Spend a day on Main Street, USA
While it is just seven miles away from the sandy beaches of Ocean City, the quaint town of Berlin is miles away from ordinary. The historic town is picture perfect, with red brick buildings, stone churches and period wooden homes framed graciously by magnolias, sycamore trees and tulip poplars. With the warm character of the southern Eastern Shore, Berlin has a resort-like feel combined with the quiet and historic charm of a turn-of-the-century village.
A stroll down Main Street is like a trip back in time. In fact, the main route through the scenic downtown is the same path that was taken by Assateague and Pocomoke Indians long before the days of colonial settlers. In later years, it was the main route connecting the centers of commerce to the north and west, otherwise known as the Philadelphia Post Road.
Through the 1800s and early 1900s, Berlin grew as a popular spot for tourists who enjoyed hunting and fishing on the Eastern Shore or were on their way to Ocean City. It is hard to believe today, but in the early 1900s, Berlin actually had more overnight accommodations than Ocean City, which was then just a small coastal village.
The best way to appreciate Berlin is to meander around the town’s scenic streets. You’ll notice many old buildings—in fact, there are 47 individual structures in the town that are noted in the National Register of Historic Places, not to mention the whole downtown itself. Nearly two centuries of architectural heritage are represented, dating from the Federal, Victorian and 20th Century periods. Since the 1980s, Berlin has undergone considerable revitalization of its historic downtown commercial district, and it shows. Visitors and locals alike can now appreciate the historic town to its fullest potential and imagine what it was like hundreds of years ago. A new addition to the town this year is horse and carriage rides.
Today’s downtown Berlin has been designated as an “Arts and Entertainment District” due to its cultural growth and fostering of artistic activity. Berlin is also home to the Worcester County Arts Council, which maintains an art gallery filled with works by local artists.
Of course, you may enjoy your visit to Berlin so much that you’ll want to stay the night. And with historic B&Bs like the famed Atlantic Hotel, the restored Merry Sherwood Plantation Inn Bed & Breakfast or the charming Holland House B&B, your night’s stay is sure to be as enjoyable as the day.
Berlin is so enchanting that it has been the location for some major motion pictures. In 1998, Paramount’s Runaway Bride was shot in Berlin, which became the fictional town of Hale, Maryland for the film. Richard Gere and Julia Roberts starred in the movie, which featured several local shops downtown and many residents as extras. In 2001, Berlin transformed itself into the set for the film Tuck Everlasting, starring Sissy Spacek, Ben Kingsley and William Hurt. The downtown was transported back in time to the turn-of-the-century, complete with dirt roads, horses, carriages and period costumes. Today, you can take the walking tour of the Runaway Bride set locations.
Taylor House Museum
Located in Berlin’s historic downtown, the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum is a carefully restored early 19th-century house featuring period furnishings and local history exhibits. Current displays include “Race of the Century: War Admiral vs. Seabiscuit” and “Images of the Past: Berlin 1900–1950.” Enjoy evening concerts on the lawn, once a month, from June to September. The museum is open Memorial Day weekend through the end of October, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 1–4 p.m. For more information, call 410-641-1019 or visit www.taylorhousemuseum.org.