Museums & Historic Sites »
| Name | Contact Info | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| Airmen Memorial Museum |
5211 Auth Rd. Suitland, Md. 301-899-3500 800-638-0594 staff@afsahq.org | This privately run museum documents enlisted men and women involved in the development of aviation. Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Free. |
| Antique Chesapeake Carousel, Miniature Train and Miniature Golf Course |
Watkins Regional Park
301 Watkins Park Dr. 301 Watkins Park Dr. Upper Marlboro, Md. 301-218-6757 301-218-6700 | Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day. |
| Arlington National Cemetery |
Memorial Drive
Southern end of Memorial Bridge Arlington, Va. 703-607-8000 | Major attractions include the Tomb of the Unknowns, where a formal changing of the guard ceremony happens every half-hour in the summer and on the hour the rest of the year. The tomb contains the remains of unidentified U.S. service members from world wars I and II and the Korean War. Each was presented with the Medal of Honor at the time of interment, and the medals, as well as the flags that covered their caskets, are displayed inside the Memorial Amphitheater, to the rear of the tomb. The tomb is guarded at all times by the Army's Old Guard. Changing of the guard occurs on the hour Oct. 1-March-- and every half-hour March 15-Sept. 30. The Women's Memorial, dedicated in 1997, pays tribute to all servicewomen in the U.S. armed forces. It is at the ceremonial entrance to the cemetery. Hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily April 1-Sept. 30, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. the rest of the year. Closed on Christmas. |
| Belair Stable Museum |
2835 Belair Dr. Bowie, Md. 301-809-3089 museumevents@cityofbowie.org | Hours: noon-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Free; donations accepted. |
| Billingsley House Museum |
6900 Green Landing Rd. Upper Marlboro, Md. 301-627-0730 billingsley@pgparks.com | Tours available noon-4 p.m. Sundays. Weekday tours for groups by appointment. |
| Bowie Railroad Station and Huntington Museum |
8614 Chestnut Ave. Bowie, Md. 301-809-3089 museumevents@cityofbowie.org | Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Free; donations accepted. |
| Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre |
12229 Bristow Rd. Brentsville, Va. 703-365-7895 | The center dates from the 1820s, when the county seat was established there. Today, Brentsville is the county's oldest surviving courthouse. The site also contains a jail, a one-room schoolhouse, a log cabin and the Brentsville Union Church. The jail and the log cabin are closed for renovations. The 24-acre grounds, which include hiking trails and a picnic area, are open from sunrise to sunset daily. |
| Calvert Marine Museum |
14200 Solomons Island Rd.
P.O. Box 97 Solomons, Md. 410-326-2042 Fax: 410-326-6691 information@calvertmarinemuseum.com | This public, nonprofit museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, research and interpretation of the culture and natural history of Southern Maryland. Its mission is to interpret three maritime themes: regional Miocene paleontology, estuarine life on the tidal Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay, and the maritime histories of these waters. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's day. Adults, $7; seniors, $6; ages 5-12, $2; 4 and younger, free; members, free. |
| Cannon Branch Fort |
10509 Wakeman Dr. Manassas, Va. 703-368-1873 | This is one of two remaining Civil War earthworks fortifications in Manassas. Historians think they were built by Union troops in 1863 and 1864 as part of a series of forts meant to defend supply lines along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. The fort is under renovation. |
| Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory |
9419 Battle St. Manassas, Va. 703-330-ARTS (2787) info@center-for-the-arts.org | The 1908 Hopkins Candy Factory was restored in 2001 and 2002 and a variety of arts programs. |
| Charles Carroll House |
107 Duke of Gloucester St. Annapolis, Md. 410-269-1737 | Three generations of Carrolls, including Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, lived here. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays, May-October. Group and school tours by appointment. |
| Chase-Lloyd House |
22 Maryland Ave. Annapolis, Md. 410-263-2723 | Built by Samuel Chase, an 18th-century lawyer and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, this Georgian-style townhouse is known for its interior detail. Hours: 2-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 2-4 p.m. most Saturdays (call first), March-December. Admission: $2. |
| College Park Aviation Museum |
1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Dr. College Park, Md. 301-864-6029 aviationmuseum@pgparks.com | Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except major holidays. Admission $4; seniors, $3; children and students, $2; younger than 2, free. |
| Darnall's Chance House Museum |
14800 Governor Oden Bowie Dr. Upper Marlboro, Md. 301-952-8010 Fax: 301-952-1773 TTY: 301-454-1472 susan.reidy@pgparks.com | Hours: Walk-in tours, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays. Tours by appointment, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. $3; seniors, $2; 18 and younger, $1. |
| Dorsey Chapel |
10704 Brookland Rd. Glenn Dale, Md. 301-464-5291 301-352-5544 TTY: 301-699-2544 | Hours: Walk-in tours, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays or by appointment. Groups by appointment. Walk-in tours, free; group tours, $1 per person. |
