Heritage Areas

Maryland’s Heritage Areas are locally designated and State certified regions where public and private partners make commitments to preserving historical, cultural and natural resources for sustainable economic development through heritage tourism.  At the local level, Heritage Areas focus community attention on often under-appreciated aspects of history, living culture, and distinctive natural areas, thus fostering a stronger sense of pride in the places where Marylanders live and work.  

The concept of heritage tourism can be difficult to capture for those who are not regularly engaged in the promotion or administration of it. Simply stated, it is visitor experiences centered around the culture, history and geography that make a place unique. Heritage tourism celebrates Maryland’s landscapes, history and culture by showcasing the state’s one-of-a-kind assets. Museums, trails, waterways, festivals, parks and historic sites are a dening part of every county in Maryland. 

Heritage tourism is the best of both worlds for Maryland; it is a business which cherishes the very things that make our state a great place to live and work, while bringing into the state the dollars of people who come from elsewhere to share those experiences. The jobs created in heritage tourism can never be outsourced to any other region; they are a return on investment that will always be uniquely local and our own. Heritage area benefits allow our nonprofits and local jurisdictions to enhance and preserve the heritage product, giving travelers reasons to extend their stays, return often and recommend the Maryland Heritage Areas to friends.

Map of Maryland's Heritage Areas

Maryland’s Heritage Areas are locally designated and State certified regions where public and private partners make commitments to preserving historical, cultural and natural resources for sustainable economic development through heritage tourism.  At the local level, Heritage Areas focus community attention on often under-appreciated aspects of history, living culture, and distinctive natural areas, thus fostering a stronger sense of pride in the places where Marylanders live and work.  The thirteen certified heritage area are led by independent organizations that are joint partners in the Maryland Heritage Areas Coalition.

Each of Maryland’s thirteen Certified Heritage Areas are defined by a distinct focus or theme that makes that place or region different from other areas in the state.  These distinctive places exhibit tangible evidence of the area’s heritage in historic buildings and districts, distinctive cultural traditions, singular natural landscapes, as well as other resources such as museums, parks, and traditional ways of life as revealed in food, music, and art. 

The program recognizes that a successful Heritage Area needs to have a viable economy which recognizes the value of the area’s unique heritage resources, and through State, government, and private sector partnerships strive to preserve and enhance the resources that make the area attractive to visitors.  By investing public dollars to create tourism-related products, spark matching private investment, and motivate local leadership, MHAA seeks to promote a balanced, sustainable level of heritage tourism that strengthens communities and improves the state’s quality of life.


State Program Staff

At the state level, the Maryland Heritage Areas Program is managed by three staff members of the Maryland Historical Trust. For information about the Maryland Heritage Areas Program, contact Andrew Arvizu at andrew.arvizu@maryland.gov or (410) 697-9514.

Program Reports

Maryland Heritage Areas Program
Economic Contribution Analysis
December 2020

Maryland's history, culture and landscapes are assets unique to the state, drawing heritage visitors year after year. Each of Maryland's 13 certified Heritage Areas are defined by the preservation of irreplicable sites and the amplification of the voices capturing the stories and spirit of the past. Across Maryland, these distinctive areas help establish the identity of a place or region, creating a unique destination different from all other areas. Heritage Areas are locally operated entities that foster public–private partnership to preserve historic sites and buildings, natural environments, cultural traditions and uniquely Maryland experiences. In June 2019, Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) engaged Parker Philips, Inc. to measure the economic and societal contribution of Maryland's 13 Heritage Areas, and their visitors, across the state. Each individual Heritage Area represents a facet of Maryland's one-of-a-kind story. The Maryland Heritage Areas Program contributes a combined total of $2.4 billion to the Maryland economy, supports and sustains a combined total of 33,815 full-time and part-time jobs throughout the state, and generates $319.8 million in economic impact. 

Maryland Heritage Areas Program
Strategic Plan 2010-2020
Charting a Sustainable
Course for the Next Decade

In the spring of 2008, MHAA initiated development of a strategic plan for the program. Generously funded in part by a National Park Service Preserve America grant. The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Heritage Tourism Program was selected as the consultant to lead this project. The team included Hargrove International, Inc./The HTC Group; Davidson-Peterson Associates, Inc., a division of Digital Research, Inc.; and the NTHP Southern Field Office. The planning process was overseen by a Strategic Plan Action Team (SPAT) consisting of members and staff of MHAA and representatives of the Maryland Coalition of Heritage Areas (MCHA), the Maryland Association of Destination Marketing Organizations, the Maryland Byways Program, and the National Park Service. Development of the strategic plan included extensive outreach to program partners and stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the program’s performance and to identify a desired future direction. The 2010-2020 Strategic Plan is divided into five component parts – management, stewardship, heritage tourism marketing and development, communication and performance evaluation. Specific strategies and an accompanying timeline for implementation over a 10-year period are included in each section. 

Maryland Heritage Areas Program
Strategic Plan 2010-2020
Charting a Sustainable
Course for the Next Decade

In the spring of 2008, MHAA initiated development of a strategic plan for the program. Generously funded in part by a National Park Service Preserve America grant. The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Heritage Tourism Program was selected as the consultant to lead this project. The team included Hargrove International, Inc./The HTC Group; Davidson-Peterson Associates, Inc., a division of Digital Research, Inc.; and the NTHP Southern Field Office. The planning process was overseen by a Strategic Plan Action Team (SPAT) consisting of members and staff of MHAA and representatives of the Maryland Coalition of Heritage Areas (MCHA), the Maryland Association of Destination Marketing Organizations, the Maryland Byways Program, and the National Park Service. Development of the strategic plan included extensive outreach to program partners and stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the program’s performance and to identify a desired future direction. The 2010-2020 Strategic Plan is divided into five component parts – management, stewardship, heritage tourism marketing and development, communication and performance evaluation. Specific strategies and an accompanying timeline for implementation over a 10-year period are included in each section.