Welcome To Maryland. We’re Closed!

By Doug Donovan

The state has closed six tourist welcome centers over the past year and is scheduled to shutter two more in July as part of the O’Malley administration’s continuing effort to cut costs from Maryland’s budget.

Closing eight of the state’s 12 highway welcome centers has upset some state lawmakers and advocates for the guideposts, who say the costs of operating them are covered by tourist dollars generated when the centers’ staff direct travelers to local attractions.

With Interstate 70’s two centers closed for construction until later this year, that leaves only the two visitors facilities off of Interstate 95 near Laurel open to the public. None of those remaining four will be permanently closed and a thirteenth center, located in the Maryland State House, was transferred to the state archives budget, according to a spokeswoman with the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.

Closing the eight centers will save about $750,000 and eliminate seven full time employees and 20 part time staffers at the centers, said Karen Glenn Hood, the spokeswoman.

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