Lock House Museum

Located in quaint Havre de Grace, Maryland, the restored lock house marks what was once the southern terminus of the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal. This 45-mile canal stretched from Havre de Grace, at the head of the Chesapeake Bay, to Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, linking with other waterways to open central Pennsylvania to convenient trade with Philadelphia and Baltimore. In 1982, the lock house was restored and opened to the public, becoming a centerpiece of the Susquehanna Museum. Each spring, on the weekend closest to May 3, the museum recreates the 1813 British attack on Havre de Grace, offering immersive experiences like open-hearth cooking, militia drills, Fort McHenry flag ceremonies, and dramatic reenactments of the British sacking local homes. There’s truly something for everyone. The museum also highlights a lesser-known chapter of Maryland history: in 1627, William Claiborne, a freebooter and renegade, attempted to claim Palmer Island for Virginia—an act considered the first recorded piracy in Maryland. This event is celebrated several times a year with interactive pirate camps, where visitors can cheer for the villagers—or the pirates—during lively reenactments. 

817 Conesteo St. Havre de Grace, MD (410) 939.5780