Westside Historical Society is pleased to offer a full range of tours for all groups:

Schools

Senior Centers

Community Groups

Home Schools

Bus companies

Families

Take a tour through the area's history as you visit our beautiful restored Barren Creek Springs Church, built in 1842, the Barren Creek Spring House, built ca. 1865, and the exhibits in the Barren Creek Heritage Museum.

We charge no admission fee for students or groups under twelve persons, but donations are welcome and help us continue to provide a service to the community. 

         Westside Historical Society also maintains a small library of local historical papers, genealogical resources, photographs, and clippings. These are available to students and other researchers, but do not circulate. There is a small reading room available.

As part of our mission to promote awareness of the significant cultural heritage of this part of the Lower Eastern Shore, we offer individual and small groups the opportunity to use the Church and grounds as a gathering place for weddings, picnics, reunions, receptions, and tea parties. Attendees may request a guided tour of the sites. We hope you will consider having your event here. You will enjoy a unique and beautiful setting, and will be doing the Society a service by providing needed income to support its programs. If you need further information, please don't hesitate to phone the Church Curator, Claudia Hudson, at 410-742-9028 or write to her at Westside Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 194, Mardela Springs, MD 21837. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have and offer any assistance you might need.

Also in Mardela Springs is the Adkins Museum & Historical Complex, a collection of eight buildings, including a one-room school, restored 18^th century farm house, restored 19^th century general store building, and other exhibits of local 19^th and early 20^th century furniture and memorabilia.  Barren Creek Clock shop also is adjacent to these historical sites and offers a unique tour from one of the nation’s few remaining clockmakers. Tours of all these historic facilities can be coordinated to provide a full day’s tour.

We would be happy to customize a tour to your requirements.

Ø      For students, we can supply teachers with in-class, pre-tour information sheets and activities to make their tour more meaningful.

Ø      Larger groups can be divided and smaller groups can tour the Church, Spring House, and Museum simultaneously.

Ø      For visitors who have difficulty walking, we can offer assistance if requested prior to the tour. The walk from Church/Spring House to the Museum usually is an easy ten to fifteen minute walk.

Ø      An on-site pre-tour orientation talk is available.

Ø      A catered lunch is available to groups of eight or more who would like an all-day tour; requests for this must be made a week ahead of the tour.  Other eating facilities in town are limited to light fare at Subway and Goose Creek.

Approximate time for tours:

     Barren Creek Springs Church and grounds - 20 to 25 minutes

     Barren Creek Spring House - 15 to 20 minutes

     Barren Creek Museum -45 minutes to 1 hour

A Gift Shop is in the Museum, specializing in local history items and books about local history.

Toilet Facilities are available at the Museum and the Adkins Museum / Complex.

Parking is available on the street, in the lot on Station Street, and on the corner of Bridge and Main Streets.

Admission for groups of more than twelve persons -- $1 each.

A Walking Tour of Mardela Springs brochure is available from the Museum, and a guided tour of the town can be arranged.

A Windshield tour of our area  is under development. It will highlight points of interest in: Riverton - San Domingo - Sharptown - Double Mills - Hebron - Vienna - Nanticoke towns - Whitehaven