an M (Maryland) on one side and P (Pennsylvania) on the other. There are artifacts and papers from when Taneytown was a thriving cultural and business center. After the railroad arrived in 1872, folks from all around would come here to shop in department stores, and see traveling shows at the Opera House.

Beloved Antrim

Entrance, Antrim 1844, Taneytown MD
Entrance, Antrim 1844, Taneytown MD

The beloved Antrim 1844 is perhaps the most famous historic building in Taneytown. A summer home, built in 1844, Antrim was owned by the Clabaugh Family for 100 years, and sold to George Crouse, Sr in 1961. Although Crouse never moved in, he saw to it that the stunning structure wasn’t vandalized.

Antrim sat vacant for nearly 75 years. But thanks to a very protective community, the original windows were intact when Richard and Dorothy (Dort) Mollett purchased it in 1987 and opened it up as a B&B the following year.

Antrim 1844 is now among the most beautiful inns in the country and the place to stay for a romantic getaway (see below under Where to Stay). Check website for dates and times open.

TASTE: Old Westminster Winery,  Westminster

Owned by Drew and Casey Baker, and Drew’s two sisters, Old Westminster is the answer to “What do we do with a family farm when our parents don’t want to farm it?”

To that end, Drew and his wife Casey, along with Lisa – a Chemistry major turned winemaker, and Ashli, who, with Drew, was a Business major, banded together to create this reservations-only family winery and eatery

They hired a French Vineyard consultant, planted their first 7,600 vines in Spring 2011, and bottled the first vintage in Spring 2013.

Experimentation, says Drew, is a core Old Westminster principal. “We make delicious unadulterated Maryland grown wine.” Many blends are “no-makeup-wines,” in other words, authentic vino without any additives. “Everything is done by hand: powered by sweat, not oil.”

250 year old oak tables, Old Wesminster Winery MD
250 year old oak tables, Old Wesminster Winery MD

Though their classic red blends are popular, including the deep, dark, mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc Black, Old Westminster is known for its unique “pet nat” blends – bottled within a month of harvest. An ancient, now resurgent method of sparkling winemaking, most of the fermentation happens in the wine bottle.

“Dancing Wine”

Pet-nat, what Drew calls a “dancing wine,” is more effervescent than the hard-core bubbly-ness of Champagne. It also seems to be gaining favor among Millennials. Old Westminster was among the first in the county to employ pet-nat in the making of wines, and after releasing its first, The Daily Meal ranked Old Westminster among the Top 101 wineries in the USA. In 2023, Old Westminster Winery was named a top winery in the U.S. by Cosmopolitan Magazine and USA Today.

The Bakers now farm a combined 134 acres between the vineyard at Old Westminster and a second site, Burnt Hill Farm, in Montgomery County MD.

Old Westminster has become a go-to, crazy-popular winery: so much so, reservations are required to sample the wines – along with house-made pizzas and charcuterie, among other fresh dishes – in glass-enclosed greenhouses assembled on the property. Check days open, and make reservations online.

Hal Roche Serpent Ridge Vineyard, Westminster MD
Hal Roche Serpent Ridge Vineyard, Westminster MD

TASTE: Serpent Ridge Vineyard, Westminster

The small, two person, Mom and Pop Serpent Ridge Vineyard is owned by Hal Roche and Karen Smith – who moved here in Feb ’14 and produce some easy drinking reds and whites. Serpent Ridge is such a small operation, Roche and Smith cork bottles by hand using the newfangled “Zork” – a bottle sealing device that’s a snap to remove and reseals easily after opening. Check website for days and hours open.

Devilbiss Store, Uniontown MD
Devilbiss Store, Uniontown MD

EXPLORE: Uniontown

So small, it will take only a minute to drive through, Uniontown is historically significant in that so many Civil War era homes line Main Street (a toll road that originally cost 3 cents to traverse), the whole district is on the National Historic Register. Uniontown Academy (no longer there) was the first school to teach German immigrants English in the 1700’s.

The first telephone in town was installed in the still-standing Devilbiss Store in 1908. And, on a somber note, as Uniontown was on the road to Gettysburg, many soldiers marching through took time to pen letters to loved ones, some sending their very last sentiments postmarked from the Uniontown Post Office.

COLLEGE: McDaniel College, Westminster

Formerly Western Maryland College, (which was confusing because it wasn’t in Western MD), this was the first co-ed university south of the Mason-Dixon line. Now, McDaniel College is world renowned for its Masters in Deaf Education.

Restaurants in Carroll County MD

Kate Pearl Tea Room Westminster MD
The Kate Pearl Tea Room Westminster MD

LUNCH/TEA: The Kate Pearl Tea Room, Westminster

It makes sense to enjoy this most English of rituals in William Winchester’s home, built in 1760, when the US was still a British colony.

Though not ostentatious, the Kate Pearl Tea Room presents a beautifully complete Tea. It’s got all the bells and whistles – scones and clotted cream, cucumber sandwiches, baked goods, and of course, you choice of tea. Everything is fresh and delish. You certainly will not leave hungry. Check website for tea times and rates.

Fratelli's, Hampstead MD
Fratelli’s, Hampstead MD

EAT/DINNER: Fratelli’s, Hampstead

“People come here just for the crab cakes,” says the waiter at Fratelli’s Italian, which is strange, since this is your well regarded, casual, neighborhood-choice Italian restaurant. The pastas and other Italian specials are top notch, too. But, yes, it’s the huge all-meat crab cakes that shine here.

FARM MARKET: Baugher’s Family Farm

Baugher’s is widely known in the region as a “pick-your-own” farm as well as farm-stand. In the fall, you’re bound to see crates upon crates of apples.

EAT: Locals love/Westminster

RockSalt Grill for great burgers and shrimp. Lost Lion for beer and cocktails. Del Huerto for Mexican. Guilianova for cold cuts and deli.

Hotels in Carroll County MD

Guest Room, Antrim 1844, Taneytown MD
Guest Room, Antrim 1844, Taneytown MD

STAY: Antrim 1844, Taneytown

For luxury travelers, there really is only one place to stay in Carroll County. It’s actually the reason that many people come here in the first place. Surprisingly, though Antrim 1844 is virtually unknown outside of the Mid-Atlantic. As a strongly recommended Maven Favorite, the complete write-up can be found HERE.

Author

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  • Malerie Yolen-Cohen

    Malerie Yolen-Cohen is the Author of the cross-country travel guide, Stay On Route 6; Your Guide to All 3562 Miles of Transcontinental Route 6. She contributes frequently to Newsday, with credits in National Geographic Traveler, Ladies Home Journal, Yankee Magazine, Shape.com, Sierra Magazine, Porthole, Paddler, New England Boating, Huffington Post, and dozens of other publications. Malerie’s focus and specialty is Northeastern US, and she is constantly amazed by the caliber of restaurants and lodging in the unlikeliest places.

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