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!!!

I love this place and all it has to offer. I loved digging in the sand pit and looking for shark…read moreteeth!

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.

A hidden gem! Friendly, knowledgeable staff, excellent exhibits, great kid section on the top…read morefloor, neat options in the gift shop. All with no admissions fee!

What a well done museum in an unexpected place!! We were looking for a day trip from our home in…read moreNorfolk and saw this one on TripAdvisor. Since it is only about 20 miles from the bridge tunnel up the shore (one of my favorite places on earth!), we decided to check it out. SO glad we did! And since admission is free, it made the bridge tunnel toll worth it! When you walk in you are greeted by the most friendly docent who gives you a brief background of the museum and what it's about. She told us they have several films and asked if we wanted to watch any of them. We did - "Our Island Home" gives you a terrific view of what life on Hog Island was like before it was abandoned from people who were actually born there. After whatever movie(s) you want to watch, you are "free range" to explore the museum. It is SO well done. I could have roamed around for longer than the 2 hours we were there (but I'm a museum reader - I have to check out everything!). Definitely allow yourself a couple of hours to explore. The exhibits are fantastic and laid out well. All artifacts were donated or on loan from actual island families - they don't purchase their artifacts. I like that. Shows the love for the community that these people have. Definitely check out the attic! There are hands on things for the kids - it's hot up there in the summer though! I was fascinated by the twisted chimney (not going to tell you why it was built that way - you'll have to go find out for yourself!). This is a GREAT little stop if you are looking for something cool to do on your way up or down Rt. 13 on your way to your vacation or a great day trip from the VA Beach area. With all their many activities and programs, we will definitely be back!

Always hard to write a bad review of a cool attraction & I certainly can't here! The grounds are…read morewell kept, there is a nice museum & gift shop on the site - and- we had our own guided tour of the lighthouse & keepers' quarters. Staff on-site were friendly and informative. Museum had a lot of interesting information about the lighthouse and nearby area - also nice and cool on a hot day ;) If you're a lighthouse buff - this should definitely be on your to-see list!

Great lighthouse, friendly staff, nice museum and Keepers home. Visit if you happen to be in the…read morearea.

When I started planning my very first trip to St. Michaels, there was one attraction that made the…read moreitinerary before almost anything else: the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. I'd heard so many people rave about it that I figured it deserved a few hours of my vacation. Turns out...a few hours wasn't nearly enough! Admission was $22 for adults, and one of my favorite surprises was learning that your ticket is good for two consecutive days. A volunteer at the front desk gave me a wonderful overview of the property, explained how everything worked and made sure I knew I was welcome to come back the following day as long as I didn't lose my admission sticker. That's tremendous value for everything there is to see! The first thing I realized after walking through the doors? This isn't just a museum. It's an entire waterfront campus! The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum sits right on the Miles River and includes historic buildings, floating vessels, exhibitions, gardens, a working shipyard where traditional wooden boats are still restored and built, and enough history to keep you wandering for hours. Whether you're interested in Chesapeake Bay history, boats, lighthouses, watermen or simply beautiful places to explore, there's something here for just about everyone. Now...in true to me fashion...I headed straight for the gift shop before I looked at anything else. My philosophy is simple: shop first, think about it while I explore, and if I still love it by the time I leave, I already own it. Except...that didn't exactly happen this time. I found something I loved immediately, bought it right away and happily carried my purchase around the museum for the rest of my visit. RELATED SIDEQUEST & PRO TIP: While I was wandering through the gift shop, I overheard another visitor asking an employee if they sold U.S. Lighthouse Society Lighthouse Passport books. Wait...what passport?! Excuse me while I casually eavesdrop. A very quick Google search later, I had fallen headfirst into yet another travel rabbit hole. Apparently there's an entire Lighthouse Passport Program where visitors collect official lighthouse stamps from locations all over the country. Well...that sounds dangerously like something I would absolutely obsess over! The museum has an official lighthouse stamp available at the front desk, so even though I don't own the passport yet, I stamped a blank piece of paper to tuck safely away until I order one. I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be back to stamp the real thing someday! PRO TIP: Get your lighthouse passport before you go! I spent the next several hours wandering the campus completely at my own pace. One thing I really appreciated was that the museum lets you create your own experience. Some exhibits fascinated me, others I breezed through, and there was never any pressure to see things in a particular order. It felt more like exploring than touring. The museum itself was fantastic and easily worth the $22 admission. More than anything, I came away impressed by how much pride everyone there takes in preserving and sharing the history of the Chesapeake Bay. It's clear this isn't simply a collection of artifacts. It's a place that's actively keeping an important part of Maryland's history alive. Whether you're visiting St. Michaels for a weekend or just passing , I'd absolutely recommend making time for the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. And while you're there...don't forget to get your lighthouse passport stamp!

The museum has a variety of experiences showingcasing the history and stories of the Eastern Shore…read more The models were in pristine condition. I look forward to returning for one of museums boat tours. Their new exhibition, Stories from the Shoreline was an excellent introduction to the culture of the Chesapeake region. My daughter loved the interactive exhibits at the museum.

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.

I came to visit this memorial museum because I have a friend that is a Marine that actually…read moresurvived the bombing in Beirut & was featured in the exhibit. This exhibit will take a day or two to get through if you want to really understand & get educated on how important our Marines are & continue to be as they protect WE the People & the Unite States of America.Very informative concerning wars that were fought & a Marines day to day life. The museum & the tour was VERY impressive. I'd go again, it was a pleasure seeing it & all the history.I would highly recommend anyone who is thinking of joining the Marines to take a trip to see this museum & some of the other monuments/memorials.

This is easily the best museum I have ever visited…read more The exhibits are epic in scope and absolutely stunning. The architecture is just as impressive--it's a fantastic homage to the iconic US Marine Corps War Memorial. Wandering the grounds is an experience in itself; they are immense and exceptionally well-maintained, reflecting the quality found inside. During my recent visit, a museum employee who overheard my dad and me discussing the landscaping nearby (not the museum's, which is pristine!) politely stopped to ask for feedback, eager to address any potential issues. That commitment to excellence blew us away. The museum also hosts events beautifully. My brother, who just transitioned from Gunnery Sergeant to 2nd Lieutenant after graduating from OCS, had his celebratory banquet catered by the museum on the second floor. The food was delicious and varied--we had fried chicken, pulled pork, mac and cheese, salad, crackers, fruit, and dessert, among other food choices, plus a small cash bar. The area was nicely laid out, and the banquet tables looked sharp. For everyday amenities, there are two spots to eat, including the iconic Tun Tavern, plus a fantastic, well-stocked gift shop (though be prepared for the prices!). This museum is an absolute must-see.

What a great historical place to visit. Absolutely worth the stop if in the area. The NPS staff…read morewere amazing and David, gave us a great tour and history lesson on George, his family and the area. Thank you, David. We had a great visit.

Pretty substandard NPS. Reasonable location to preserve but the interpretative execution is…read moreextremely antiquated. (Eg park film is from mid 70s.). Friendly rangers. Nice junior ranger program. Would not go out of way to visit this park.

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.