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.

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

Location Just off the highway…read more Parking Large lot Tour Children's area, frog and fish area, the history of the area-boats, wildlife, and MORE! Lighthouse in the back- refurbished and furnished. Guides provide additional information. Summary Informative introduction to the area. Loved it!!

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.

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.

Love this museum! It's not huge but has a few floors with exhibits. They also have a small kids…read morearea that kids seemed to love! During the holidays they have a beautiful tree once you go inside. They have security with metal detectors that you go through. I loved that they have a coat rack near the entrance to hang our coats instead of having to drag them around. There is a cafeteria that I have not checked out upstairs. They have an elevator inside too. Definitely check this one out. The grounds of the museum are great! They have a lovely gated playground on the other side of the parking lot that we enjoy. There is also a trail that goes behind the museum.

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.

What a beautiful and easily access Botanical garden. There are several areas for each of the plants…read morelike tropical, desert, Hawaii, etc. Great place to sit and enjoy the flowers and some shades after a long day of walking around the national mall or capitol hill.

Dear reader, The…read moreUnited States Botanic Garden is an absolute treasure and one of the loveliest ways to spend your time in DC. It feels peaceful, fascinating, and quietly spectacular all at once, which is really a rather strong combination. From the moment you walk in, there is so much to take in that it becomes very easy to lose track of time in the best possible way. The large orchid exhibit was especially breathtaking. It had that rare quality of making everyone slow down a bit and simply look, which feels increasingly impressive these days. The colours, shapes, and sheer variety were amazing. It made the entire visit feel even more special. The medicinal plant section was another standout for me because there is genuinely so much to learn there. It adds a thoughtful and educational layer to the visit without ever feeling dry or overly serious. The atriums are amazing and full of interesting things to see like bananas(?!), and the large tropical area is particularly fun to explore. It feels lush, immersive, and just a little dramatic, as though you have wandered into a completely different climate for a while. The outdoor area is also wonderful and makes the whole place feel even more expansive and relaxing. A further point in its favour is the gift shop, which is absolutely worth a stop. It is full of interesting things and does not feel like an afterthought, which one must appreciate. Even better, the prices are pretty fair, so it is actually possible to leave with a little something without feeling entirely taken advantage of. They have a vending machine where you can get really fun art prints too! Overall, the United States Botanic Garden is beautiful, engaging, and very much worth visiting. Between the orchids, the tropical rooms, the medicinal plants, the outdoor spaces, and the charming gift shop, there is so much to enjoy. I would happily return again and again, and quite enthusiastically at that.

Mt husband & I took a drive down to Solomons for lunch on Memorial Day. I persuaded him to stop at…read moreAnnmarie Gardens so I could check out the sculpture garden, which has been on my list for a while. It was a nice day. There is a welcome hut where they give out maps and collect the suggested $5 donation. We walked some of the woods to view some of the sculptures. Several were very attractive and other pieces were not as striking. There is a fairy garden type play area where a number of kids were running around. We walked through the main arts building. We saw some exhibits and the gift shop. On the whole, it was smaller than I expected, but we did not walk all of the paths. I'm glad we took a look. I would be interested in returning when they have a festival or for the holiday lights.

We've been here twice. Once on a warm summer day and this time for the annual light show. The…read morebuilding is located on Solomon's Island, right off of Solomon's Island Rd. It was easy to get to, and handicap parking is located to the right as soon as you enter the grounds. All other parking is located in the grass. It's about a 5 minute walk from the parking to the lights. This place definitely did not disappoint and was well worth it! Tickets were $18/pp, parking is free. If you're bringing children and/or senior citizens be prepared to walk. It took us about an hour to walk through and see all of the displays. There were also a few spots for photo ops and food trucks with hot chocolate, fudge, popcorn, and light snacks. Two or three fire pits also conveniently located close by to warm up a bit. The inside was also open, with Santa photo ops, and a few vendors selling crafts. Highly recommend this place! Will definitely be back again next year!

Nice little museum did you a good history around that area. Very outdated. The staff is mainly…read morevolunteers, but they are knowledgeable and very friendly.

"Was it everything you hoped for and expected?" our intrepid captain asked as he was ferrying us…read moreback from the island. For me, the answer was yes. Maybe that's because my expectations were realistic and not that high; this is a very small island and there is not much on it at all. But if it's a tourist trap, it's a very pretty tourist trap, worth a visit for the sheer novelty of it. The historicity of the location is somewhat interesting, but what drew me is the idea of being out on the Potomac on one of the most isolated spots you'll likely find within driving distance of the nation's capital. This place is way out there. I mean, even if you're already in Southern Maryland, it's a significant drive from most anything of consequence. It is at least a bucolic ride, and you can expect clear roads. The museum is small but reasonably well done, but really just something to do as you to wait for the ferry. Waiting for the boat, I was greeted by a pair of stingrays flapping pleasantly at the surface of the water (not pictured, sorry); you're not far from ocean here I guess. The boat is small and the ride quite rough on a windy day, which I'm guessing is a lot of days; if you get seasick or have mobility challenges I would recommend against it. The north side on which you arrive is decidedly barren and cactus-ridden (sandal-wearers beware). However, walking to the south quickly leaves one on a clear trail surrounded by thick underbrush. The only things you're likely to hear are wind, birds, and bugs (thankfully, the wind factor tends to minimize the biting/stinging ones). A few locals might be out fishing, but you're likely to have a lot of peace and quiet. A picnic area, a monument, and a lighthouse are the main landmarks. The island is eroding away, and has been reinforced by rocks on all sides; the one appreciable beach is on the south side. Trying to traverse the wilder parts of the island is dicey at best, but if you simply want to bathe in the sun and sea air, you can find a place. The ferry runs on very limited hours (10-3 on weekends in season, and that's it), but I found somewhere between 1.5-2 hours on the island sufficient for a fairly complete visit, one that can be interspersed with a day trip by some of the other scattered Southern Maryland Parks. The cost isn't a ton ($7 for museum and a ride to the island), but note that they do charge for children over five.

This museum is so magical!…read more Our group of nine had a blast weaving our way from room to room. The museum is equally fun for kids and adults with topics like language, reading, translation and karaoke to make a few. Everything was so well thought out and interactive. I couldn't get enough of the library room where books come to life with video-like illustrations building off the pages. It felt like we were transported into Belle's massive and dreamy library from Beauty and the Beast complete with a secret hidden room off the side (tucked behind a bookcase door). We had kids ages 2-5 and it was perfect for them. Note that you'll need to park strollers in the basement level. To top it all off, we had a fabulous lunch at Immigrant Food located on the lower level. Oh, how could I forget to mention that the museum is free? Amazing!

Funny story - I was looking for kid-friendly ideas of things to do in DC and asked ChatGPT for…read moreideas. One of the responses was the Planet Word museum, which I never heard of. I looked it up and decided to try it! They recommend you get timed passes online ahead of time; it's free but they do recommend a donation. This museum is SO COOL! As someone who loves different languages and words I loved everything about this place! My kids loved all of the interactivity. There is a room with an interactive word wall and you can interact and answer and request more info on the history of certain words. For example, I learned that "ketchup" was named after a Chinese sauce even though they are not similar. There is also a magical library room where you can pick a book off the shelf and place it on a book holder and the book is read to you. There are also mirror shadow boxes that come to life if you read the inscription. Finally, the kids loved the karaoke room - you select a song and as you sing along you see the types of parts of speech at play in the song. Great experience, would for sure recommend and go back!