What an amazing experience! Beautiful land with knowledgeable historians throughout the property…read more I had a great afternoon exploring the Historic City. I was able to walk around the property on the paved pathways and not only see and read about the history of the buildings, but also hear from live historians and some of the locations. I arrived later in the afternoon and received my ticket at a discounted price ($3.50) compared to the $10 admission fee charged during the day for adults. I loved learning the history of this area while visiting from out of town. I highly recommend stopping if you can, but do give yourself minimum 2 hours (or more!!) to get through everything. I did miss out on viewing the plantation and a few of the smaller building

St Mary's City was the first capital of Maryland and established as a place of religious freedom…read more We were in nearby Leonardtown MD visiting the giant Rubber Duck and lucked across this historic site. There are a number of reconstructed buildings and archeological digs on the site. The interpreters at the Ordinary (a pub/rooming house) and the print shop really connected us with the spirit of this historic town. The reconstruction of the old church with video explanation of the burials there also brought the town to life. The boat was docked out in the water so we couldn't board it but we were provided tickets to come back at a later date. Worth a visit if you are into history and don't mind walking a bit. Paths are mostly paved but a bit rough. Definitely wear sunscreen and a shade hat in summertime.

A great museum for the kids, and it is very well done. There have been several Calvert County…read moremuseums that are much nicer than I expected, and this one is awesome! The Drum Point Lighthouse is so cool and a lot of fun to explore. But honestly, the stars of the show... the otters!!!

Cute little museum! The best part are the otters, you can see them swimming around and they are…read morepretty active. They also have some other aquatic life like turtles and fish that are cool. You can spend a hour or two in here if you wanted to

Absolutely love this one! I was in the area and had an hour before I needed to hit the road... I…read morewas late hitting the road! There is so much to see you cannot possibly see it all in an hour. There are a ton of aircraft displays, engines, and even a few videos. A good mixture of indoor and outdoor displays. Wear comfortable shoes so you can walk around a lot. I am a history buff, and was stationed at NAS PAX in the 1980's so I was very interested in all the historical information the museum presented. I WILL be back!

My wife and I took a Saturday drive and ended up at the museum mid-afternoon. Approaching the…read moremuseum, we saw all the aircraft parked outside on their ramp. A bonus for EV drivers is their onsite fast charger. Driving here from NoVA, we could use the charge. Admission to the museum is $10 per person. There are a couple of displays inside along with a gift shop. We quickly headed outside though to check out the aircraft. My wife's favorite was the A4 Scooter with its skinny head-on profile and Blue Angels heritage. My favorite was the Osprey. I had no idea the rotors were that large on it. We took a lap inside the gift shop before heading back on the highway with a full charge. We spent about 90 minutes checking out all the aircraft there and enjoyed our visit.

For those fascinated by history, the Dr. Samuel A Mudd House Museum is a wonderful site to visit…read more After having read the well researched book "American Brutus" I was already fascinated by the motivation & details regarding the John Wilkes Booth assassination of Abraham Lincoln. But I had no idea that I was staying near the area where he fled for treatment of the broken leg he received when he jumped from the Presidential Box in Ford's Theater to the stage below. In Charles County, MD for wedding showers in La Plata & Port Tobacco, I was staying at a convenient Residence Inn in Waldorf. Imagine my delight when the Mother of the Bride suggested a tour of the nearby Mudd House. The historical events I had read about were all around me. The docent we had at the Mudd House was extremely knowledgeable & interesting. She pointed out that some of the furnishings were original to the house, including the sofa on which John Wilkes Booth lay injured. Her knowledge, beginnings with Booth's history as an actor in Baltimore, validated the research in the fascinating book I read. Although Mudd had been seen in Washington with 3 of Booth's conspirators, no connection to the plot was ever found. Booth had fled Dr, Mudd's house the following day into Virginia. Nonetheless Dr Mudd was found guilty of conspiracy & imprisoned, finally being pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. He died in 1883 & is buried at St. Mary's Church in Charles County, There are many Mudd descendants remaining in the area. Some I met at the wedding festivities. The Mudd house is easily reached via either Alexandria, VA or DC by crossing the Potomac to the National Harbor then on to Waldorf. My path to Charles County has always been taking the backroads from Coastal Virginia, passing many historic buildings & landmarks as a bonus. The Dr. Samuel A Mudd House is open for tours from spring through fall on Wednesdays & Saturdays 11am - 4pm & Sundays from noon - 4pm. The last tour begins at 3:30pm. As an epilogue, one afternoon I was driving home from an event in rural Virginia between Hampton Roads & Northern Virginia. Not familiar with the area, I was enjoying the exploration. On a stretch of road that was heavily treed I spotted a historical marker ahead. I always brake for historical markers. It was the location of the capture, shooting & death of Booth. The Garrett Farm & Tobacco barn where he was hiding has been long lost to time. All that remains is the historical marker. All serious historians should visit the Mudd House. It's a rare piece of the past that still remains intact.

Great tour, pretty reasonably priced, and the tour guide was dressed nicely with a bow tie and was…read morevery knowledgeable on Dr Mudd. It was really round the clock touring, as when we arrived, they had us join the end of a concluding tour, then at the end of our tour, a group joined us, and I was impressed that they had a good amount of people interested in seeing the site John Wilkes Booth set his injuries then continue to flee after Lincoln's assissination. The guide wasn't a Mudd apologist but did provide information what is was guilty and not guilty on with details of his prison stint and his barely escaping the death penalty. It's an interesting historical note in such an important US event for this small-town doctor to be so impactful that we still want to learn and see a primary location. The house is still pretty intact with possessions from the Mudd family and rooms to view upstairs and downstairs. The gift shop is small but has some good souvenirs. It is down a two lane road in some farm lands, but it's worth the drive. There are a couple of other buildings on the site, but the whole thing should only take 1-2 hours. The hours/seasons are a bit limited, so I recommend calling first to double check, and then it's a very enjoyable tour.

