Pemberton Park

Pemberton Historical Park, once home to a thriving plantation, shares historic legacies of the lower Chesapeake region from the 18th century. The fully-restored Pemberton Hall is furnished to reflect the pre-Revolutionary period.

Plantation tax records, archaeological investigations and architectural research were used to locate and restore other structures, including a 1786 kitchen, stand-alone milk house, wooden-lined well and well sweep. The remaining structures, including the 16-ft. log slaves’ quarters, are being restored and interpreted for visitors. The park’s 200+ acre natural environment along the Wicomico River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, offer a pleasurable recreational experience for nature and history lovers on its 4.5-mile trail system.

The History Trail passes by the invisible remains of Mulberry’s Landing Wharf, dating to 1746. It is the oldest documented bulkhead wharf in the US. The trail is shaded by rot-resistant White Cedar Trees (Cedar Cypress), from which early colonists made boats. On the Wetland Walk, the trail explores a tidal marsh that serves a vital purpose as a filter for pollution and sediments from upstream before they reach the Chesapeake Bay. Accessed via the Bell Island Trail, the aptly named Osprey Trail offers views of birds and waterfowl living within the Wicomico River’s marshlands. Hikers can rest at the trail’s Wicomico River Overlook, which offers a scenic glimpse of this estuary and its wildlife habitat before the river flows into the Chesapeake Bay.

Pemberton Park is open from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year. Pemberton Hall is open for tours on Saturdays from Noon to 2 p.m. from May 4 – October 26 and by appointment.