The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, an exceptional waterfront complex on Navy Point in St. Michaels, Maryland, is dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and people of the Chesapeake Bay. Founded in 1965, the Museum’s 18-acre campus accommodates 35 structures, including the iconic Hooper Strait Lighthouse and ten exhibition buildings tracing the geological, social, and economic history of the Chesapeake Bay.

ABA created a master plan to guide the future vision and strategic planning of the CBMM, taking into consideration the location and design of five proposed buildings, landscaping, parking areas, wetland revitalization, infrastructure upgrades, waterfront boardwalks, and docks. Arrival, wayfinding, and pedestrian flow have been reimagined to create a welcoming, accessible, and logical walking sequence.

The project site is vulnerable to tidal surges, hurricanes, and rising sea levels, and ABA developed a resiliency strategy that offered opportunities for related exhibitions and educational experiences. An expanded living shoreline strengthens visitor connections with local and regional ecological systems.

Location: St. Michaels, Maryland

Project Team: Steve Gerrard AIA, Thomas Hotaling AIA (ABA); Gustafson Guthrie Nichol (Landscape); Silman (Structural); Whitman Requardt Associates (MEP / FP & Civil); DMS (Cost Estimating)