THE PRESS ROOM

Welcome to the Howard County Tourism on-line Press Room

Escape to centuries ago and stroll along cobblestone streets in charming historic mill towns. Take a walk in the wonderful, wooded river valley and along lovely lakes. Visit our magnificent mansions and gorgeous gardens. Power shop in the Mall in Columbia that boasts a multitude of trendy shops, theme restaurants and state-of-the-art movie theatre all next door to Merriweather Post Pavilion. Pick your own produce at picturesque and kid-friendly farms. Enjoy a round of golf or relax at one of our area spas. You’ll discover why we say…Howard County, Maryland. So Much. So Close.

National travel stories in the New York Times, Southern Living and Washington Post is making Howard County a must see destination nestled between Baltimore & Washington, D.C.. Additionally, Howard County has received national recognition as a great place to live, work and play by Money magazine (#4 America's Best Places to Live 2006) & Sports Illustrated. Come see for yourself what all the buzz is about! Howard County really has…So much! So close.

Howard County Tourism is your source for information on the latest happenings in the county. Contact our media relation team for more information and request to be added to our new release e-mail list.

STORY IDEAS

Darling Historic Ellicott City

Ellicott City founded in 1772 by three Quaker brothers, is in the midst of a renaissance and becoming a must see destination while in the mid-Atlantic. Ellicott City’s three block historic district along main street is lined with over fifty shopping and dinning destinations. In Ellicott City we have everything your heart and home desires such as scrumptious restaurants, trendy brew pub, friendly wine bar, soothing day spas, pet boutiques, chic antiques and upscale home décor stores. Ellicott City is also home to the oldest railroad terminus in the US, oldest operating flour mill in the US and earliest part of the Historic National Road (first federally funded highway.) Recently “discovered” by The New York Times’ Friday Escapes, Ellicott City has become a media darling often featured as a wonderful weekend getaway and even broadcast internationally during the MISS USA 2005 telecast. Nestled in the scenic hills above the Patapsco river, surrounded by charming steeples, fabulous Colonial, Federal, Victorian and even Art Deco architecture, Ellicott City tempts visitors to escape to centuries ago all within an hours drive of Baltimore and Washington, DC.

Rockin' Merriweather Post Pavilion

Merriweather was designed by the world renowned architect Frank Gehry, who is best known for defying architectural conventions. In the early 1960’s, he accepted the challenge of developing a design that would least disturb the natural topography of the Merriweather site. He succeeded and the pavilion opened in 1967. Its acoustics were considered by many in the industry to be the best among outdoor venues. Conveniently located in the Baltimore/Washington corridor off Route 29 in Columbia, Maryland, Merriweather is nestled within the 40 preserved acres known as Symphony Woods. The natural, outdoor concert setting is one that simply can’t be matched. For more than 35 years, Merriweather has hosted a diverse range of artists and events, offering the area’s absolute best in contemporary entertainment such as Grammy award-winning artists such Santana, Dave Matthews Band, Norah Jones, Sarah McLachlan, Capital JazzFest, the list goes on. Merriweather is visited by over 200,000 concertgoers per year. The venue is managed by owners of I.M.P., the independent concert promotion company that runs the immensely popular 9:30 Club in DC.

Fairy Tales Do Come True...
Clark’s Elioak Farm, new home of The Enchanted Forest

Once upon a time, there was a wonderful storybook park in Ellicott City, Maryland called The Enchanted Forest. Opened in 1955, it thrilled and delighted generations of families from far and wide throughout the next 30 years. Sadly, it closed to the public in the late 1980’s and had not reopened in spite of numerous efforts to revive it. In the summer of 2004, Clark’s Elioak Farm realized the interest to relocate all the items from the Enchanted Forest and be able to share them with a new generation of families. Clark’s Elioak Farm has relocated Mother Goose, and her gosling, a black duck, the six mice that pulled Cinderella’s coach, Papa Bear, Jack (of Jack and Jill), Little Boy Blue, Rock-A-Bye Baby, the giant mushrooms, the bell-shaped flowers, two giant lollipops, and a handful of gingerbread men, the Giant Sombrero, the Little Red Schoolhouse, the Crooked House, Jack and the Beanstalk, the Old Lady’s Shoe and the Easter Bunny's House. Throughout summer 100s of volunteers restored the fairy tale items in preparation of the 50th Birthday Party for the Enchanted Forest on August 2005.

100+ Miles of Paved Trails

Ideal for nature viewing, our woodland & wetland ecosystems are home to wonderful wildlife. Gorgeous great blue herons, white cattle egrets and little green herons stalk minnows among reeds. Dazzling swallows, osprey and hawks soar overhead, while kingfishers dive into lakes for fish. Turtles sun themselves on logs and rocks. Cottontail rabbits nibble on grass at dawn and dusk. Red fox and raccoon scamper by while a beaver family builds a lodge. Colorful monarch and swallowtail butterflies and dragonflies dance among the flora. Spectacular songbirds serenade you at sunrise and sunset. Enjoy nature viewing along well-worn trails in the wooded river valley of the Patapsco Valley State Park and see scenic waterfalls, wildflowers & wildlife! Howard County has 40 ponds and lakes, natural open space areas, 7,000+ acre park system all interlaced by more than 100 miles of pathways for walking, biking and jogging.

