FAQS

Ticket/Admissions FAQs:

What dates and hours is the Maryland Renaissance Festival open?

2023 FESTIVAL DATES

August 26, 27;

September 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30;

October 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 & 22, 2023

10:00 am – 7:00 pm

How much are tickets? (2023 Ticket Prices - Prices subject to change)

All single day and multiday tickets sales are online only.

August 26 – September 10:

Adult (Ages 16- 61) $24
Senior (Ages 62+) $21
Children (Ages 7- 15) $12

September 16 – October 22:

Adult (Ages 16- 61) $30
Senior (Ages 62+) $26
Children (Ages 7- 15) $15

**Children 6 and under free and do not require a ticket**

Multi-Day tickets/passes

Season Pass $228.00
9 Day Pass $144.00
6 Day Pass $108.00
Weekend Pass $50.00 - For Weekends Beginning September 16 (Weekend Passes Are Not Available For The First Three Weekends)

What if I have a group? How do I buy tickets? (2023 Ticket Prices - Prices subject to change)

Group price rates begin with 20 or more people. Group ticket purchases must be made collectively (one payment) and cannot be changed once purchased (no adding or subtracting individuals from the group order). Please double check how many people are in your group before ordering. Once the group order has been finalized, the group order cannot be changed. Group purchases can be made over the phone 410-266-7304 (Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm). Groups coming by bus or extended van, please let the festival office know if you have a dedicated/chartered driver. We offer one complimentary ticket for charter/bus drivers for our group purchases. Group ticket sales are not available for sold out dates.

August 26 – September 10:

Group Adult $21
Group Child $11

September 16 – October 22:

Group Adult $26
Group Child $14

What is included with my ticket admission?

Once having finished your journey to our free parking lot, enter the gates of Revel Grove using your passport to merriment. You will be greeted with a map of the realm listing all of the locations and attractions the festival has to offer. With 8 stages, jousting, street entertainment and pub/tavern performances all included with your admission, there is so much to do and see, that not all of it can be experienced in one day.

** All Beverages and Games require CASH CURRENCY ONLY. Some Food and Crafts stands have the ability to accept credit/debit cards, but not all. Cash again is highly recommended. **

When is it best time to arrive? How can I avoid the lines?

Typically the festivals peak season starts mid to late September. With an influx of visitors at the festival during peak season, longer lines and a more crowded atmosphere are to be expected. The festival highly recommends coming before the peak season to avoid longer lines at food/beverage stands and a less crowded atmosphere. The added benefit with coming early to the first three weekends is the already included discounted price in admission for single day and group tickets.

See above for discounted/regular price ticket information.

What if the weather is bad and I've already bought my ticket online?

We recommend before purchasing tickets to check the Crownsville local weather for the upcoming weekend, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook for weather updates.

Tickets are subject to the following terms and conditions agreed to during the purchase process.

Tickets cannot be exchanged for another date. If you are unable to attend on the selected date you must submit for a refund through the Refund Request portal below and repurchase for a new date. If the Thursday 5:00 PM deadline has passed you are not eligible for a partial refund and your tickets will remain valid. If you are not able to attend the tickets can be used by a family member or friend.

Only the customer who purchased tickets through our ticket system may submit for a limited refund, less convenience and processing fees, and only up to 5:00 PM Thursday before the event date printed on the ticket. Thereafter tickets are non-refundable. Tickets purchased after 5:00 pm Thursday for the upcoming weekend are not-refundable. Refunds will only be issued to the original form of payment on our ticket system.

Each ticket refund will be reduced by $5.00 for the ticket reservation, convenience and processing fees for securing and refunding the tickets.

Only single day tickets, both days of a 2 day weekend ticket or the entire group purchase of group tickets are eligible for a limited refund. Fractions thereof are not refundable.

Annual 6-Day, 9-Day and 19-Day tickets are not eligible for refunds.

The festival's Facebook, Twitter, and website says tickets are sold out, but I already have tickets for today's festival, can I still get in?

Yes. Whether you have purchased your ticket(s) for today online (which we recommend to save your spot in the festival) or have tickets waiting for you at the Will Call ticket window, your place in today’s festivities is saved. Be sure to let the police officers and/or parking staff know that you already have tickets. Non-ticket holders will be turned away due to limited parking availability.

