Things to Do in Salisbury, Maryland: An Ocean City Day Trip

You can drive from Ocean City to Salisbury for a day trip, then arrange your stops around the museum’s Tuesday-through-Saturday hours or the zoo’s daily opening pattern.

If you’re comparing day trips, a day in Berlin, Maryland is another option from Ocean City.

Shore Transit connects Salisbury and Ocean City. Its route information includes routes 451 and 431, as well as routes 432 and 452. For current schedules and route details, check the official site before you go. Ocean City’s transit-links page directs riders to Shore Transit’s website or phone number, 443-260-2300.

Cabana Motel is a motel in Ocean City.

Salisbury Zoo and the Museum of Eastern Shore Culture offer two different ways to spend time in Salisbury: an outdoor visit with animals or a downtown look at Eastern Shore culture.

Salisbury Zoo

Salisbury Zoo is at 755 South Park Drive and admission and visitor parking are free. The zoo is set on 13 acres beside a branch of the Wicomico River, with animals from the Americas and Australia in naturalistic habitats. Its wide paved paths, ramped boardwalks and ADA-compliant restrooms support access around the grounds.

The zoo has a limited number of free wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-served basis; borrowers are asked to leave a driver’s license as a security deposit. Its regular hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Museum of Eastern Shore Culture

The Museum of Eastern Shore Culture is at 218 W. Main St. in downtown Salisbury. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $5.

All entrances, exhibits, programming spaces and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. The museum sits on the downtown plaza, next to Salisbury University Art Galleries and across from Roadie Joe’s Bar & Grill; it is less than half a mile from Route 13. Downtown parking near the museum is enforced Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Salisbury Riverwalk is a concrete walkway beside the Wicomico River in downtown Salisbury, extending from Route 13 to the marina. It gives you a riverside stop to combine with the downtown museum or a meal.

Along the Riverwalk, you’ll find Riverwalk Games Park, fire pits, bocce ball, cornhole, chess and checkers tables, and the Pohanka Riverwalk Amphitheater. The section between Mill Street and Division Street is a Maryland license-free fishing zone.

Downtown sidewalks are widened, with ADA-compliant curb ramps and ramps to the Riverwalk amphitheater, parking garage and bridges across the river. The Riverwalk itself was renovated in 2017.

For a compact downtown itinerary, pair the Museum of Eastern Shore Culture with the Riverwalk and a meal. Roadie Joe’s Bar & Grill is across from the museum, so you can keep these stops close together before heading elsewhere in Salisbury.

If you choose the zoo instead, its 13-acre grounds and riverside setting make it a separate outdoor stop. You could then return downtown for the Riverwalk, where the games park, amphitheater and river bridges give you several points to pause along the walkway.

Plan your return to Ocean City around the transport option you choose. Drivers can use the trip from Ocean City as a guide, while Shore Transit riders should confirm the route and schedule for their travel time before setting out.

For a museum visit, account for its Tuesday-through-Saturday opening pattern and weekday parking enforcement near the museum. The zoo opens daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hours and schedules can change, so check the official site before you go.

How far is Salisbury from Ocean City?

Salisbury is within day-trip range of Ocean City.

Is Salisbury Zoo free?

Yes. Admission and visitor parking are free. The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

When is the Museum of Eastern Shore Culture open?

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is free, with a suggested $5 donation.

Can you walk along the river in downtown Salisbury?

Yes. The Salisbury Riverwalk is a concrete walkway along the Wicomico River, running from Route 13 to the marina.