From its cobblestone streets to its cozy and eclectic storefronts, strolling Main Street in Havre de Grace feels a lot like taking a walk down Chestnut Hill’s Germantown Avenue. But in addition to its history and small-town hospitality, this quaint little city sits on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and offers an entirely different kind of natural beauty. 

Just an hour and 15-minute drive from Philadelphia to this spot on the coast of Maryland, Havre de Grace is an ideal day trip for visitors up and down the Northeast corridor. According to Lauri Orzewicz, manager of the local tourism and visitor center, this city of roughly 15,000 residents might get as many as 3,500 visitors weekly during peak tourism season – and up to 10,000 for their outdoor festivals.

“Summer is always busy because we're waterfront, but then we go right into the fall and we have Oktoberfest and we have an Oyster Fest,” Orzewicz says. “We have lots of fall attractions, a Halloween parade, ghost tours…  Then, at Christmas, we really do it up. I mean, everything is just lit up. We have a Christmas parade. We have a Christmas market. We have a Santa Land. Maybe we take a little break in January into February, but then we have a Mardi Gras parade and then it's spring, and then all the festivals kick in.” 

How to visit

To start your journey, head to the Havre de Grace Visitors Center. And if you go on a Monday morning, one of the first faces you’ll see will be that of 90-year-old Robert Madison Mitchell Jr., whom everyone calls Mitch. Mitch was born at home in Havre de Grace on March 16, 1934. Other than the two years he spent in France, serving in the U.S. Army, he has spent his entire life in his hometown. 

“What’s there to leave for?” Mitch wryly remarked in a phone interview. “Havre de Grace has got everything.”

Mitch’s late father, Havre de Grace’s local funeral director for 75 years, was among the city’s most renowned decoy makers, making decoys from 1927 until he passed away in 1992. In fact, the senior Mitchell started the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum more than 30 years ago, a considerable feat considering that Havre de Grace is known as the “decoy capital of the world.” 

The Decoy Museum  – where visitors can hear a decoy of the now-deceased Robert Madison Mitchell speak to them in a recording of his voice – is one of several attractions that his son now recommends.

“I have a little spiel that works well,” Mitch said. “I show visitors where we’re currently located [on a map] and I direct them down Union Avenue, to walk the promenade along the bay, visit the Lighthouse, the Maritime Museum and the must-see Decoy Museum. And I tell them to visit Bomboy’s for homemade chocolates and ice cream.”

The city boasts 10 distinct historic sites and museums that offer both guided and self-directed tours – the Bahoukas Antique Mall & Beer MuZeum, Concord Point Lighthouse and Keeper’s House Museum, Havre de Grace Colored School Museum & Cultural Center, Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, Skipjack Martha Lewis, Steppingstone Farm Museum, Susquehanna Museum at the Lock House, the Lafayette Trail, the Living War Memorial Museum and the aforementioned Havre de Grace Decoy Museum.

But there's more to this adventure than history. Depending on the season, you might want to take an original ghost tour and learn about the 'haunts of Havre,' past and present. There's also the Lighthouse, which is worth an ascent for the gorgeous and expansive view, though you have to be 42 inches tall so it's not the best for young children. For families with little ones, there's plenty of paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing to keep them occupied.

"There are so many different reasons to come to Havre de Grace," Laura Chabalowski, whose husband is a co-owner of Market Street Brewery, reflected. "At any point in time, there's always going to be events and fun things to do. For example, in September there is a night in Havre De Grace festival where they're doing a lighted boat parade and bands. There's a garden festival, the Susquehanna Wine Festival, there's all these things to do that you can plan your trip around."

It's important to note, however, that there's not much happening on Mondays or Tuesdays. Most of the stores, which are all locally owned except for one 7-Eleven, are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

“Since the day the Visitors Center opened in 2001, I’ve gone in every Monday morning and done the weekly report and answered questions and given people directions,” Mitch said. “It’s the only time I can tell people where to go, legally.” 

For Mitch, working at the Visitors Center has been especially meaningful since his wife passed away three years ago. 

“I’m batching it,” he said, his joke tinged with loss. ”I’m learning to do things I never dreamed I’d do.”  One of the things Mitch has been doing is carving mirrors, which you’ll find within several of the stores in and around Havre de Grace, particularly stores with their unique logos.

Local flavor, and hospitality

Bomboy’s Candy handmakes all their own sweets and their boxes are decorated with images of notable places in the city. It’s one of many renowned places to satisfy a sweet tooth. Others include Jaime Bakes (known for their wedding and cupcakes), Goll’s Bakery (a sanctuary for donut lovers) and Les Petits Bisous (home of the macaroon). 

Market Street Brewery, located on Tidewater Marina, has a view overlooking the water. You can stop in for a quick drink, or stay for hours. If you go on a weekend, you'll likely find one or the other Chabalowski there, balancing their 9-month-old on one hip, taking orders and interacting with the other families who come to the Brewery for craft beer and conversation, or for one of their many family (and dog)-friendly events.

As you explore Havre de Grace, cone or candy or cupcake in hand, you can do so alone, with family and friends, or with your four-legged pal.

"Bring your dog," Chabalowski advises. "I am a huge dog lover. The brewery is dog-friendly inside. We're super pet-friendly. The whole town is."

There's a vibrant arts scene as well. The Havre de Grace Arts Collective hosts events, programs and art exhibitions designed to bring arts and entertainment to natives and visitors alike. You can peruse their website at hdgartscollective.org or visit explorehavredegrace.com to discover a wide variety of events and activities that cater to a variety of interests and span seasons.

First Fridays run from May through October. "On a nice weather day, a good 10,000 people will come for that," Orzewicz noted.

Local roots

Coincidentally, Chabalowski's father, Phillip Gagné, grew up in Chestnut Hill, attended Penn Charter and met her mother, Doreen, when she was working as a pediatric nurse at Chestnut Hill Hospital. Her brother, Alex, was born in Chestnut Hill Hospital.

Similar to Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy and our surrounding environs, in Havre de Grace, you’ll find clothing shops, bakeries, restaurants and bars but you’ll also find hidden treasures that are uniquely Havre de Grace, such as Bella’s Tea Room, an antique tea house serving traditional tea and sandwiches, which feels a little like stepping into a doll house, and HM’s Reptiphibians Exotic Pet Store, home to animals with names as impossible to pronounce as they are to describe. 

The city is also known for being safe and hospitable to insiders and outsiders alike.

Orzewicz moved here, in fact, because she was looking for a safe, welcoming, inclusive city in which she could raise her children.

“It's a small town,” she said. “Everybody knows everybody.  And everybody likes everybody. I mean, we have all races and we are a welcoming place. As a matter of fact, we have the pride festival here in September and they had a hard time finding an area that would actually welcome them and let them have their pride festival and it's very successful and very family-oriented.”

“I fell in love with the city. I raised my kids here and it's been wonderful. So I got this job [at the Visitors Center] because how easy would it be to promote the place that I live in that I raise my children in and that I love?”

Clearly, she's not alone. Havre de Grace has a rich history of drawing visitors of note. Some of its historic visitors include George and Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Harry and Bess Truman, along with their daughter Margaret, John F. Kennedy, Al Gore and Bill Clinton. 

For more information, visit explorehavredegrace.com.