| Fort Foote Park |
Fort Foote Road S Oxon Hill, Md. 301-763-4600 Fax: 301-763-1389 | Hours: 9 a.m.-sunset daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Free. |
| Fort Washington Park |
13551 Fort Washington Rd. Fort Washington, Md. 301-763-4600 | This is one of the few seacoast forts in its original form. The 341-acre national park has hiking and biking trails and overlooks the Potomac River and Mount Vernon. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April-Oct. 26; 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 27-April 5, 2009. Park grounds are open 8 a.m.-dark. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's day. $3 per individual, $5 per vehicle. |
| Glen Echo Park |
7300 MacArthur Blvd. Glen Echo, Md. 301-634-2222 Fax: 301-634-2260 Recorded information: 301-320-2330 info@glenechopark.org | The site features a historic carousel and ballroom. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. Sundays. |
| Greenbelt Museum |
15 Crescent Rd. Greenbelt, Md. 301-474-1936 Group tours: 301-507-6582 museum@greenbeltmd.gov+tours@greenbeltmd.gov | The Greenbelt Museum Historic Home is at 10B Crescent Rd. Hours: 1-5 p.m. for drop-in tours on Sundays. Admission is free for members, $2 for adults and $1 for seniors and children. |
| Gunston Hall Plantation |
10709 Gunston Rd. Mason Neck, Va. 703-550-9220 Fax: 703-550-9480 | This was the plantation home of George Mason, a framer of the U.S. Constitution. The home, built about 1755, is on 550 acres and is open for tours. Many special events take place here throughout the year. Hours: 9:30 a.m-5 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. |
| Historic London Town and Gardens |
839 Londontown Rd. Edgewater, Md. 410-222-1919 londontown@historiclondontown.org | This 23-acre park and historic site on the South River in Edgewater is owned by Anne Arundel County and managed by the London Town Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. Created in 1683, the town became an important tobacco port and ferry crossing. Today, London Town features the state's largest ongoing archaeological excavation, the National Historic Landmark William Brown House and reconstructed buildings of the "lost town," including the Lord Mayor's Tenement and Carpenter Shop. The site showcases several historic gardens and an eight-acre woodland garden. The foundation offers special events and educational programs throughout the year. Hours: April-December, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays. House tours are given hourly, with the last tour beginning at 3 p.m. Closed Mondays and major holidays. January-March, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Admission: Guided historic area and self-guided garden tour, $12; seniors, $10; youths 7-18, $5; age 6 and younger, free. Self-guided historic area and garden tour, $8; seniors, $6; youths 7-18, $3; age 6 and younger, free. Reservations required for group tours of 10 or more. Free to members of the London Town Foundation. |
| Historic St. Mary's City |
18751 Hogaboom Lane,
off Rosecroft Road St. Mary's City, Md. 240-895-4990 800-762-1634 hsmc@smcm.edu | This outdoor living history museum and archaeological park documents the life of Maryland's first permanent colony and the first Colonial capital (1634-95), Godiah Spray Plantation, Woodland Indian Hamlet, 1676 State House, historic town center and the Dove, a replica of one of the two vessels that brought the original colonists. Exhibitions are open from mid-March through November, with special events on weekends through December. Adults, $10; seniors, $8; college students and students, 13-18, $6; children 6-12, $3.50; and children 5 and younger, free. |
| Laurel Museum |
817 Main St. Laurel, Md. 301-725-7975 | Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays (1-4 p.m. first Friday of the month), 1-4 p.m. Sundays except January. Group tours and research may be arranged weekdays by appointment. Free. |
| Manassas National Battlefield Park |
6511 Sudley Rd. Manassas, Va. 703-361-1339 | The 5,000-acre park was established in 1940 to preserve the scene of two major Civil War battles, including the first major engagement of the war in 1861. Visitors center hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving and Christmas. |
| Marietta House Museum |
5626 Bell Station Rd. Glenn Dale, Md. 301-464-5291 Fax: 301-464-5654 TTY: 301-699-2544 | Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays, noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Open weekdays by appointment. Closed Easter, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. $3; seniors, $2; ages 5-18, $1; 4 and younger, free. |
| Montpelier Mansion |
9650 Muirkirk Rd. Laurel, Md. 301-953-1376 Fax: 301-953-7572 TTY: 301-454-1472 montpeliermansion@pgparks.com | This Georgian mansion, a National Historic Landmark built in the early 1780s, was the home of Thomas and Anne Ridgely Snowden. Several rooms are furnished as they might have been from the end of the 18th century to 1830. Drop-in tours available. Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, March-November, and guided tours at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m.; guided tours at 1 and 2 p.m. Sundays, December-February. Group tours by appointment. $3; seniors, $2; ages 5-18, $1; 4 and younger, free. |
| Mormon Temple |
9900 Stoneybrook Dr. Kensington, Md. 301-587-0144 301-588-0650 | The world's third-largest Mormon temple is on 57 acres near the Capital Beltway. Visitors center hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily except in December, when it is open nightly until 10. |
