Historic London Town & Gardens
The William Brown House, reconstructed buildings, archaeology, and wooded gardens overlook the South River at a former colonial port.
Artwork inspired by Francis Guy
London Town’s quiet riverbank once belonged to a busy Chesapeake trading settlement. Archaeology and reconstructed buildings recover parts of that vanished town, while the surviving William Brown House gives the story a substantial architectural anchor. The site makes a useful distinction between what remains above ground and what research has brought back into view.
The gardens add a second, deliberately cultivated landscape rather than recreating an entire colonial environment. Woodland paths, river overlooks, and sensory planting invite a slower pace after the historical exhibits. Moving between town remains and garden rooms reveals how one piece of waterfront can accumulate very different uses, from commerce and household labor to preservation, horticulture, and public learning.
- River
- South River
- Surviving building
- William Brown House
- Grounds
- 23 acres
Quick guide
- Split the visit
- Allow time for the historical area and woodland gardens.
- Ask at entry
- Confirm which buildings are included in that day’s tours.
Know before you go
- Identify the original
- Distinguish the Brown House from reconstructed colonial buildings.
- Read the waterfront
- Think about goods and people arriving by river.
- Choose garden paths
- Ask about surfaces before committing to the sloping Dell.
- Use the sensory garden
- Notice plant texture and sound as well as flowers.
Good to know
Anne Arundel County owns the land, but the nonprofit operator charges its own admission. County recreation and national park passes do not cover entry.
Notice these
- William Brown House brickwork
- Archaeological interpretation
- Woodland paths toward the river