Oysters on the Half Shell
Touch a giant oyster’s heart, watch fish, crabs and other
critters swim by as oysters filter Chesapeake Bay water
in an 850-gallon aquarium, meet a living Maryland
Diamond Back Terrapin and a 455-milion-year-old
horseshoe crab, climb aboard a real waterman’s
workboat, see how oysters are harvested, and hear
the authentic voices of the people who shucked
and packed oysters in the historic McNasby Oyster
Company building.
The last oyster-packing plant in the state’s capital is an appropriate setting for this engaging, interactive exhibit that highlights both the natural history of the oyster and the cultural history of the people who made their living in the oyster industry.
Funded by generous grants from the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Carol M. Jacobsohn Foundation, the City of Annapolis, and donations from the Boatyard Bar & Grill, Maureen & Bill Torgerson, Kent “K.C.” Guernsey & Laura Carlisle, John & Sue Neely, and the members of the Annapolis Maritime Museum.
It is dedicated to the memory of Peg Wallace, co-founder and Chairman Emeritus.
This exhibition has been financed in part with State Funds from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. This brochure was financed in part by the Four Rivers Heritage Area.
Annapolis Maritime Museum | 723 Second Street | PO Box 3088 | Annapolis, MD 21403
410 295-0104
office@amaritime.org