The Fells Historic Estate and Gardens

What The Fells Historic Estate and Gardens does

The Fells Historic Estate and Gardens operates as Historic London Town and Gardens, a 501(c)(3) public charity (London Town Foundation, EIN 52-1396159) managing a 23-acre historic park on the South River in Edgewater, Maryland. The site is owned by Anne Arundel County and operated under a non-profit management model. Its core offering is a combined history museum and botanical garden anchored by the c.1760 William Brown House, which carries a National Historic Landmark designation (National Park Service, 1970) and a UNESCO Site of Memory designation for the Middle Passage. The site also encompasses ten acres of themed gardens, a Woodland Garden developed with the University of Maryland, a 12,000 ft² Visitor Center with a 3,500 ft² exhibition space (the largest in Anne Arundel County, opened July 2007), and ongoing archaeology conducted by the Lost Towns Project.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its core infrastructure consists of physical facilities, gardens, and collections. Products and services are organized around four pillars: (1) self-guided and guided tours of the historic area and William Brown House, including a virtual tour; (2) gardens and horticulture programs spanning a Camellia collection of over 46 cultivars developed through Dr. Ackerman's hybridization program; (3) educational programming for school field trips, homeschool families, and virtual school audiences via YouTube; and (4) venue rentals for weddings and corporate events using the Phillips Education Pavilion (completed June 2024), South River Room, and outdoor garden spaces.

Revenue is generated through five streams: one-time admission fees ($11 adult, $10 senior, $5 youth, free for children under 3), recurring memberships with free admission, tax-deductible donations, fee-based school and homeschool programs ($8-$10.50 per session), and venue rental transactions. Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer via walk-in admissions, online ticket sales, and direct venue rental inquiries, with discounts for AAA members, active-duty military, reciprocal members, and Museums for All participants. The customer base spans individual visitors, families, schools, homeschool networks, event planners, and donor/member supporters across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Name

The Fells Historic Estate and Gardens

Legal name

London Town Foundation

Website

https://historiclondontown.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Historic London Town and Gardens is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating a 23-acre colonial history museum and botanical garden in Edgewater, Maryland, featuring the c.1760 William Brown House National Historic Landmark and offering tours, educational programs, venue rentals, and membership-supported programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Museum and Public Gardens

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Museums (71211)

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH), Archaeological Sites & Heritage Interpretation Centers (THAJADAG)

Keywords

• Historic site preservation
• Public gardens and horticulture
• Educational museum programs
• Venue rentals and events
• Heritage tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Edgewater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission fees: Visitors pay admission fees to access the site: Adults $11, Seniors (62+) $10, Youth (4-17) $5, children 3 and under free. Members always admitted free.
2. Membership program: Annual membership program offering free admission and other benefits to supporters.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting preservation, education, garden maintenance, and keeping admission prices low.
4. Venue rentals: Rental of Phillips Pavilion, South River Room, and outdoor spaces for weddings, corporate events, and photo sessions.
5. School programs: Fee-based school field trips, homeschool programs, and educational workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Historic London Town and Gardens operates a 23-acre public park and museum that combines colonial-era historic buildings (including the c.1760 William Brown House, a National Historic Landmark), ten acres of themed botanical gardens, an archaeology lab, and a Visitor Center with exhibition space. It sells walk-in and guided admissions, memberships, fee-based K–12 and homeschool programming, virtual school tours, and event-venue rentals for weddings and corporate functions. A separate London Town Foundation manages the site under agreement with Anne Arundel County, with donations and memberships supplementing ticket and rental revenue.

