Museums and Historical Sites

Below you’ll find a listing of museums and historical/heritage sites in Prince George’s County and its surrounding counties and cities. Credit to WashingtonPost.com and MarylandMilestones.com.

Of the list below, we recommend calling each institution to verify hours of operation and receive the best driving directions.

Visit PreserveHyattsville.org to view/download a self-guided walking tour map and brochure.
Browse the Historic Prince George’s County Map for historical structures, residences, districts and more
Browse M-NCPPC Historic Preservation guides like PG Modern Architecture and Black History
Visit the Maryland Milestones/ATHA, Inc. “Places to Visit” page, which details sites from Mount Rainier all the way to Laurel; and their “Family Activities” Handout for a list of things-to-do for your weekend.
Looking for a map of historic street names in Hyattsville pre-1941? Send us an e-mail with your inquiry.

Airmen Memorial Museum
5211 Auth Rd.
Suitland, Md., 20746
301-899-3500 800-638-0594
This privately run museum documents men and women involved in the development of aviation. Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Free.

Antique Chesapeake Carousel and Miniature Train
Watkins Regional Park
301 Watkins Park Dr.
301 Watkins Park Dr.
Upper Marlboro, Md., 20774
301-218-6757 301-218-6700
Watkins Regional Park includes an 80-year-old carousel with hand-carved animals. Carousel and train hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Arlington Historical Museum
1805 S. Arlington Ridge Rd.
Arlington, Va., 22202
703-892-4204
Hours: 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed every February.

Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Va., 22211
703-235-1530
Arlington House is open daily 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The Robert E. Lee Museum at Arlington House is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Arlington House grounds are open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. between April 1 and Sept. 30 and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. between Oct. 1 and March 31. Arlington House, grounds and museum are closed Christmas and New Year’s Day. Contact address: Arlington House, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Turkey Run Park, McLean 22101.

Arlington National Cemetery
Memorial Drive
Southern end of Memorial Bridge
Arlington, Va., 22211
703-607-8000
Major attractions include the Tomb of the Unknowns, where a formal changing of the guard ceremony is held every half-hour in the summer and on the hour the rest of the year. The Tomb of the Unknowns contains the remains of unknown U.S. soldiers from World Wars I and II and the Korean War. A unknown Vietnam War soldier was also interred until 1998 when DNA testing indentified the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. Blassie’s remains were returned to his family. Each of the unknown soldiers was presented with the Medal of Honor at the time of interment, and the medals, as well as the flags which covered their caskets, are on display inside the Memorial Amphitheater, directly to the rear of the tomb. The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by the Army?s Old Guard. The Women?s Memorial, dedicated in 1997, pays tribute to all servicewomen in the U.S. armed forces. It is located at the Ceremonial Entrance to the cemetery. Hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily April 1-Sept. 30, and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. the rest of the year.

Hours: Opens 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. first Mondays of the month. Admission: $3; $2 for children 12 and younger and seniors.

Art Museum of the Americas
201 18th St. NW
Washington, DC, 20006
202-458-6016 Fax: 202-458-6021

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
400 Michigan Ave. NE
Washington, D.C., 20017
202-526-8300

The church has numerous chapels. The shrine was first proposed in the early 1900s, but construction of the main church was not completed until 1959. Open year-round.

Hours: noon-4 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, and for groups of 10 or more by appointment. A donation is requested at the door. Belair is available for rentals for weddings, receptions and other functions for up to 75 people.

The Belair Stable was part of the Belair Stud, one of the premier racing stables from the 1930s through the 1950s. It was home to Gallant Fox and Omaha, the only father and son horses to win the Triple Crown. Belair was also home to Nashua, the 1955 Horse of the Year, and many other well-known racehorses. The restored stable, with a history spanning more than 250 years, is now a museum. Group tours available by appointment. Hours: noon-4 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays. Donations requested.

Billingsley House Museum
6900 Green Landing Rd.
Upper Marlboro, Md., 20772
301-627-0730

Located on 430 acres overlooking the confluence of the Patuxent River and the Western Branch, Billingsley is a brick plantation home built around 1740. Also featured is the Billingsley Farm Museum adjacent to the house. It is a restored tobacco barn with a collection of antique farm equipment. Tours available noon-4 p.m. Sundays. Weekday group tours of 10 or more by appointment.

