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    Recommended Reviews - Stanley Institute Museum

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    Historic St Mary's City - Cordea's Hope

    Historic St Mary's City

    4.4(30 reviews)
    30.8 mi

    The first thing that you will notice is that this park is beautiful. But beyond that, there's so…read moremuch to do and learn! We learned all about how tobacco is produced on the plantation. We learned about how the garden was used for medicinal purposes and food. We got to feed the chickens! We learned about cooking in colonial times. We learned about how cannons work and saw a can fired off a ship! We learned about how a print shop worked and even got to help print something! We also saw a cabin built by and for enslaved people, and learned how life changed for them after emancipation. It was such a fun day and I want to go back!

    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

    Photos
    Historic St Mary's City - Print shop demonstrations

    Print shop demonstrations

    Historic St Mary's City - Inside of barn

    Inside of barn

    Historic St Mary's City - Historical church

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    Historical church

    Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

    Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

    4.6(30 reviews)
    7.0 mi

    I had heard rumors about Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge while planning my Fourth of July…read moregetaway to Maryland. More importantly, I heard there was a scenic Wildlife Drive where I could experience the refuge without spending hours hiking in a 107-degree heat wave. As someone who enjoys both nature and air conditioning, this sounded like an outstanding life decision! Before leaving, I did a little homework. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is open daily from dawn to dusk, and admission is normally just $3 per vehicle (or $1 for pedestrians), making it one of the best bargains around. Even better, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service occasionally offers free admission weekends, and I happened to visit during one celebrating America's 250th birthday. Admission was waived July 3 through July 5, making an already inexpensive adventure even sweeter. Free is one of my favorite prices, especially when it's attached to some place this beautiful! PRO TIP #1: If you're the type of person who enjoys quirky travel sidequests, ask about the Blue Goose Passport while you're there. I had recently learned online that National Wildlife Refuges have their own passport program, similar to the National Park Passport books, and naturally that became my newest obsession. The Visitor Center sold the passport for just $9, and I happily bought one and collected my very first refuge stamp. I arrived around 1:15 p.m. and immediately noticed...there wasn't a single car in the parking lot. Thankfully, the Visitor Center was open, despite looking completely deserted from the outside. While I was browsing the small gift shop afterward, I picked up a Christmas ornament, a sticker for my memory ball and, of course, my brand-new Blue Goose Passport. Prices in the gift shop were surprisingly low! Now, I have to be honest. The employee working that afternoon wasn't exactly the welcoming face of America's National Wildlife Refuge System. She seemed...less than thrilled that visitors existed that day. When I walked in, beaming and excited, and exclaimed, "You ARE open today!" She looked me dead in the eyes and said, dryly, "Unfortunately." Well, FORTUNATELY, she was a very small part of an otherwise wonderful afternoon! I began the Wildlife Drive and immediately noticed signage confirming admission was free for the holiday weekend. The drive took me about an hour because I drove nice and slowly, stopping whenever something caught my eye and scanning the marshes for wildlife. I saw plenty of birds...and not much else. But honestly, I don't blame the animals. If it was 107 degrees outside, I'd be hiding somewhere cool too. Even without a parade of wildlife, the drive itself was beautiful! Blackwater protects more than 30,000 acres of tidal marshes, forests and wetlands along Maryland's Eastern Shore and is famous for its bald eagles, osprey and incredible birdwatching opportunities. The scenery alone made the trip worthwhile! PRO TIP #2: Bring binoculars. Seriously. Phone cameras can only zoom so much before every bird starts looking like a tiny feathered blob. I spent half the drive wondering, "What is that?!" Binoculars would have made the experience so much better. One thing I really appreciated was learning that visitors are welcome to walk or bike the Wildlife Drive in addition to driving it. The loop is roughly four miles, completely paved and almost perfectly flat. I could already tell while driving that I'd enjoy it even more on foot during cooler weather. If hiking is more your style, the refuge also offers several trails, including the 2.5-mile Key Wallace Trail, the one-mile Woods Trail, the 1.5-mile Tubman Road Trail and the shorter Marsh Edge Trail. Based on what I saw, spring and fall would be incredible times to come back. If you're hoping to maximize wildlife sightings, November through February is prime time for wintering waterfowl. September also sounds fantastic with migrating ospreys, blooming tickseed sunflowers, abundant toads and peak songbird migration. Despite my less-than-cheerful interaction inside the Visitor Center, I genuinely loved my visit to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. It's peaceful, affordable, family-friendly and can be whatever you want it to be. Spend an hour driving the Wildlife Drive, spend half a day hiking or simply enjoy slowing down and taking in one of Maryland's most beautiful natural spaces. And if you're anything like me...don't leave without the Blue Goose Passport! Trust me. One passport stamp somehow turns into your next adventure!

    This is such a special place to admire nature, waters, and animal and bird life. Anddd you might…read moresight a few bald eagles! My friend and I enjoyed the driving tour as well as the walking trails. Beware it can get muddy and watery in some areas but definitely worth it. When driving take caution, we saw a friendly turtle crossing . Would definitely come back in all seasons and try to catch sunset or sunrise! I know you will get some great shots!

    Photos
    Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
    Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
    Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

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    Stanley Institute Museum - landmarks - Updated August 2026

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