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All the United States Maryland Havre de Grace Havre de Grace Decoy Museum

Havre de Grace Decoy Museum

The Decoy Capital of the World.

Havre de Grace, Maryland

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Decoys   http://www.decoymuseum.com/index.html
Havre de Grace Decoy Museum   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Havre de Grace Decoy Museum   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Decoys   Photo by Ari Elias-Bachrach
A Sinkbox   Photo by Ari Elias-Bachrach
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About

Located on the banks of the historic Susquehanna Flats, the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum houses a particular art form, one that most folks probably don't spend much time contemplating: fake birds.

Decoys have been a central element of Chesapeake culture for centuries. In the beginning, they were made for one purpose -- to lure waterfowl within range of the hunter’s shotgun. Decoys were simple, utilitarian representations of ducks and geese rough-hewn from wood. No one considered them art. Today, decoys lure far more people than waterfowl. One is perhaps more likely to find a decoy adorning a collector’s mantlepiece than floating in a hunter’s rig. Contemporary carvers produce sophisticated works of art with century-old skills that have been passed down from master to apprentice for generations.

Established in 1986 as a private, non-profit institution the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum contains one of the finest collections of working and decorative Chesapeake Bay decoys ever assembled. With displays of over 1200 decoys and decorative carvings by masters such as R. Madison Mitchell, Bob McGaw, and the Ward Brothers, the exhibits that range from single display cases to room-sized waterfowling displays.

Whether for the appreciation of fowl, person, or both the Decoy Museum strives to communicate the heritage and art of decoy making to a national audience.

Related Tags

Collections Hunting And Taxidermy Retro Tech

Know Before You Go

From North or South on I-95: Exit I-95 at exit 89 East to Havre de Grace. Proceed 4.6 miles to Juniata Street. Turn right and proceed .9 mile to Revolution Street and turn left. At Union Avenue turn right. Proceed to the end of Union and turn left onto Commerce Street. Follow signs to the museum.
From Eastern Shore Points: Take MD Route 213 North to Route 40 East. Cross the Hatem Bridge and at the first traffic light turn left onto Otsego Street. Follow to the end of the street and bare right onto Union Ave. Proceed to the end of Union Ave. and turn left onto Commerce Street. Look for museum on right.

From Pennsylvania: Take PA Route 272/MD Route 222 to Perryville. Cross Hatem Bridge and follow MD Route 40 to Revolution Street. Turn left. Proceed to the end of Union and turn left onto Commerce Street. Follow signs to the museum.

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bachrach44, blimpcaptain

  • bachrach44
  • blimpcaptain

Published

May 26, 2010

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Havre de Grace Decoy Museum
215 Giles Street
Havre de Grace, Maryland, 21078
United States
39.539661, -76.086931
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Nearby Places

Dr. Gloom's Crypt of Curiosities

Havre de Grace, Maryland

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miles away

Conowingo Dam

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Havre de Grace

Havre de Grace

Maryland

Places 2

Nearby Places

Dr. Gloom's Crypt of Curiosities

Havre de Grace, Maryland

miles away

Turkey Point Lighthouse

North East, Maryland

miles away

Conowingo Dam

Darlington, Maryland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Havre de Grace

Havre de Grace

Maryland

Places 2

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