Bowie Train Station and Huntington Museum
8614 Chestnut Ave.
Bowie, Md., 20715
301-809-3089

Administered by the City of Bowie. Open noon-4 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays. Free. Donations requested.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing
14th and C streets SW
Washington, DC, 20228
Tour office: 202-874-2330 866-874-2330

Offers tours of the facility responsible for printing most of America’s paper money and stamps. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free tickets are distributed at ticket booth on a first-come, first-served basis. One person is limited to eight tickets. Reservations required for groups of 10 or more.

Cannon Branch Fort is one of two remaining Civil War earthwork fortifications in Manassas. Historians believe the fort was built by Union troops between 1863 and 1864 as part of a series of forts to defend supply lines along the Orange and Alexandria railroad line.
Cannon Branch is under renovation. Manassas Museum officials plan for an opening by June 2005. The 11-acre property will eventually include interpretive markers, a reproduction cannon and walking trails, and will be the site of reenactments.

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo
13019 Catoctin Furnace Rd.
Thurmont, Md., 21788
301-271-4922 301-271-3180

A private family-owned and professionally operated zoo with more than 400 animals, including lions, lemurs, bears, cobras, monkeys and macaws. The zoo offers special events, educational programs and volunteer opportunities. Admission: $12.95 for ages 13 and older; $11.95 for military and seniors 60 and older; $8.95 for children 2-12. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily in April; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily in May; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily in September; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in October; and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends, weather permitting, in November.

Center for the Arts
9419 Battle St.
Manassas, Va., 20110
703-330-ARTS (2787)

The 1908 Hopkins Candy Factory was restored in 2001 and 2002 and is now the home of Manassas’s Center for the Arts. The first floor houses the Caton Merchant Family Gallery, which features rotating exhibitions of local, regional and international artists. A comprehensive exhibition on the history of Manassas and the Candy Factory is also on the first floor. The Kellar Theater is used for performances, readings, concerts and Sunday afternoon community dances. There are also art classes, the Pied Piper Theatre for children, summer theater camps and SummerSounds Concerts.

College Park Aviation Museum
1985 Frank Scott Dr.
College Park, Md., 20740
301-864-6029

Located on the grounds of the world’s oldest continuously operating airport, in College Park, the museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The gallery includes historic and reproduction aircrafts associated with the history of the airfield, as well as hands-on activities and experimentation areas for children of all ages. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except major holidays. Admission: $4; seniors, $3; children and students. $2; younger than 2, free.

This is the District’s oldest art museum. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Mondays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays. Admission: $6.75; seniors, $4.75; student ID, $3; parents with children ages 17 and younger, $12; ages 11 and younger, free. No admission fee on Mondays and after 5 p.m. on Thursdays; on these days, a donation is suggested.

Darnall’s Chance House Museum
14800 Gov. Oden Bowie Dr.
Upper Marlboro, Md., 20772
301-952-8010 Fax: 301-952-1773

Darnall’s Chance was built around 1742 by James Wardrop, a wealthy Scottish merchant. It is one of the oldest houses in Upper Marlboro and was remodeled in 1857 in the Italianate style. In 1986, the house was saved from proposed demolition and restored to its original Georgian appearance. The property includes a unique 18th-century brick burial vault. It was the residence of Col. Henry Darnall and is believed to be the birthplace of Daniel Carroll, signer of the U.S. Constitution, and his brother, John Carroll, first bishop of the Roman Catholic Church of America. Walk-in tours, noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays. Other tours and group arrangements by appointment.

Dorsey Chapel is a small frame church that was the focal point of rural black communities in the county during the 1900s. The meetinghouse was dedicated in September 1900 and used until 1971. It was restored in 1994 and has been designated a historic site by the Prince George?s County Historic Preservation Commission. Walk-in tours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays, or by appointment. Groups by appointment.

Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum
2711 Maryland Ave.
Ellicott City, Md., 21043
Museum: 410-461-1944 Office: 410-461-1945

The museum is in America’s oldest railroad station (circa 1830). Museum hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Office hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays-Wednesdays. Admission: $5; 65 and older and students, $4; ages 12 and younger, $3; ages 2 and younger, free.

