Fifth Regiment Armory (Maryland Museum of Military History)

The Fifth Regiment Armory building is a historic building that hosted the 1912 Democratic National Convention, where President Woodrow Wilson was nominated. President Dwight D. Eisenhower also spoke at the armory in 1958 in a nationally televised campaign speech stumping for Republican candidates. Built in 1901 by Wyatt and Nolting, the building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985. Today, it serves as a training ground for the Maryland National Guard and houses the Maryland Museum of Military History, a must-see museum for anyone interested in military history. The museum celebrates the history of Maryland’s soldiers and documents Maryland’s contribution to American history.

The idea of the Maryland Museum of Military History came about in 1973 when people were concerned about keeping the history of the Maryland National Guard alive. Then, in 1981 more funds were granted, allowing the archives to be displayed and the collection to be turned into a museum. The museum was dedicated in October of 1982.  

Over time, the museum has expanded and now contains many different pieces of history, even including an art gallery. It houses an extensive collection of artifacts owned by the state military department. Museum rooms include the John Eager Howard Room, Union Room, Memorial Hall, Reckord Lounge, Blue and Gray Hall, Cold War and Global War Terror Room, and Hancock Memorial Library.

Recent exhibits include one on the 1991 Persian Gulf War and a bicentennial celebration of the Battle of Baltimore. In summer 2017, the museum plans to unveil its WWI exhibition, "Over There," telling the stories of Marylanders who served as soldiers, doctors, and nurses. 

Below, you can find a link for an online tour of the exhibit, “When Freemen Shall Stand.”

"About the Museum." Maryland Museum of Military History. Accessed February 13, 2017. http://www.marylandmuseumofmilitaryhistory.org/about/.

"WWI Exhibition." Maryland Museum of Military History. Accessed February 13, 2017. http://www.marylandmuseumofmilitaryhistory.org/exhibitions/wwi-exhibition/.

“Fifth Regiment Armory,” Explore Baltimore Heritage, accessed August 24, 2024, https://explore.baltimoreheritage.org/items/show/432.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, Television Address Delivered in the Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore, Maryland Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/234251