| Mount Vernon |
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy. Mount Vernon, Va. 703-780-2000 | The estate of George Washington is open daily, year-round. Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April-August; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March, September and October; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. November-February. |
| Mount Vernon |
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy. Mount Vernon, Va. 703-780-2000 | The estate, home and burial place of George Washington is eight miles south of the city of Alexandria. Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily April-August; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March, September and October; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. November-February. Adults, $13; seniors, $12; ages 6-11, $6; 5 and younger, free. |
| NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Visitor Center |
Soil Conservation Road and Explorer Drive Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-9041 Fax: 301-286-1781 gsfc-pao@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov | The hub of all NASA tracking activities, Goddard is also responsible for the development of unmanned scientific spacecraft and research in space and earth sciences, including NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. Collections include space flight artifacts and photographs. Visitors center hours: September-June, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; noon-4 p.m. weekends; closed Mondays. July-August, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, noon-4 p.m., Saturdays; closed Sundays and Mondays. Closed on all federal holidays. Free. |
| National Archives at College Park |
8601 Adelphi Rd. College Park, Md. 866-272-6272 301-837-2000 inquire@nara.gov | The National Archives contain Richard Nixon's Watergate tapes, as well as an extensive collection of important and historic documents, tapes and film. Hours: 9 a.m-5 p.m. weekdays. Call for extended hours. Closed on federal holidays. |
| National Colonial Farm at the Accokeek Foundation |
3400 Bryan Point Rd. Accokeek, Md. 301-283-2113, Ext. 15 Fax: 301-283-2049 programs@accokeek.org | The farm, an agricultural-historical museum project of the Accokeek Foundation, has exhibitions and demonstrations of the agricultural methods, crops and livestock of a modest Tidewater farm of the mid-18th century. Open throughout the school year for guided tours scheduled in advance. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, mid-March through mid-December; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, mid-December through mid-March. Guided tours available at 1 p.m. on weekends. $2; 50 cents, ages 4 to 11. |
| Northampton Plantation Slave Quarters |
10900 Lake Overlook Dr. (between Water Port Court and Lake Overlook Place) between Water Port Court and Lake Overlook Place Lake Arbor, Md. 301-627-1286 301-454-1780 | The park features the rebuilt foundations of two 19th-century slave quarters. Interpretive signs facilitate self-guided tours. Hours: 6 a.m.-dusk daily. Free. |
| Oatlands Plantation |
20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane Leesburg, Va. 703-777-3174 Fax: 703-777-4427 | Oatlands, owned and maintained by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers guided tours of its antebellum plantation, including a 22-room mansion built in 1804 by George Carter, great-grandson of Robert "King" Carter, who in the early 1700s was said to be the richest man in the English colonies. Afternoon tea is served in the carriage house Thursday through Saturday until the end of June and again after Labor Day. Candlelight tours are conducted at Christmastime. |
| Oxon Hill Farm at Oxon Cove Park |
6411 Oxon Hill Rd. Oxon Hill, Md. 301-839-1176 Fax: 301- 763-1066 | Oxon Cove Park is a historic farm with buildings dating to the early 1800s, when the property was a wheat plantation. A variety of daily farm activities and programs are spread throughout the park's 512 acres. Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily; closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Reservations needed for programs. Free. |
| Point Lookout State Park |
11175 Point Lookout Rd. Route 5 Scotland, Md. 301-872-5688 Fax: 301-872-5084 | The Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay join here. The area served as a watch post to warn of British ships during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. During the Civil War, it was a Union military district in which the federal government established a hospital and prisoner-of-war camp. Hours: sunrise-sunset year-round. The park is open to night fishing with a valid license. |
| Prince George's County Genealogical Society Library |
12219 Tulip Grove Dr. Bowie, Md. 301-262-2063 301-809-3089 pgcgs@juno.com | The oldest Maryland county genealogical society in continuous existence. The society's objectives are to collect, preserve and disseminate genealogical knowledge and information, with a particular interest in materials relating to Prince George's County. The society holds meetings at the Greenbelt public library at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month from February to June and on the first Wednesday of the month from September to December. Call the library for operating hours. |
| Prince George's County Historical Society |
Marietta Mansion