A U.S. flag on a 70-foot pole honors 158 Fauquier residents who died in military service during the 20th century. Features a bronze railing depicting marching soldiers. Designed by sculptor Fredrick Hart.

Folger Shakespeare Library
201 East Capitol St. SE
Washington, D.C., 20003
202-544-4600 Fax: 202-544-4623

Dedicated to the life and works of William Shakespeare. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, except federal holidays. Exhibition and building tours begin at 11 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays. Garden tours begin at 10 and 11 a.m. every third Saturday, April-October. Free. Call 202-675-0395 for group tours.

Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site
511 10th St. NW
Washington, DC, 20004
202-426-6924 Fax: 202-426-1845

Dedicated to the life and times of President Abraham Lincoln. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Free.

Fort Foote was constructed during the Civil War to guard the river route to Alexandria, Washington and Georgetown. The fort?s remains, now a local park, contain Rodman guns and other artifacts. Open 8 a.m.-sunset daily.

Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site
4301 W. Braddock Rd.
Alexandria, Va., 22304
703-838-4848 Fax: 703-671-7350

Free admission; donations welcome. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays and New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Please call for changes relating to weather-related conditions.

Fort Washington Park
13551 Fort Washington Rd.
Fort Washington, Md., 20744
301-763-4600

This large brick-and-stone fort on the Maryland shore of the Potomac River was the only permanent facility built to defend the nation’s capital. The first fort was built in 1809 and destroyed by the British in the War of 1812. It was rebuilt as an outer defense of the capital. The fort displays cannons, ramparts, earthworks and a drawbridge. Interpretive history tours are also available. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily April 1-Sept. 30, and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 1-March 31. Park grounds are open 8 a.m. -dark. Admission is $5 per vehicle weekends through Memorial Day, $3 per individual.

Glen Echo Park
7300 MacArthur Blvd.
Glen Echo, Md., 20812
301-634-2222 Fax: 301-634-2260

The site features a historic carousel and ballroom. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. Sundays.

Greenbelt Museum
15 Crescent Rd.
Greenbelt, Md., 20770
301-474-1936 Group Tours: 301-507-6582

The Greenbelt Museum has exhibitions about the planned community of Greenbelt by offering tours of an historic house, walking tours, lectures and other educational programs. It is open from 1-5 p.m. Sundays and by appointment. The Community Center Exhibit Gallery is open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Free.

Gunston Hall was the plantation home of George Mason, a framer of the U.S. government. The home, built about 1755, is on 550 acres and is open for tours. Many special events are held here throughout the year. Hours: 9:30 a.m-5p.m. daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Independence Avenue at Seventh Street SW
Washington, DC, 20560
202-633-4674 Fax: 202-786-2682

Museum hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily, except Christmas. Plaza: 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sculpture garden: 7:30 a.m.-dusk. Free.

Historic St. Mary’s City
18751 Hogaboom Lane, off Rosecroft Rd.
St. Mary’s City, Md.,
240-895-4990 800-762-1634

An outdoor living history museum and archaeological park that documents the life of Maryland’s first permanent colony and the state’s first capital (1634-1695), Godiah Spray Plantation, Woodland Indian Hamlet, 1676 State House, historic town center and the Dove, a replica of one of the two vessels that brought the original colonists.

International Spy Museum
800 F St. NW
Washington, D.C., 20004
202-393-7798 TTY: 202-654-2840

A museum about espionage and its impact on current and historic events, focusing on the role spies have played throughout history. Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily in the spring and summer. Admittance to permanent exhibits ends at 6 p.m., and to special exhibits at 6:45 p.m. Adults, $14; ages 65 and older, active military, intelligence community, $13; ages 5-18, $11; ages 5 and younger, free.

Islamic Center
2551 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC, 20008
202-332-8343 Fax: 202-234-5035

Washington’s first mosque opened in 1957. Women are asked to wear long sleeves, below-the-knee hemlines and long scarves over their hair. Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Group tours by appointment: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Library and bookstore hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F St. NW
Washington, D.C., 20566
202-467-4600

Free guided tours of the Kennedy Center are given in English, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Printed guides are available in English, Spanish, German, French and Japanese. Tours depart from the parking plaza on Level A and feature the Hall of States and Hall of Nations, the center’s theaters and dozens of paintings, sculptures and other artworks given to the center by other countries.

