I just visited the U.S. Naval Academy Museum for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and I was…read morereally impressed. The museum is located in Preble Hall on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy, so you'll need to check in/go through security at the visitor entrance (they check ID and run your bags through a metal detector), but it was very fast. Then it's just a quick walk over to Preble Hall. When we entered, we welcomed to the museum by two docents, who briefly explained what could be found in the museum, including their favorite parts of the collection (which was perfect, because we had less than hour in the museum before they closed). The museum is two floors. The first floor has exhibits on the development of the Navy and the history of the Naval Academy. The second floor houses an incredible collection of models of warships from the 17th-19th centuries (one of the largest collections of ship models). I wasn't sure this would be that interesting to me, but the docents had really highlighted this part of the collection during their introduction. I'm so glad we trusted them, because it was fascinating. One part of this collection really blew me away - the bone model display. It might sound morbid, but these models were carved from the bones of beef rations given to French prisoners of war during their incarceration in England (Anglo-French wars of 1756-1815). I had no idea about any of this history (does anyone?!), and it was really interesting. But the first floor also had amazing artifacts, and I learned a lot. Overall, this museum (also free, by the way) was pretty great. Even if you're not typically interested in naval history, this museum is special. It's well-curated and interesting. And those docents were wonderful! I'm sure I'll be back to take in what I didn't have time to on my first visit!

Free museum! Tip,…read moreyou can't drive your car to entrance as a visitor. Must park in town and walk over. Volunteers at desk are available to give you tips about the exhibits. Clean bathrooms are available. The ship exhibits are cool!

I have driven by the Galesville Heritage Museum before, but today was the first time it was open…read more I love local historical societies (I was the head of one for a decade in rural MoCo). So I pulled in. This one is located in a historic house, which is very well maintained. They have exhibits inside and some nice features outside as well. They are open on Sunday afternoons. I perused the exhibits and talked to the docents, who were well versed in local history. They have done a nice job with exhibits in a limited space. I learned about steamboats, local schools, the old general stores, canning factories, and other aspects of daily life in Galesville. Because it was Mothers Day, they had lemonade and cookies. Outside, there is a nice boardwalk walkway with signage, gardens, and a historic boat behind the house. I joined as a member so I will hear about upcoming events and festivals.

This is truly a beautiful museum and it's free!! we have gone a few times both in the summer in the…read morewinter with visiting family and also just entertain our toddler, son . They have a wonderful kids exhibit, and sometimes they have activities like a craft or a reading time. There's also things for them to enjoy and run around doing without really getting in the way of the adult exhibits. What that said I haven't even begun to finish my experience at the museum because it's quite vast and I'd probably need to come solo to do so. All the staff and volunteers are fantastic. Very friendly. There's ample parking. I would very much recommend visiting if you're in the Fort Belvoir area.

Very well thought out and curated museum on the history of the US Army and its role in different…read moreperiods of US history. I appreciated the focus on personal service member stories and getting to learn more about individual soldiers. The theming of the main exhibit spaces around different conflicts was well done, creating a dynamic and interactive museum. It's a massive space with lots to learn so you can easily spend a whole day here, plus it's completely free! Both of my parents are Army veterans and it was great to be able to hear their stories as well when visiting the museum.

I was able to visit due to me being a part of a feature film but the place has a lot of luscious…read moregrass, trees, and plants. It's filled with so much history and beauty nature. Also, the workers are very kind, friendly, and knowledgeable of the history of this place.

This place is lovely. I visited for a wedding a few weeks back and completely enjoyed the grounds…read more Had I been wearing more comfortable shoes I would have explored more. I was also really impressed with the food served and how pleasant all the staff were. That said, I don't recommend this place for a wedding. Two small planes flew nearby during the ceremony and drowned out the vows. No one wants that.

Amazing little gem of a museum. Well designed and constructed, and our hosts that day were the…read morewonderful Karen and Tilly. So much information shared in such an interesting way! Now we know what the sticks in the water of the bay are! (I won't tell) And along with the nautical ephemera, there were prehistoric animal bones on display! Nice little gift shop, too.

