In 1823 Father John McElroy began negotiations with the Sisters of Charity for the establishment of a school for girls in Frederick, Maryland.

In 1824, the St. John's Benevolent Female Free School was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph at 200 East Second Street, Frederick, Maryland.

When established in 1846, the Visitation Academy consisted of a large three-story building sitting on a 5,580 square foot plot of land.

[1] The sisters purchased an additional 3 acres surrounding the original building in order to expand the school and construct an official monastery with cloistered gardens.

Towards the end of their existence at the Visitation Academy, they came primarily from Mexico and South America, in many cases attending for only one year to learn English.

Boarders were phased out in 2005 with the closing of the Visitation Monastery, since the Sisters would no longer be on-site to care for them after school hours.

The restaurant's bar has replaced the chapel's altar and is overlooked by the original stained glass windows and religious statuary.

[7] Classes included a traditional curriculum of language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education and geography.

The traditional curriculum was enriched with art, music, dance, public speaking, Spanish, computer/technology education (including a STEM center) and life skills.

[8] Students in 5th through 8th grade participated in the Maryland Junior Athletic Conference (MJAC) and compete against local middle schools in the area.

This event was recreated annually until the late 1990s when the Sisters were no longer able to bake apple dumplings due to aging and failing health.

The Visitation Academy is included in the bell ringing and also hosts educational events with tours and children's hands-on activities.

The climax of the celebration was the moment when the May Queen (the student with the longest attendance at the school[11]) places a crown of flowers on the head of a statue of Mary.