The Carroll Museums boasts of more than two centuries of history. Besides the residence of Charles Carroll ? the only Catholic and last surviving Declaration of Independence signer ? the Carroll Museums also include the Phoenix Shot Tower, which had been completed in 1829 and had served as the country?s tallest structure until 1846. Today, it is one of the country?s last 3 remaining shot towers.

In the years the Carroll Mansion had existed, it had frequently changed hands and had become, among other things, a saloon and restaurant, a home for immigrants and a base for Patriots, and the first vocational school in Baltimore City.

The Carroll Museums officially opened in 2002. Previous to that, the Carroll Mansion had been under the management of the Peale Museum and, later on, the Baltimore City Life Museum.