Join the Afterlife of the Party
“Ye Haunted History of Olde Ellicott City” Ghost Tours

If you are one of the 10,000 survivors of “Ye Haunted History of Olde Ellicott City” Ghost Tours you’ll know that charming Ellicott City, is perhaps the most actively haunted town in America. The recent eye-witness accounts of paranormal activity are the highlight of the tour. Some shop owners have called “spiritual cleansers” in attempts to remove the spirits improve the “energy” of the buildings! Even our ghost tour specialists and guests have had unusual, unexplainable experiences during the tours or while in town especially on Friday the 13ths & Full Moons! Ellicott City was recently named #4 Best Places to Live in America by MONEY magazine, perhaps it’s a place so nice you NEVER EVER leave! Or perhaps Ellicott City with is history of tragic fires, devastating floods and role in the Civil War make it place where its past residents still remain and roam. The ghost stories told are based on real people that actually lived and died in Ellicott City–sometimes violently and unexpectedly—to lend veracity to the hauntings.

THINK PINK!
Blossoms of Hope: The Howard County Cherry Tree Project

A new tourism initiative with Howard County Government and Howard County Tourism, Inc. is taking root and growing. The goal of the project is to plant 1,000 PINK Kwanzan cherry trees in Howard County, to beautify and beacon visitors to Howard County’s many attractions and to give HOPE to those in our community coping with cancer. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the trees will be donated the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource and Image Center. TO DATE, the project has raised $30,000 for the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource and Image Center. The Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource and Image Center offers a modern, fully-equipped salon where licensed aestheticians, cosmetologists, hair stylists and prosthesis professionals offer free consultations. www.BlossomsofHope.com

The RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon, Largest Event in Iron Girl History

World-renowned Ironman athlete, Desiree Ficker, Bronze Medalist in Triathlon, Susan Williams joined more than 1,850 elite athletes and first-timers at the 2006 RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon. Participants ranged in age from 14-years-old to 76-years-old and include inspirational amateur athletes Madelaine Sayko, survivor of the September 11th World Trade Center tragedy and Candace Patterson, neurofibromatosis survivor who has undergone multiple surgeries to remove life threatening facial tumors. The event at Centennial Lake and Park in Ellicott City, MD, featured a 1K swim, 30K bike and 5K run. All proceeds from the RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon to benefit the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. Based out of Columbia, MD, the Ulman Cancer Fund provides support, education and resources to benefit young adults affected by cancer, as well as their families and friends. The 2006 RYKA Iron Girl National Women’s Event Series has already raised more than $25,000 for the Ulman Cancer Fund.

Frank Owen Gehry, Extraordinary Architect

Internationally acclaimed for his eccentric, sculptural designs, Frank Owen Gehry’s first sizable commissions came from the Rouse Company in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Over the span of several years, Gehry helped create four buildings in Columbia, MD. The Former Exhibit Building, a two-story, mixed-use building built into a hillside, overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi; the Public Safety Building, a 4,000 square-foot firehouse, Merriweather Post Pavilion and the Former Rouse Company Headquarters. Howard County Tourism has developed brochure highlighting the buildings these building from Gehry’s early career.

Civil War Trails

Of the 45 Civil War bugle signs in Maryland, Howard County has nine detailing the significance of the sites. At the Thomas Isaac log cabin, for example, visitors will learn how children reacted to, and acted out, the conflict going on all about them. Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps, director of the prestigious Patapsco Female Institute, encouraged her students from the north and south develop friendships and use their influence at home to mitigate increasing animosities. Other signs include: the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station Museum, Ellicott City Colored School, Restored, all in Ellicott City; Oakland Manor in Columbia; Elkridge Furnace Inn and Thomas Viaduct; Savage Mill; and site of the Battle of Cooksville.

Turf Valley Resort – Maryland’s First Resort Spa

Nestled in the rolling hills of central Maryland, Turf Valley Resort has grown to become a premier destination for both corporate meetings and leisure retreats. Its space is elegant, yet unpretentious. Here, guests enjoy a comfortable casual setting whether on the greens, in one of our guest rooms, or in our meeting and function areas. It’s a place they call their own. Originally a thoroughbred horse farm more than half a century ago, the Mangione family purchased Turf Valley Country Club in 1978. Growing the business from a quaint country club, it was soon expanded to become the area’s foremost catering establishment. In 1988, the family dream of building a luxury hotel amid the lush golf courses came to fruition. Now sprawling over 1,000 acres, the multi-faceted retreat now features two championship golf courses, pools, tennis courts, a European Spa and more than 40,000 square feet of versatile function space.

WOW Howard County National Recognition

2006 --America's Best Places to Live 2006, Columbia / Ellicott City - #4 -Money magazine
2006 –Top Fall Weekend Destination Washingtonian magazine Ellicott City
2006 –Howard County, Maryland ranked 3rd richest county by U.S. Census Bureau
2006 --Technologically Advanced Community in U.S. Howard County – Ranked #2 -USA Today
2006 --Blossoms of Hope: The Howard County Cherry Tree Project participates in the The Parade of National Cherry Blossom Festival, makes cover of the Sunday Washington Post
2005 --100 Best Communities for Young People -America’s Promise Alliance
2005 --Baltimore magazine feature story on "Frank Gehry's Columbia"
2005 --Great Public Library Systems, Howard County Library - #1 -American Libraries
2005 --Good Sports Community of the Year, Howard County - One of Eight Communities Nationally -Sports Illustrated
2004 --Best Quality of Life, Howard County - #9 -American City Business Journals
2003 --Maryland #1 “Sports Town” -Sports Illustrated Magazine
2003 --The New York Times “HAVENS; Finding New Life By Selling the Old” Friday Escapes feature story on Historic Ellicott City
2003 --Southern Living magazine feature story "Detour to Historic Ellicott City"
2001 --All American County -National Urban League

For other ideas, click on Howard Life to check out our virtual visitors guide!