Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center

Highland Beach is residential only, does not offer opportunities for tourism and cannot accommodate visits from the general public.

The Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center, Inc. housed in "Twin Oaks"—the summer cottage built in 1895 for Frederick Douglass—was purchased and restored in the 1980s.  In 1995, the State of Maryland and Anne Arundel County acquired the property and deeded it to the Town of Highland Beach as a memorial to Frederick Douglass, one of Maryland's most famous sons.  Its mission is:  to promote a greater understanding of the life and work of Frederick Douglass and his family; to identify, document, and preserve the social and cultural histories of Highland Beach and Venice Beach; and to make these resources available for information and research.  Docents, under the direction of the Museum Director Dena Sewell, conduct tours and arrange exhibits related to the history of "The Beach."

The outstanding, historical book Highland Beach on the Chesapeake Bay—written by Jack E. Nelson, Raymond L. Langston, and Margo Dean Pinson—is a 160 page book, illustrated with 230 historic photos that traces the town’s history from 1892 to 2007.  

 The museum is currently closed for repairs and renovations.