Hello and welcome to this tour of Frederick, Maryland, presented by Insight Guides. My name is Katherine and I’ll be your guide. This tour takes around 90 minutes, not including any time spent touring any museums or buildings along the route. 

You can stop at any time and start again at the same spot later. You can follow the route on your phone or simply listen as I guide you from one sight to the next. I’ll be giving you clear directions and the audio will automatically start playing when you get close to the next sight on the tour. Don’t worry if you need to skip a sight as the tour will pick up at the next location. One more thing before we get started – always be aware of your surroundings and be sure to obey all traffic signals.

Located on the eastern foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Frederick's long history dates back to the early days of European settlement. In the early 1800s, the introduction of the railroad, the C&O canal and the National Road saw Frederick grow faster than Baltimore for several years. It is still the second-largest city in Maryland, with 60,000 residents.

Strict preservation rules protect the downtown historic district, where many of the buildings pre-date the Civil War. The town has managed the remarkable feat of balancing historic preservation with the needs of a modern, busy urban center.

This tour visits historic, cultural and community points of interest. You'll see a house built to annoy the city fathers, meet a cast-iron dog with his own Twitter handle and learn how Frederick paid a ransom to the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

Most of the buildings and houses on this tour are privately owned and not open for tours. Please respect people's privacy and don't peek into windows or wander into gardens. Some churches are unlocked during the day. If that's the case, please respect the sanctuary and those inside. 

Frederick is very dog-friendly. Pets are usually welcome at outside locations and at restaurants with outdoor seating. You'll find kiosks with clean-up bags along the sidewalks. There is a dog park on Bentz Street by Baker Park, which is one of the stops on the tour.

So, what are we waiting for? Let's discover Frederick!