With its old-time barn and redbrick workshop, Ruark Boatworks is an impressive traditional home for a section of the Richardson Maritime Museum. The wooden barn is more than 100 years old and was totally taken apart, transported to and rebuilt at its current site. Come to the workshop to watch volunteers hard at work restoring and constructing traditional wooden boats.
Stroll along the grass to reach the building, whose mixture of white and light-red bricks give off a pink hue against dark red doors. Enjoy views of Cambridge Creek, as it empties into the Choptank River, in this serene part of the city. Participate in some of the educational programs offered at the museum and chat with the volunteers, as they go about rebuilding wooden Chesapeake Bay vessels. Call to see if you can join a volunteer activity to do some planning, sanding, cleaning or other restoration work. Walk around the outside exhibit to see some of the boats that have already been restored.
Relax in adjacent Sailwinds Park, which has a play area and a shaded picnic spot. Enjoy a meal while watching boats pass by on the water. Note that this section of the maritime museum has been running since 2003, when it was tasked with promoting the famed boat-building techniques from the region.
The site is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from late morning until mid-afternoon. If you want to visit outside these hours, call ahead to set up an appointment. Educational field trips are encouraged as well.
Ruark Boatworks is in the eastern side of Cambridge, in the center of Maryland. It lies on the eastern side of Cambridge Creek, just before the stream reaches the Choptank River. Drive here from the center of Cambridge in about 5 minutes or walk in 20 minutes.
Look around the rest of the city for its other attractions, including the Dorchester County Visitor Center, the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center and the main branch of the Richardson Maritime Museum.
