Saints & Sinners Tour

Three Days / Two Nights

From “Saintly” Elizabeth Ann Seton to the notorious Blazes Still, Frederick County is rife with do-gooders and some not-so-do-gooders!

Day One

The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Tour the home of the first American born Saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton. Self-guided and docent lead tours of the grounds include a video presentation depicting Elizabeth Seton's life and accomplishments, the original 1770's farmhouse and the colonial style and the beautiful basilica dedicated to her memory. Allow 2 hours.

Carriage House Inn
Emmitsburg's Historic Carriage House Inn offers quality cuisine and gracious service in an elegant colonial atmosphere. A northern Frederick County tradition of excellence in hospitality.  The Carriage House chefs prepare your meals with only the finest and freshest local ingredients. Private dining space is available for groups. Allow 1.5 hours.

National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes
The National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes is the oldest replica of The Grotto of Lourdes in the Western Hemisphere. Nestled in the glorious foothills of the Catoctin Mountains, the grotto is a peaceful place to relax. Allow one hour.

Catoctin Mountain Park
In Catoctin Mountain Park, relief from the Great Depression took several interesting twists and turns in the late 1920's and early 1930's. In 1929 the Blue Blazes Still was raided by the Frederick County Sheriff's office, resulting in one of the first line of duty deaths of a Frederick County deputy sheriff. Today the Blue Blazes Still serves as a reminder of the past and is a 0.25-mile walk from the Catoctin Mountain Park visitor center. Allow 1.5 hours.

Just a few years after the raid, a second tragedy occurred in Catoctin Mountain. On October 31, 1933, Bessie Darling was murdered. A love affair gone wrong produced the tragic results; thirst from a Depression era community struggling with hard times and the daily grind of living produced sensational headlines.

Overnight in Frederick
Frederick offers a wide variety of hotel accommodations ready to accommodate your group.

Day Two

National Museum of Civil War Medicine
Tour the National Museum of Civil War Medicine to hear about the story of care and treatment of the wounded during the Civil War. 7,000 square feet of life-like exhibits tell the story of courage and devotion amidst the death and destruction of war. Allow 1.5-2 hours.

Brewer's Alley Restaurant
Frederick County's original brewpub offers contemporary American regional cuisine and wood-fired pizza oven that complement fresh beer brewed locally in Frederick. Brewer's Alley also partnered with the National Museum of Civil War Medicine for a Civil War Beer series during the sesquicentennial. Private dining space is available for groups.

Weinberg Center for the Arts
This restored 1926 Art Deco movie palace features year-round performances. Originally opened as the Tivoli Theatre to show silent movies, the building features a Wurlitzer pipe organ.  Allow 1.5 hours.

Monocacy Brewing Co.
Taste their award-winning, locally brewed beers, including Riot Rye, made with locally grown and malted grist. Allow 1-1.5 hours.

Overnight in Frederick
Frederick offers a wide variety of hotel accommodations ready to accommodate your group.

Day Three

Covered Bridges
Frederick County is home to three historic covered bridges. The Utica Mills, Loy’s Station, and Roddy Road covered bridges all cross streams in northern Frederick County. Besides their beauty, the bridges are also structurally interesting, as all three have different truss systems.  Allow 1.5 hours.

Walkersville Southern Railroad
Walkersville Southern Railroad departs from Walkersville station, a small turn-of-the-century station built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the late 1800's. Enjoy the views as the train rolls past a 100 year old lime kiln, working farms, wooded areas and rolling countryside. Themed train rides and dinner trains are among the unique train experience on Walkersville Southern Railroad.  Allow 1.5-2 hours.  Box lunch options available.

For further information, please contact: Becky Bickerton, (800) 999-3613 or 301-600-4050 or e-mail at bbickerton@fredco-md.net.