Heritage tourism | Cambridge, MD

Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area

The Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area leverages public and private partnerships to assist individuals, organizations and government entities protect, preserve and promote Dorchester County’s unique historic, cultural and natural resources. Its mission is to broaden and deepen the beneficial effect of heritage tourism on the local economy through advocacy, interpretation and preservation that enhances assets and people’s awareness, understanding and appreciation of those assets.

Each of Maryland’s Certified Heritage Areas is defined by its distinctive characteristics that make it different from other parts of the state. Most of Dorchester County is certified as the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area. The themes that define us are these:

Agricultural Life
Arts, Artists & Entertainment
Chesapeake Landscapes and Outdoor Adventures
Dorchester Families and Traditions
Dorchester History, Architecture & Artifacts
The Environment
Harriet Tubman and the Eastern Shore African-American History
Maritime Villages, Trades and Life
Native American Heritage

Explore

Pick up a Dorchester Heritage Guide and Passport Booklet and explore the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area at your own pace. The 12 stops on the self-guided Passport Tour highlight Dorchester County’s unique history.

Heritage Partner Spotlight

Heritage Area Resources

Heritage Area News & Announcements

Heritage Mini-Grant Applications Open

The Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area is accepting Mini-Grant applications for projects that enrich heritage resources or events in the Dorchester County. These small, matching grants of up to $5,000 are available to local municipalities and non-profit organizations within the Heritage Area.

MHAA FY2024 Grant Round Opens

Now is the time to plan for the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority FY2024 grant round! We encourage non-profits and municipalities with projects or ideas that involve historical, cultural or natural resources, sites, events or facilities to attend one of the information sessions about the grants process. (Click on the headline to read more.)

Heritage Area Honorees – 2022

Former East New Market Mayor Caroline Cline, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, and the South Dorchester Folk Museum are this year’s recipients of the annual Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area heritage awards. (Click headline to read more.)

Heritage Board Public Meeting

The Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area Board of Directors will present their Annual Year in Review during a public meeting at 9 a.m. on Dec. 15 at the Dorchester County Tourism Office. (Click the headline to read more.)

Heritage Board Nominees Sought

The Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area is seeking nominations for their Management Board. The Heritage Board’s mission is to protect, preserve and promote Dorchester County’s history, natural resources and culture and to encourage economic development through heritage tourism. Nominations are due Nov. 30. (Click the headline to read more.)

Chesapeake Scenic Byway named All-American Road

The Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway (CCSB), which runs through Dorchester County, is among 15 new All-American Roads announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. Two of the 16 sites highlighted on the 400-mile Byway are in Dorchester County – Long Wharf in Cambridge and the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. (Click on the headline to read more.)