A Tranquil Garden Visit
Updated: May 5, 2019
Although the bustle of downtown can be exhausting, if you know where to go, there is always a hidden place to find peace. Within a two minute walk from the heart of downtown Annapolis, the William Paca House & Garden is this beautiful, quiet place to escape to. Most known - currently - for their stunning weddings, the William Paca House & Garden is a beautiful mansion dating back to the 1700s. As the name hints to it, the house was made by William Paca himself - one of Maryland's four signers of the Declaration of Independence and the state's third governor. As of 1971, the house has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
As part of one of my field trips in middle school, I was able to visit the William Paca House & Garden. The garden is truly one of the most beautiful places I have seen. For someone interested in the history of Annapolis and viewing exactly what an upper-middle class home looked like in the 18th century, this is the perfect place to be. The house provides many different types of tours, ranging from five dollars to ten dollars each (see the end of this blog post for more information about touring and entrance fees). Any visitor has the option to explore the garden, as well as receive a tour of the historic house.
The garden at the William Paca House is roughly two acres of beautiful shrubbery, flowers, and luscious green grass. After decades of neglect, the garden needed to be reconstructed to its original design. By using the background of Charles Willson Peale’s 1772 portrait of Paca and evidence of the past garden from archeological digs, researchers were able to reconstruct the historic garden that once was.
Perhaps the most beautiful - or at least my personal favorite aspect of the garden - are the water features. The water aspects of the garden include a pond, a fountain and a beautiful canal that encloses the entire garden.
The garden provides lots of trees and shrubs that can grow peaches, multiple types of berries, figs, plums and cherries.
The Paca Garden is now the property of the State of Maryland and has events that are now open to the public. As a result, the William Paca Garden hosts many different events throughout the year and has the ability to host special Annapolis resident weddings. Coming up, the garden will have its annual Paca Garden Plant Sale on Mother's Day Weekend.
I would most definitely recommend visiting the William Paca House & Garden if you have any free time. This spot guarantees you the escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of Downtown Annapolis.
From annapolis.org:
William Paca House and Garden 186 Prince George Street Annapolis, MD 21401 410.990.4543
Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Sunday: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Closed January, February, and early March.
Admission:
$10 – Guided full house tour and self-guided garden tour $8 – Guided house tour of 1st floor and self-guided garden tour $5 – Self-guided garden tour
First full house tour begins at 10:30 am. First 1st floor tour begins at 11:00 am. Last full house tour begins at 3:30 pm. Last 1st floor tour begins at 4:00 pm.
For more information, visit: http://www.annapolis.org/contact/william-paca-house-garden
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