Product overview

Historic London Town and Gardens is a 23-acre historic park and public garden museum offering a unified experience combining colonial history interpretation, horticultural education, and environmental conservation. The site features the c.1760 William Brown House (National Historic Landmark), reconstructed colonial-era buildings, ten acres of themed gardens, a Visitor Center with exhibition space, and an Archaeology Lab. Educational programs include school field trips, homeschool sessions, virtual tours, and nature programs. The venue also offers rental facilities for weddings and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Historic Area Tours Self-guided and guided tours of the 23-acre historic park featuring colonial-era buildings, archaeology sites, and living history interpretations, sold to general public visitors and groups.
• William Brown House Tour Experience Interpretive experiences of the c.1760 William Brown House (National Historic Landmark) including in-person and virtual tours showcasing colonial tavern life and the almshouse period; available to visitors, school groups, and online audiences.
• Gardens and Horticultural Programs Ten acres of gardens (Woodland Garden, Ornamental Gardens, Camellia Trail) and seasonal horticultural nature programs offered to general public visitors of all ages as part of paid admission and special programming.
• School Field Trips Fee-based educational field trips for public and private school students covering colonial history, archaeology, and garden science with standards-aligned curriculum.
• Virtual School Tours Online video-based educational content covering colonial Maryland history, delivered via YouTube for distance-learning classrooms and homeschool families.
• Homeschool Programs Hands-on learning programs for homeschool families covering colonial history and garden science for ages 6–14; priced $8 for HLTG members and $10.50 for non-members (plus $1 booking fee).
• Nature Programs in the Gardens Nature-based educational programs including Magic in the Gardens (PreK–K) and How Does Your Garden Grow (K–3rd grade) for school groups and families.
• Venue Rentals Rental of Phillips Pavilion, South River Room, and outdoor garden spaces for wedding ceremonies, receptions, corporate events, and photo sessions.
• Archaeology Programs and Lab Tours Educational archaeology programs and lab tours operated by the Lost Towns Project at London Town's on-site Archaeology Lab, offering research and interpretive experiences for adult visitors and educational groups.
• Visitor Center and Exhibition Space Visitor Center with 3,500 ft² exhibition space (the largest in Anne Arundel County) accessed via paid site admission, providing orientation, exhibits, and program space.
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership offering free admission to the site and additional supporter benefits, sold to individuals, families, and reciprocal museum members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 46 Camellia cultivars developed through Dr. Ackerman's hybridization program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Anne Arundel CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnne Arundel County owns the property and partners with the London Town Foundation for management. County Recreation and Parks also co-manages the Gresham Estate property.
• Anne Arundel County Lost Towns ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLost Towns Project archaeologists conduct ongoing excavations and research at London Town, discovering evidence of 17th and 18th century structures.
• St. Mary's College of MarylandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Mary's College archaeology field school conducted initial assessment at Gresham Estate in 2021, led by professors Steve Lenik, PhD and Liza Gijanto, PhD.
• University of MarylandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with University of Maryland on development of Woodland Garden as a showcase for unusual plants and botanical collection.
• Local garden clubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative effort with local garden clubs in developing the Woodland Garden.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Historic Annapolis: A nearby nonprofit historic preservation organization in Annapolis, MD that operates colonial-era historic buildings, walking tours, and educational programming on the Chesapeake. Directly comparable as a Mid-Atlantic colonial history attraction competing for the same school and tourist audiences.
• Bartram's Garden: A Philadelphia historic botanical garden on the Schuylkill River, the oldest surviving botanic garden in North America. Comparable as a historic garden with educational programs and school field trips anchored by a colonial-era site.
• Historic St. Mary's City: A Maryland historic state park preserving Maryland's first colonial capital, featuring archaeology, living history, and outdoor interpretation. Closely comparable mission as an archaeology-driven colonial heritage site.
• Strawbery Banke Museum: A 10-acre outdoor living-history museum in Portsmouth, NH featuring restored colonial-era buildings, gardens, and hands-on interpretation. Comparable as a multi-building historic site museum with gardens and education-focused programming.
• Sotterley Historic Site: A National Historic Landmark plantation site on the Patuxent River in Southern Maryland, offering tours, school programs, and event rentals. Comparable as a Chesapeake-region historic site with both preserved buildings and gardens.
• Tudor Place: A National Historic Landmark historic house museum in Washington, DC with five-acre gardens, educational programs, and event rentals. Comparable as a historic estate combining house tours, gardens, and programming in the Mid-Atlantic.
• Hammond-Harwood House: An Annapolis colonial historic house museum operated by a nonprofit, offering tours, school programs, and special events. Directly comparable in scale, colonial focus, and Mid-Atlantic location.

Broad incumbents

• Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library: A larger Delaware-based historic estate with extensive gardens, museum collections, and educational programming. Comparable as a du Pont-era historic estate combining horticulture, history interpretation, and learning programs, though at substantially greater scale.
• Old Sturbridge Village: A large living-history museum in Massachusetts recreating a 19th-century rural village with costumed interpretation, gardens, and crafts. Comparable as a multi-building outdoor history museum with school programs, but at substantially larger scale.
• Mount Vernon: George Washington's Virginia estate operated as a historic site with gardens, museums, and educational programming. Comparable as a National Historic Landmark estate with admission fees, memberships, and donor-supported operations, though at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/historiclondontown
• Facebookfacebook.com/historiclondontown
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/historic-london-town-and-gardens
• Instagraminstagram.com/historiclondontown

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Fells Historic Estate and Gardens