Activities Program
Ticket Office Museum
Visit the Ticket Office Museum all weekend. The original ticket office for the former Bashford Amphitheater houses an extensive collection of photographs and artifacts dating back to 1881, the founding year of Maryland’s first Chautauqua resort community along the B&O Railroad. Walk through the Founders, Influencers, Merchants, Lifestyles, and the Decline of a once bustling summer getaway in the Appalachian Mountains. Free walking maps of the Historic District are available.
Saturday & Sunday All Day
The Oracalist Mystic
With Abacus Haste
Benefit from the accumulated knowledge passed down through three generations of seers. Abacus Haste’s practice is rooted in time-honored traditions that have been refined and perfected over decades.
She’ll help you access past revelations, gain clarity on how those experiences have contributed to your personal growth, and how to harness forces to overcome challenges and maximize opportunities. Learn your astrological forecast guiding you forward.
Saturday & Sunday
Wet Plate Photography
With David Wilson
David Wilson from Victorian Photography Studio in Pennsylvania is a skilled photographer creating authentic tintype techniques to capture his subject with a method dating back to the Civil War era. David will accept commissions for sittings throughout the day. Some period costumes will be available to enhance your experience.
Historic District Trolley Tours
Take a free ride on the Town Trolley with a tour guide to learn about the Mountain Lake Park’s Historic District. Founded in 1882, the Chautauqua resort community grew rapidly, attracting summer residents who purchased lots to build fanciful vacation homes in the pleasant surroundings along the B&O Railroad. With over 60 original structures still standing, Trolley Tours offers a glimpse of a simpler time, when summer porch gatherings, croquet, strolls under the towering oaks, and attending lectures, classes, and concerts were daily activities. Learn about this entrancing time in history that lives on through the stories that are shared.
Saturday & Sunday Afternoon
Board on G Street
Horsing ‘Round Carriage Rides will eagerly await passengers on G Street to offer free rides. Two stunning black Percheron draft horses, Zeus and Otin, donned in ostrich plumes, will pull you on an elegant ride through the Historic District in style. Early Park residents traveled by carriage to shop in town or take an excursion to visit nearby sites. Experience life as it once was with all the charm of a bygone era.
Bethel Center
Visit Bethel Center, Garrett County’s only African Methodist Episcopal Church, which has been carefully restored and relocated to Mountain Lake Park’s Historic District. The church was dedicated in 1900 and originally located in Oakland just a few miles away. In the 1930s, the congregation disbanded and the structure was sold and relocated to and Amish farm in Pleasant Valley, where is served as a wheelright’s shop for 90 years. Today, the church proudly stands to honor the African American community that contributed to Garretty County’s historical framework. Once inside, the past is plapable, allowing reflections of a time when the sanctuary was a beloved gather place for worship, education, and community.
The Deaconess Café
Originally, the Thompson Rest Home for Deaconesses is now the Mountain Lake Park Historical Association (MLPH) headquarters. For the first time, a café will welcome visitors to dine on the porch, while being surrounded by the ambience of the oldest standing cottage and its impressive grounds. The Deaconess, as it is more affectionately known is the only historical cottage accessible to the public.
The Café will feature three entreé selections and an option to purchase wine or beer to accompany your meal. Optional box lunches can be enjoyed as a lawn picnic or for anyone on the go. The proceeds go towards the Victorian Chautauqua festival. See full details on the reservation page.
Vintage Car Showcase
An impressive collection of vintage cars will be on display on Saturday. The automobile was a major factor in Mountain Lake Park’s decline as a summer resort. When the town was founded in 1881, vacation destinations were limited to locations along the railroads. As cars became more commonplace, adventurous spirits could choose any place they wanted to go. Enjoy the display of automobiles from a variety of makes and models up through the 1940s.
Splash Pad
Include water play for the little ones in your Victorian Chautauqua weekend. The Splash Pad in Leo Martin Memorial Park features a safe, non-slip surface with ground-level jets, a mushroom shower, a rain wall, a water-ring tunnel, and dumping buckets for a massive soaking. Kids of all ages can enjoy cooling off in the summer heat while having fun.
Water shoes are not necessary but may be preferable for tender feet, as the coarse anti-slip surface is textured.
Towels are not supplied. Water toys are permitted. An outdoor shower is available for rinsing off before and after.