How can I stay up to date on festival traffic and ticket availability?

I'm here at the gate and have bought tickets for my party, but the rest of my group is not here yet. What do I do?

If you already have tickets purchased, but don’t want to wait for the rest of your party, please use our free Will Call window services to hold tickets until the remaining members of your party arrive. Enjoy the festival without the hassle of waiting or having to leave the festival to give the remaining members of your party their tickets. Please note, single day tickets that are not picked up by the end of the day are no longer valid and cannot be refunded or exchanged for another day.

I purchased my tickets online but cannot print it, what should I do?

We recommend purchasing tickets online, no added surcharge for online sales. Tickets purchased online are insured admission to the festival, even when the show is declared sold out. With your printed online tickets from home you head straight for the main gate. Be sure to follow our printing instructions exactly as described. If access to a printer at home is not an option, stop by our ticket windows to have your ticket printed out. Your smart phone can also be used to scan the ticket barcode.

Lost and Found

Directions/Parking/ Accessibility

How do I get to the festival?

The Maryland Renaissance Festival is located at: 1821 Crownsville Rd. Annapolis, MD 21401. You can find more information about how to get to the festival by visiting our webpage dates-times-directions to receive driving directions from Washington D.C., Baltimore, Eastern Shore/Annapolis, Southern Maryland (St Mary’s and Waldorf areas), Dahlgren, VA, Frederick/Western MD, and from New York/New Jersey/Harford County (MD).

Is parking free? And what parking options are available?

The Festival offers free parking to all of its customers. We use both local law enforcement on the road ways to keep high volume traffic moving and experienced in-house parking staff once you’ve entered our parking lot. Please follow the parking staff directions when entering the festival parking lot. Our staff is trained to have you off the main road, parked, and walking towards the front gate within minutes of arriving. Vehicles parked not on festival grounds (i.e. parking on the main road, or in the surrounding community) or parking in places not directed by the parking staff within our lot is not allowed and will be towed at owner’s expense.

How can I avoid traffic and waiting to park?

Are the grounds ADA accessible?

Walking paths are natural terrain, consisting of mulch, stone and soil. Please be aware that pathways do contain various hills and inclines. Please plan accordingly. There is one challenging hill on-site and that is located near the Royal Fox Theatre/ Slide area down to the Children's play area and Mary's Dale Way. Patrons with mobility concerns can avoid this hill by instead using Kenwood lane and looping around to Mary's Dale Way.

Handicapped seating areas are designated at all stages. Handicapped accessible restrooms are available.

Wheelchairs and scooters are not available for rental. Hospital style wheelchairs are not advised.

There is handicap parking available at the festival, just ask the parking crew to direct you to that area when you arrive.

Gate Restrictions

Can I bring weapons or toy weapons to the festival, or as part of my costume?

No weapons (blades, firearms, explosives, etc…) are allowed on festival grounds. While we do have artisans who sell real weaponry, we do not allow those weapons to be brandished around the grounds. Any weapons purchased within the festival grounds must remain within the original packaging when purchased.

Obvious toy weapons are limited based on the discretion of our festival security staff. If the prop weapon looks realistic to their real weaponry counterparts, we will ask that the toy weapon be returned to your vehicle. Toy weapons we do permit are the wooden swords we sell here at the festival (with the exception of Hollow Earth weaponry, those are classified as a training weapons), foam weapons, and Nerf toys.

Can I bring drinks or food into the Festival?

The Festival only allows one factory sealed water bottle per person through the main gate. Any and all other beverages (alcohol, energy drinks, and coffee) are not allowed. The festival offers a wide selection of both beverages (Nonalcoholic and Alcoholic) and foods. We do allow food through the gates, but the festival does not permit coolers or other receptacles for carrying food/drinks. If you have questions about our food services while at the festival, please ask one of our food booth mangers about food options at that particular food booth.

Can I bring my pet/ service animal to the Festival?

Is smoking permitted within the Festival? Is electronic cigarettes/vapors allowed?

What about birthdays, anniversaries, and engagements?

