Historic Ellicott City, MD has survived its share of challenges, including a long history of devastating fires and floods. Yet the town, located in picturesque Howard County (HoCo), has proven its ability to resurrect itself time and again, looking toward the future while preserving its storied past.
Originally the home of one of the largest milling operations in the 13 colonies and the country’s first railroad terminal (built in 1830), the once vibrant town underwent a fairly dramatic decline before the historic district was reestablished in the 1980s. Today, the thriving downtown area includes more than 70 unique shops and restaurants, as well as free museums and historic sites.
It’s easy to spend a day wandering along Main Street, the busy thoroughfare that cuts through the heart of Historic Ellicott City. The hilly street is filled with higher-end boutiques, vintage stores and quirky pop culture shops, as well as numerous opportunities to enjoy everything from a shrimp salad sandwich sit-down lunch to a gelato-to-go while you walk.
One must-stop is E.C. Pops, a colorful, whimsical everything-you-can-imagine gift shop where you can not only find state-inspired items like Old Bay Seasoning and Natty Boh t-shirts, but some truly eclectic items as well. Their soda wall is especially impressive—why drink Diet Coke when you can have Gross Gus’s Dragoon Drool or a soda spiked with ghost peppers, olives, mustard and more?
PRESERVING THE PAST
Downtown Ellicott City has managed to not only preserve many historical buildings, but has turned them into unique venues that tell the story of the town and surrounding Howard County.
The Howard County Welcome Center on Main Street, for example, is housed in a 1940s-era post office, which is home to two New Deal murals by Petro Paul De Anna, as well as panels explaining how the town was established. The Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum, located at the bottom of Main Street, is the oldest surviving railroad terminus in America as well as a National Historic Landmark.
Up above Main Street on Court Avenue, the Museum of Howard County History includes hundreds of artifacts that convey the story of the county, and the Howard County Children’s Museum next door, located in a former Quaker School building, provides kids with a chance to see what it was like to be a child back when the settlement was originally established.
The Firehouse Museum, built into the hillside along Main Street, gives visitors a look at the challenges of fighting fires in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Built in 1889, this was the first firehouse in the county, and it was used until 1923.
There is an emphasis on African American history throughout the county as well. The Ellicott City Colored School, where local students were taught from 1880-1953, is now a museum. In Columbia, MD, the Howard County Center for African American Culture is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of African American history and culture of Howard County and the surrounding region. Staff are happy to answer questions about any of the exhibitions, which include a look at Howard County’s involvement in the Underground Railroad, the struggle for civil rights and the African Diaspora experience.
History buffs can also enjoy three unique scenic byways that provide an up-close look at the development of the region, including The Civil War Trails, Historic National Road and Network to Freedom routes.
ENTERTAINMENT AND ATTRACTIONS
Howard County offers a wealth of different entertainment options, from family-friendly Clark’s Elioak Farm to live concerts along the lakefront to karaoke and ‘create-it-yourself’ hot pots in Koreatown.
Clark’s Elioak Farm in Ellicott City features a petting zoo, hayrides, pony rides and homegrown produce as well as a chance for local folks to take a walk down memory lane. The farm features numerous figures from The Enchanted Forest, the second oldest storybook land in the country, which opened about five miles from the farm back in 1955. Generations of families visited the forest before it closed in 1989, when Elioak owner Martha Clark decided to move the fiberglass figures to the farm where families can now enjoy visiting Mother Goose, the Three Little Pigs, Three Bears and Goldilocks, Humpty Dumpty and more.
Open from April 1-early November, the farm offers seasonal activities, including a produce stand in summer, a sunflower showcase in August and pumpkin picking in fall. The 100 percent family-owned farm takes pride in being “very low tech” and gives kids a chance to spend time playing outside instead of online.
Koreatown, formerly known as Korean Way, started as a five-mile strip that housed 160 Korean-owned businesses and has since expanded in size and offerings. Home now to 230 Korean-owned businesses, the area offers a Korean grocery store, karaoke bars and Honey Pig Hot Pot & BBQ, an authentic Korean barbecue restaurant where you pick your own soup base, and then choose what you want to add from a massive buffet of fresh ingredients including produce, seafood, meat and more. The interactive experience is especially foodie-friendly, and it’s a lot of fun to create your own meal from such a wide array of ingredients.
Even the area’s accommodations come with built-in attractions. The Merriweather Lakehouse Autograph Collection by Marriott, which is Columbia’s newest boutique hotel, is only minutes from Columbia Lakefront Stage where you can enjoy live musical entertainment including local and national musical acts, family-friendly movies and even free dance sessions.
The hotel is located at Lake Kittamaqundi, so the views are impressive, especially from the rooftop pool. Dining choices include the upscale on-premise restaurant, Lāk, as well as a variety of nearby walk-to options, such as The Collective Offshore & Encore, a coastal restaurant and live music venue that opened this past spring.
Turf Valley Resort, located in Ellicott City, features two championship golf courses and a European spa. The family-owned hotel was established by Nicholas Mangione, and all 10 of his children have worked at the hotel, which features 172 hotel rooms and suites, indoor and outdoor pools, a three-quarter mile wooded nature path, as well as an on-premise restaurant.
To learn more about where to stay and play in HoCo, check out https://www.visithowardcounty.com.
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