This 1830 city-owned house, one of the oldest structures in Laurel, houses collections of photographs, tools, personal artifacts, textiles and histories of religious, social, business and cultural growth from a thriving mill town of the early 19th century. Open 10a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Group tours by appintment. Free admission.

Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave. SE
Washington, D.C., 20540
202-707-5000 Visitor information: 202-707-8000

The Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with nearly 128 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 29 million books and other printed materials, 2.7 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4.8 million maps and 57 million manuscripts.
Public tours are offered at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Saturday public tours are offered at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. All Library of Congress buildings are closed to the public on Sundays and federal holidays.

Marietta House Museum
5626 Bell Station Rd.
Glenn Dale, Md., 20769
301-464-5291 Fax: 301-464-5654

Marietta House was the plantation home of Gabriel Duvall, a member of the Maryland General Assembly and the Maryland Supreme Court, and an associate U.S. Supreme Court justice. Three generations of Duvalls occupied the house from 1815 to 1900. It is also headquarters of the Prince George?s County Historical Society and Fredeick S. DeMarr Memorial Library of County History. Open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays, noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Open weekdays by appointment. Adults, $3; seniors, $2; children, $1, youths 5-18.

Montpelier Mansion
Route 197 and Muirkirk Road
Laurel, Md., 20708
301-953-1376 Fax: 301-953-7572

This Georgian mansion was built in 1783 by Maj. Thomas Snowden. It has hosted many famous guests, including George and Martha Washington and Abigail Adams. Tours available on the hour, noon-3 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays in March-November, and 1-2 p.m. Sundays in December-February. Luncheon tours for groups of 20 or more are available. Group tours by appointment. Adults, $3; seniors, $2; children, $1.

The world’s third largest Mormon temple sits on 57 acres near the Capital Beltway. Visitor center hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

Mount Vernon
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy.
Mount Vernon, Va., 22121
703-780-2000

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Visitor Center
Soil Conservation Road and Explorer Road
Greenbelt, Md., 20771
301-286-9041 Fax: 301-286-1781

The hub of all NASA tracking activities, Goddard is also responsible for the development of unmanned sounding rockets and research in space and Earth sciences, including NASA?s Mission to Planet Earth. Collections include space flight artifacts and photographs. Visitor center hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year?s Day. Free.

National Aquarium
Department of Commerce
14th Street between Constitution and Pennsylvania avenues NW
14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.,
202-482-2825 Fax: 202-482-4946

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving day and Christmas. Admittance ends at 4:30 p.m. Ages 11 and older, $5; ages 2-10, $2; seniors and military personnel, $4; children younger than 2, free. Animal keeper talks and animal feedings daily.

National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C., 20408
866-272-6272 TDD: 202-501-5404

Displays the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, among other historic documents. Free. Visitors’ entrance is on Constitution Avenue between Seventh and Ninth streets. Reservations are required for groups of 20 or more. Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Labor Day-March 31; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. April 1-Friday before Memorial Day weekend; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day. Closed Christmas.

National Archives at College Park
8601 Adelphi Rd.
College Park, Md., 20740
866-272-6272 301-837-2000

The National Archives contains the Richard Nixon/Watergate tapes, as well as an extensive collection of important and historic documents, tapes and film. Open 8:45 a.m-5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays; 8:45 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; and 8:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Saturdays.

Showcases architecture and building design. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free; a donation of $5 per person is suggested.

National Colonial Farm
3400 Bryan Point Rd.
Accokeek, Md., 20607
301-283-2113, Ext. 13, Ext. 28,

An agricultural-historical museum project of the Accokeek Foundation, the farm has exhibitions and demonstrations of the agricultural methods, crops and livestock of a modest Tidewater farm of the mid-18th century. Open throughout the school year for pre-scheduled guided tours.

National Gallery of Art
600 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, D.C., 20565
202-737-4215 TDD: 202-842-6176

The gallery’s east and west wings house more than 100,000 works of art dating from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Free.