5626 Bell Station Rd. Marietta Mansion Glenn Dale, Md. 301-464-0590 info@pghistory.org | Library hours: noon-4 p.m. Saturdays or by appointment. |
| Riversdale House Museum |
4811 Riverdale Rd. Riverdale Park, Md. 301-864-0420 Fax: 301-927-3498 TTY: 301-454-1472 riversdale@pgparks.com | Riversdale is a restored, five-part, stucco-covered brick manor home built between 1801 and 1807. It is a national historic landmark. Hours: noon-3:30 p.m. Fridays and Sundays. Weekday group tours by appointment. $3; seniors and groups, $2; ages 5-18, $1; age 4 and younger, free. |
| Sojourner Truth Room |
Oxon Hill Library
6200 Oxon Hill Rd. 6200 Oxon Hill Rd. Oxon Hill, Md. 301-839-2400 TTY: 301-808-2061 | The Oxon Hill Library is on the site of Sojourner Truth Elementary School. The Sojourner Truth Room was established in 1967 and named in honor of the former slave and civil rights activist. It contains a collection of books, periodicals, pamphlets, photographs and other material on African American history and culture. |
| Surratt House Museum |
9118 Brandywine Rd. Clinton, Md. 301-868-1121 | The museum was built in 1852 as a middle-class plantation home for the Surratt family, and served as a tavern, post office and Confederate safe house during the Civil War. In fall 1864, the Surratts became involved in a plot to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln was killed in April 1865, the assassin, John Wilkes Booth, stopped here briefly as he fled Washington. Group tours by appointment. The John Wilkes Booth Escape Route Tour is held throughout the year. Surratt House is open mid-January through mid-December, except for Easter and major holidays. Museum hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. $3; seniors or groups of 10 or more adults, $2; ages 5 to 18, $1; 4 and younger, free. |
| The Barracks |
43 Pinkney St. Annapolis, Md. 410-267-7619 Fax: 410-267-6189 | Similar to the residences used to house troops during the Revolutionary War, the building has two main rooms on the first floor and two rooms on the second floor. It is maintained by the Historic Annapolis Foundation. Hours: by appointment only as well as during Maryland Day celebrations in March. |
| Thomas Stone National Historic Site |
6655 Rose Hill Rd. Port Tobacco, Md. 301-392-1776 Fax: 301-934-8793 | This is the site of Haberdeventure, home of Thomas Stone, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Stone and his wife, Margaret Brown, built the home in the early 1770s, and it remained the Stone family home until 1936. The National Park Service, which finished restoring the site in 1997, offers hiking and birding trails, as well as guided tours of the house. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Memorial Day-Labor Day; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, Labor Day-Memorial Day. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. Free. |
| Tobacco Farming Museum |
16000 Croom Airport Rd. Upper Marlboro, Md. 301-627-6074 TTY: 301-699-2544 | Part of the Patuxent Rural Life Museums, the museum has exhibitions about the agricultural heritage of Prince George's County. At Patuxent River Park. Hours: 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, April through October or by appointment. Free. |
| U.S. Geological Survey |
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr. Reston, Va. 703-648-4748 | A visitors center at the federal agency offers an introduction to such topics as volcanoes, earthquakes, disaster preparedness and flooding. Hours: self-guided tours 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; call ahead for guided tours. |
| U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial |
Just north of Arlington National Cemetery, at Route 50 and North Meade Street Arlington, Va. 703-289-2500 | The memorial honoring all fallen Marines depicts one of the most famous images of World War II: Marines raising the U.S. flag while fighting the Japanese on the West Pacific Ocean island of Iwo Jima. The memorial is also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial. |
| U.S. Naval Academy |
Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center
52 King George St. Annapolis, Md. 410-293-8687 tourinfo@usna.edu | The academy was founded in 1845 by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft. The visitors center offers walking tours, including a visit to a sample midshipman's room, and exhibitions. Visitors center hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March-December, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. January-February. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's day. Visitors older than 16 must have a valid photo ID. Adults, $8.50; older than 62, $7.50; students, $6.50; 5 and younger, free. |
| U.S. Patent and Trademark Museum |
600 Dulany St. Suite 0100 Alexandria, Va. 571-272-0095 | Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays. Closed all federal holidays. Free. |
| W. Henry Duvall Tool Museum |
16000 Croom Airport Rd. Upper Marlboro, Md. 301-627-6074 | Part of the Patuxent Rural Life Museums in Patuxent River Park, the Duvall Tool Museum houses farm implements, tools and household items from the 19th century. Hours: 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, April through October. Tours are available at other times by appointment. Free. |
| White's Ferry |
24801 White's Ferry Rd. Dickerson, Md. 301-349-5200 | This is the only regularly operating ferry on the Potomac River. Hours: 5 a.m.-11 p.m. daily, weather permitting. $4 one way, $6 round trip. |
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