A Chesapeake Bay lighthouse weekend in Maryland

The Chesapeake Bay has a lighthouse type you rarely see elsewhere: the screwpile, a small cottage-like house standing on iron legs screwed into the soft bay floor. Several survive, and a few can be visited without a boat of your own.

Drum Point Lighthouse, Solomons

Built in 1883, Drum Point is a hexagonal screwpile lighthouse that was moved in 1975 to the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons. Because it now stands at the museum, you can step inside and see how keepers lived. Solomons itself is a small waterfront town, good for an evening walk and a seafood dinner.

Hooper Strait Lighthouse, St. Michaels

Another screwpile, built in 1879 and moved to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels on the Eastern Shore. Pair it with a slow afternoon in the town.

Thomas Point Shoal Light, near Annapolis

This is the one still standing in the water where it was built, in 1875. Seasonal boat tours run from Annapolis; check the Annapolis Maritime Museum for dates, as they sell out.

Concord Point Lighthouse, Havre de Grace

A short stone tower from 1827 at the top of the bay, where the Susquehanna River meets it. It is small, quick to see and opens on a limited schedule, so check before you drive.

A relaxed two-day shape

• Day 1: Annapolis in the morning, Thomas Point by boat if a tour is running, then drive south to Solomons.
• Day 2: Calvert Marine Museum and Drum Point, lunch by the water, home in the afternoon.
• Check opening days for every museum before you go. Many keep shorter hours outside summer.