The Festival is always pleased when guests want to spend their special day in Revel Grove. Unfortunately due to our limited season (only 19 performance days) and a fixed performance schedule, we are unable to accommodate special requests such as setting up engagements, announcing birthdays, anniversaries, etc... we cannot stop regularly scheduled shows for announcements. Proposals can not be be scheduled before, during, or after shows at any staging space. The stages are strictly for the use of performers. No patron may be onstage before, during, or after a show without the invitation of a performer to join them onstage.

If you'd like to celebrate your child's birthday at the festival, here are a few recommendations:
Have your party guests arrive near opening and have the group assemble for Happy Birthday wishes. Choose a spot and inform your guests in advance. (visit our site map). You may bring in a cake (sorry, no drinks, no coolers). While we cannot reserve or guarantee tables, usually there isn't an issue finding an open table at 10am - 11am-ish in one of the taverns or food areas. Have the birthday child open gifts and enjoy some cake right away, then everyone can enjoy the festival day! It is much easier to do first thing instead of trying to reassemble the group later for cake and gifts.

Parents or guardians can take gifts back to the car. Just ask security at the exit gate to stamp your hand for re-entry.

If your little knight wants to see the King - The Children's Knighting Ceremony is at 1:30pm at the Cottage Stage. This is a short, general ceremony. After the ceremony, the King, Queen and courtiers are available to pose for a picture. Let them know about the birthday child, and they will offer their birthday greetings. Next to the Cottage Stage is a free children's play area. Always nice to burn off that birthday cake energy!

Clothing and Costume Guidelines

Inappropriate Attire

The Maryland Renaissance Festival reserves the right to deny admission or remove any person wearing clothing that is considered inappropriate for a family-friendly event. This includes – but is not limited to:

Clothing with obscene language or graphics
Clothing which exposes excessive portions of the skin that may be viewed as inappropriate for a family environment
Clothing or costume items with any sharp objects.

Dressing in Costume / Acceptable Costume Accessories/ Patron Interactions

We enjoy having patrons dressing in Renaissance costumes to enhance the theme of our event. While we appreciate creativity and originality, we also value safety and good judgement. While patrons may wear costumes, we are not a LARP or Cosplay event. Performances are by our paid performers only. A reminder on costumes and venue etiquette:

Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be offensive, objectionable or violent.
Costumes may not contain any props that could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike or injure another patron.
Patrons cannot bring in musical instruments, hula hoops or other items that could be used in a performance.
Patrons should not engage/entertain other patrons, and cannot give out tokens, candy, favors, or other items.
If you have a wonderful costume, fellow patrons may want your picture. That is understandable and acceptable, but patrons may not set up their own Photo Ops, or stand and pose in an area for a long period of time for the purpose of gaining attention and engaging fellow patrons.

Can I bring weapons or toy weapons to the festival, or as part of my costume?

Additional Information and Traveling Tips

Where can I find more information about different shows and crafts offered at the Festival?

Visit our websites Entertainment section Entertainment to see our list of shows for the season and this year’s story line. A map of the festival grounds, artisan’s locations within the festival is at artisans#Queen. When you enter the festival gates, you’ll be given a brochure with a map of the festival, show times for each stage, and a list of craft shops organized by each “street/path” within Revel Grove. You can also use the Maryland Renaissance Festival app on your smartphone, which has an interactive map showing different locations within the festival.

How can I stay up to date on festival news?

Does the festival take credit/debit card? Are ATM's located on the festival grounds?

What are the bathroom facilities at the festival?

The festival bathroom facilities are located in six locations, utilizing individual port-a-johns in each location. Five locations are equipped with a baby changing/nursing station, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and currently one hand washing station located in the center privies location (more to come in other locations). Locations can be found on the map within the brochure when you visit the festival.

Does the festival require costumes, and does the festival rent or sell costumes?

No we do not require costumes, but we do admit costumes add to the overall atmosphere. Many who visit Revel Grove dress for the occasion. We have a wide variety of artisan shops that sell different festival apparel. However, if you wish to save some coin, we do rent costumes conveniently located inside the front gate area for those wanting to further partake in the festival atmosphere. Please dress for a family friendly environment and with consideration of the weather, since being an outdoor event.