Great stories and entertaining tour guide! We enjoyed the walk and details, I would do another one!read more

We are from Baltimore and went to St. Michael's for Labor Day Weekend. We signed up for the ghost…read moretour on Friday evening and it was great! We talked about the stuff we had learned all weekend! Keep up the tours - they really add a fun twist to all that St. Michael's has to offer! Tina Marie

The Maritime Museum is such an interesting place to visit! We visited for a number of years at the…read moreold location, and we love all the updates at the new. The visitor center entrance building has great bathrooms and the new gift shop? Chef's kiss! We picked up a number of things for my toddler that she was interested in, including the cute Chadwick the Crab books. You can really tell the care that has gone into the exhibits, and the staff is incredibly knowledgeable. Hopefully we can do one of the fun day long experiences working on a project there in the future! Definitely worth a stop if you're in St Michael's!

BLUF: A wonderful museum consisting of 18 acres, many buildings and even a river cruise, telling…read morethe history about the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is one of those museums that I enjoy visiting every few years. Since they recently opened a new building I was excited to check it out. With limited time to explore, I stuck to the new building which has their admissions/ticket counter, various types of Chesapeake Bay boats, a well curated display case of ship models on display and a lovely gift shop. Oh, and let's not forget Sailor the Iron Dog! Two of my all time favorite exhibits at the museum are the display of oyster cans and the crab picking machine. I laugh every time I see the crab picking machine and I always marvel at all of the big oyster cans. Being able to go inside the Hooper Strait lighthouse is also fun. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum has lovely views of the river from shore but those who want a better view can take a cruise or sail on one of various historic vessels. Another things that makes CBMM great is its plentiful parking and close proximity to downtown Saint Michaels.

As much as I like Southern Maryland, realistically, if you drive down from DC or Baltimore or…read morethereabouts thinking that the very last tip of land reaching out into the Chesapeake is going to be a great place to visit, you're likely to be disappointed. The site has a lighthouse in classic Maryland style, but it's rarely open. There are some places where you can get in the water, but many where you cannot. The conditions out here can be a little rough, either from too much wind or, immediately inland, fetid swampiness. The history of the place as a Civil War penal colony is interesting. There's some placards and such, but not an enormous amount of actual stuff to do when I've visited. It should be noted that while these are not part of the park, visitors will see a memorial to the site's many lost inhabitants and a separate Confederate memorial as they drive up. For locals, getting a pass may be worthwhile. For those visiting the area, there are a lot of prettier and more interesting sites you'd be passing on the way here.

Loved this state park--such an unexpected surprise! Unfortunately, no ghost sightings inside the…read morepark, but plenty of eerie vibes and fascinating history to make up for it. From the Civil War hospital grounds to the old lighthouse, the stories practically come alive as you explore. The views of the Chesapeake Bay are stunning, and the trails are peaceful, with just enough of a spooky undertone to keep things interesting. Lots of historical plaques to spark your curiosity, SOOO - If you're into history, lore, and maybe catching a glimpse of the paranormal (or just a beautiful sunset), Point Lookout should definitely be on your list!

Historic Sotterley is a preserved plantation near the water in Hollywood, Maryland. Pre-pandemic,…read morethey offered ours, hosted weddings inside the historic home and taught classes for all ages. During the pandemic, these have been suspended, but you can still visit. There's a small parking lot and signs that guide you to the historic home, gardens and slave house. Like many plantations in this area, people were enslaved here. It's a tragic fact to know when you visit so you can mourn and grieve. It would be inappropriate to visit this place without knowing the tragedy of it and how it led to the systemic racism that sadly still exists today. May we all fight for justice for all!

Yes, the grounds are pretty. But a really important reason to visit is the story this place tells…read moreof enslaved people and their captors. Growing up in the South as a white person, I have been accustomed to historic plantations that allow visitors to share a romantic view of the "Old South." A view that ignores the ravages of slavery. In contrast, Sotterley has invested in presenting artifacts of its history with enslaved Africans, primarily through renovating a slave cabin. What is chilling is that a ship carrying people kidnapped from West Africa docked on the shores of Sotterley. The UN has designated it as a special cultural site because of this history. Learn more about the effort to present a true picture of life at the plantation in this article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/07/18/descendants-slaves-slave-owners-discover-legacy-marylands-sotterley-planation/

To start the young man at the front desk was very welcoming, professional, and knowledgeable. The…read moregrounds outside were well kept and extremely clean. Closed toed shoes for walking around the park is a must, I went unprepared with flip flops. The restrooms inside were also clean. There's a gift shop and a library as well. The exhibit was very well done and I absolutely loved how interactive it was, it's also handicap accessible and self guided! I definitely recommend checking out the wildlife drive across the street at blackwater refuge, we saw the statue of Harriet Tubman catching a muskrat to then seeing one at the refuge!

Beautifully done. This National Historical Park is well maintained and full of interactive…read moreexhibits. The space is handicap accessible and most exhibits include easy to read fonts and braille. I would definitely recommend this educational experience to learners of all ages.