Downtown Hagerstown’s walkable Arts and Entertainment District is a beautiful mix of historic architecture and urban infrastructure, where creativity and talent thrive. It boasts impressive performance spaces, art galleries, restaurants, museums, retail stores, and a high school for the visual and performing arts.
The historic Maryland Theatre serves as the anchor of the Arts & Entertainment District and is home to the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, the Miss Maryland Scholarship Pageant, the Hagerstown Community Concert Association and many other performance groups. With seating for 1,281, Maryland Theatre averages 175 events and performances annually. The beautiful acoustics in the theatre’s auditorium are surpassed only by the ambiance, which has a strong neoclassical flavor with Art Deco additions.
“Hagerstown is a prime destination for groups in need of performance venues,” said Visit Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) President Dan Spedden. A variety of performance venues are available, including several theaters in downtown Hagerstown, a bandshell and outdoor seating at Hagerstown City Park, and spaces at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. “The CVB staff is always happy to assist groups in their planning efforts, and we offer incentives for music festivals.”
The newly opened Hagerstown Cultural Trail connects downtown Hagerstown’s A&E District with City Park and the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. The museum’s collection comprises over 7,000 works of art, with strengths in American art including works by the Peale family, Benjamin West, Frederic Church, Thomas Moran and Norman Rockwell. It has been recognized as one of the finest small museums in the United States.
“The Hagerstown Cultural Trail connects two vital parts of Hagerstown’s arts community,” said Spedden. “The trail offers public art experiences, gathering spaces and other amenities along the way, and it’s far more than just a connector—it’s a destination in itself.”
Article and photo courtesy of Visit Hagerstown.
