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Salisbury is the working capital of the Delmarva Peninsula, a river port on the Wicomico where Eastern Shore farm country meets college town energy. Founded in 1732 and rebuilt after great fires in 1860 and 1886, it is the largest city on Maryland's Eastern Shore, the seat of Wicomico County and home to Salisbury University and the poultry company Perdue.
Visitors are often surprised by what a small city holds. The free Salisbury Zoo sits inside the city park along a creek, with flamingos, alpacas, rheas and peafowl. The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art celebrates the Shore's decoy carving tradition, and two historic houses, Pemberton Hall and Poplar Hill Mansion, show colonial and Federal-era life. Downtown, a riverwalk links restaurants, breweries and the brick 1878 courthouse.
Each fall the Maryland Folk Festival fills downtown with music and food, and summer nights mean Delmarva Shorebirds baseball. Ocean City's boardwalk and the wild ponies of Assateague Island are both within about an hour.
A small, free zoo in the city park focused on animals of the Americas, including flamingos, alpacas, rheas, peafowl and a range of waterfowl, birds and mammals. Shaded paths follow a creek, and the whole loop takes about an hour. Donations are welcome, and mornings are the best time to see the animals active.
A museum affiliated with Salisbury University devoted to wildfowl carving, from working decoys used by Chesapeake hunters to astonishingly detailed decorative birds. Galleries explain the craft and the Ward brothers of Crisfield who made it an art. The grounds sit beside a pond with a short nature trail.
A park along the Wicomico River centered on Pemberton Hall, a brick plantation house built in 1741, one of the oldest in the area. Trails lead through woods and marsh to the riverbank. The house and a small museum open on select days and for events; the trails are open daily for walks and birding.
A Federal-style house built around 1795 to 1805, now the oldest building in Salisbury, having survived the fires that destroyed downtown. Rooms are furnished in period style, and volunteers lead tours on scheduled days. It sits in the Newtown historic district, which is pleasant to stroll for its Victorian homes.
A Victorian Gothic courthouse built in 1878 of red brick, with a tall tower that anchors the downtown skyline. It is still in use, so the interior is for court business, but the exterior and grounds are worth seeing. It stands a block from the plaza, making it an easy stop on a downtown walk.
A walkway along the Wicomico River that ties together the revived downtown, with breweries, restaurants, coffee shops, murals and the pedestrian plaza. Evening events and markets happen in warmer months. Start at the plaza near Main Street and follow the river toward the drawbridge and the city park.
A free outdoor festival held downtown each September, following Salisbury's run as host of the National Folk Festival. Several stages present blues, bluegrass, gospel, Latin and world music, with regional food and craft demonstrations. Wear comfortable shoes and use the shuttle lots on the edge of town.
The home of the Delmarva Shorebirds, a minor league affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, with a season running from April to September. Tickets are inexpensive, the seats are close to the field, and there are fireworks nights and promotions. It is a relaxed night out for families on the Eastern Shore.
A long park following the east branch of the Wicomico River near downtown, home to the zoo, a bandstand, playgrounds, tennis courts and shaded paths. Footbridges cross the stream, and summer concerts are held here. It is an easy walk from the downtown restaurants and good for a picnic after visiting the zoo.
The whole Salisbury University campus is a registered arboretum with thousands of plants, including magnolias, hollies, conifers and themed gardens around the brick buildings. Visitors may walk the grounds freely, and spring blooms are the highlight. Pair it with the nearby Ward Museum on the same side of town.
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