Aug. 28—Maryland Dove will be sailing to Crisfield and Cambridge in September, thanks to a grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. Maryland Dove is Historic St. Mary's City's floating ambassador and one of its most popular exhibits. The wooden ship design is based on the original Dove, a cargo vessel that arrived along with the passenger ship Ark in 1634.

Maryland Dove will be open to the public for free deck tours at both locations.

"We look forward to partnering with fellow heritage areas, to help connect the traveling exhibit with communities further away than our typical audience," said HSMC director of education Peter Friesen.

Maryland Dove is set to arrive in Crisfield at approximately 2 p.m. (weather dependent) on Sept. 1 and will be open to the public for three days during the city's annual National Hard Crab Derby.

Hours of operation for free deck tours will be 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 1, noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 2 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 3.

Docking will be Somers Cove Marina, 715 Broadway in Crisfield. The charming waterside town is known as "The Crab Capital of the World" and is located at the southernmost point of Maryland.

The next stop on Maryland's Eastern Shore will be Cambridge, known for its rich maritime history. Maryland Dove will arrive in Cambridge at approximately 5 p.m. on Sept. 6 (weather dependent) and be open to the public September 7, 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Docking will be at Long Wharf, 2 Yacht Club Drive, Cambridge.

Maryland Dove and its dockside exhibits emphasize the waterways of the region, pre-colonial heritage, and interactions between different cultures. The ship and its exhibits are designed to elicit conversation, highlighting the depth of history represented in the area and the interactions between native peoples and European colonists. Maryland Dove is a unique representative of the complicated history, representing colonization and the effects on those that called the land home.

Maryland Dove will return to its home port of Historic St. Mary's City on Sept. 12 and will be open for exhibit at 11 a.m. When docked at HSMC, tours of the ship are included in the museum's general admission.

A full schedule of port visits is available at hsmcdigshistory.org.