Bottom Line: A delightful museum about Tilghman Island and life in the Chesapeake Bay region that…read moreis a must-visit site for first time visitors to the area. I am fascinated with the unique and rich subculture of the Chesapeake Bay region. Like the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, The Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum in Chesapeake Beach and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, the Tilghman Watermen's Museum tells the history of life on and around the bay. As the name implies, the museum also recounts history specific to Tilghman Island. What I like most about the museum is that it is located inside the beautifully restored historic Lee house. The historic home is built in the "W" architecture style which is an offshoot of Victorian architecture. This style is unique to Tilghman Island. In fact, there were only 13 of them built and only seven survive. I enjoyed learning about this specific architectural style so much that I was very pleased to be able to purchase a Christmas ornament that features the Lee House. Also, we enjoyed driving around the island and identifying other W style homes. There are various exhibits in the museum including a rotating exhibit that changes annually in addition to the permanent exhibits. Currently, the rotating exhibit is about waterfowling in the area as Tilghman Island is located along the Atlantic Flyway - the north-south migratory route for birds. My father has hunted ducks and geese on the Eastern Shore his entire life and I have studied the Atlantic Flyway a bit but I still learned something new, albeit a bit horrifying about big gun boats. The permanent exhibits cover fishing, crabbing, oystering, canning and boat building. I really appreciated the pound net model because I'd only seen them from the water and never could quite grasp how they worked. The exhibit that I spent the most time marveling at was about the Tilghman Packing Company. I can almost imagine being there - I can hear the boats arriving with their bounty, I can see the workers hustling and I can smell the bizarrely delightful and familiar salty, musty smell of aging, empty oyster shells piling up. The exhibit that was most surprising was about beloved Tilghman Island resident Bill Cummings. He was a commercial waterman by trade but had a natural talent for painting. He was self-taught and his work documents a time lost on the island. I assumed the museum was self-guided but that wasn't the case. We were accompanied for most of our visit. At times it was hard to immerse myself in the exhibits for that reason. My husband's take was that the docents were really excited to have us there and wanted to make sure we had a good time and got all of our questions answered. Hopefully that was the case and not that they thought we'd be disrespectful if not closely supervised. I really appreciate all of the hardwork that has gone into restoring the Lee House and creating the museum's collections and exhibits. Tilghman Island has a proud history that they graciously share. Admission is donation based and it is certainly worthy of a donation. You can drop cash in their box or donate via your credit card. I really hope people will support this neat, quaint, local museum!

We were on a brief trolley tour of Arlington Cemetery and saw views of Arlington House from below…read morewhen standing at the JFK gravesite and again soon thereafter when the bus stopped for those having time to access it from the upper entrance for a tour. Since we were limited on time, we had to forgo touring it further during this trip, but will look forward to future visits and take the opportunity to explore further.

The former home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The house was closed since it was at the end…read moreof the day, but it was enormous and grand. It overlooks the Capital area and the grounds are hallowed.

Don't overlook this small museum just two blocks north of the National Mall. Inside an easy-to-miss…read more19th century building is Clara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office Museum. It's from this building that she helped find the whereabouts of thousands of missing Civil War soldiers, helping families begin the grieving process. Clara is better known for starting the American Red Cross and helping many during wars and natural disasters across the nation. Her personal story is one to be learned from. Open only on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 5pm, the tour lasts an hour and includes the lobby area where you'll find a large mural about her life, photos from the Civil War, and a gift shop. The third floor is where you'll learn more about Clara Barton, her work, and the old house/office. Each room transports you back in time. It's 100% worth a visit!

Nice spot for a quick, informative stop. You'll first notice a gorgeous mural depicting the life of…read moreClara Barton done by painter, Peter Waddell. The young woman who welcomed us was very knowledgeable about Clara Barton, as was the Mr. Waddell!

For over two decades, the Institute of Musical Traditions has been presenting wonderful concerts in…read morethe DC area. Nowadays the concerts take place at St Mark's Presbyterian Church in Rockville (on Old Georgetown Rd, right off the freeway) and at Takoma Park Community Center. Tickets are reasonably priced (the concert I most recently attended was $15 if purchased in advance). Check out videos of recent concerts and a calender of upcoming events on http://www.imtfolk.org/index.shtml.