Rackliffe House is a 1740s merchant-planter's home overlooking Assateague Island and scenic Sinepuxent Bay. Rackliffe House was constructed in the 1740s by Captain Charles Rackliffe, the merchant-planter grandson of one of the earliest English immigrants to Maryland's seaside. The large two-story, three-bay Manor House features Flemish bond brickwork with random glazed headers, a steeply pitched gabled roof with kicked eaves, and large windows. Captain Rackliffe intended the house to be seen across the water. He built it on a prominent ridge atop a man-made terrace with expansive views of the water and island. In its time, Rackliffe House has witnessed marauding Spanish galleons, Barbary pirate ships, and English men-of-war. The house has stood through the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Today, thanks to the restoration efforts of the Rackliffe House Trust and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, historic Rackliffe House now serves as a coastal museum that interprets 18th-century life along Maryland's seaside. Visitors will experience an eight minute introductory film about the Rackliffe family, the history of the house, and those who lived on the land-as well as an illustrated timeline. During tours docents interpret life on the 18th-century coastal plantation through artifacts on display in the kitchen, spinning room, children's room, the original milk house, and the exhibition, "The Enslaved at Rackliffe House: A Local Story". Rackliffe House offers age-appropriate Colonial Games for children to enjoy on the lawn and educational activities for use inside the House on opening days. The house and grounds are open seasonally to the public.