Hosts a series of changing exhibitions. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Christmas. Free.

National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Ave. NW
Washington, D.C., 20005
202-783-5000 800-222-7270

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Thanksgiving day, Christmas and New Year?s Day. Adults, $5; ages 60 and older and students, $3; ages 18 and younger, free. Special exhibits may cost more.

National Zoological Park
3001 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C., 20008
202-673-4800 TTY: 202-673-7800

The National Zoo is home to giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the elephant calf Kandula and about 2,400 other animals representing 435 species. Hours: grounds, 6 a.m.-8 p.m., and buildings, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., daily April-Oct. 29; grounds, 6 a.m.-6 p.m., and buildings, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., daily Oct. 30-April 1, 2006. Closed Christmas. Free.

Northampton Plantation Slave Quarters
Lake Overlook Drive (between Water Port Court and Lake Overlook Place)
between Water Port Court and Lake Overlook Place
Lake Arbor, Md., 20721
301-627-1286

The park features the rebuilt foundations of two 19th-century slave quarters. Interpretive signs allow for self-guided tours. Open 6 a.m.-dusk daily. Free.

Oxon Hill Farm at Oxon Cove Park
6411 Oxon Hill Rd.
Oxon Hill, Md., 20745
301-839-1176

Oxon Cove Park is a historic farm with buildings dating to the early 1800s, when the property was a wheat plantation. A variety of daily farm activities and programs are held throughout the park?s 512 acres. Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily; closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Reservations needed for programs. Free.

Oxon Hill Manor
6901 Oxon Hill Rd.
Oxon Hill, Md., 20745
301-839-7782 Fax: 301-322-8021

Currently closed. Reopening has not been determined.Calls and faxes are being routed to the Prince George’s Ballroom. Built in 1929, Oxon Hill Manor was designed by Jules Henri de Sibour. The 49-room, two-story Neo-Georgian-style brick mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places. It sits on 55 acres and has English gardens overlooking a rose-wrapped reflecting pool, expansive lawns and a wide-open terrace with views of the Potomac River.

Phillips Collection
1600 21st St. NW
Washington, D.C., 20009
202-387-2151 Fax: 202-387-2436

This private museum was America’s first museum of modern art and contains masterpieces in the setting of a private mansion. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday, noon-7 p.m. Sunday, closed Mondays. Weekday admission for the permanent collection is by donation. Admission to special exhibits and/or weekend admission to the permanent collection for adults, $14; students and people 62 and older, $12.

Point Lookout State Park
11175 Point Lookout Rd.
Route 5
Scotland, Md.,
301-872-5688 Fax: 301-872-5084

The site where the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay join. Served as a watch post to warn of British ships during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. During the Civil War, what is now parkland became a separate Union military district in which the federal government established a hospital and prisoner-of-war camp. The park is open sunrise-sunset year round. The Civil War Museum Nature Center opens in May. Contact the park for current hours.

Prince George’s County Genealogical Society Library
12219 Tulip Grove Dr.
Bowie, Md., 20715
301-262-2063

The oldest Maryland county genealogical society in continuous existence. Its objectives are to collect, preserve and disseminate genealogical knowledge and information, particularly material that deals with Prince George’s County. The society meets at the Greenbelt public library the first Wednesday of every month (except July and August) at 7 p.m. Call the library for operating hours.

Prince George’s County Historical Society
Marietta Mansion
5626 Bell Station Rd.
Marietta Mansion
Glenn Dale, Md., 20769
301-464-0590

Radio and Television Museum
2608 Mitchellville Rd.
Bowie, Md., 20716
301-390-1020

Call for information on events. Open 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Free admission, but donations are requested.

Riversdale House Museum
4811 Riverdale Rd.
Riverdale Park, Md., 20737
301-864-0420 Fax: 301-927-3498

A National Historic Landmark, Riversdale is a restored, five-part, stucco-covered brick manor home built between 1801 and 1807. Open year-round, noon-3:30 p.m. Fridays and Sundays. Weekday group tours by appointment. Adults: $3; seniors and groups, $2; ages 5-18, $1; no charge for ages 4 and younger.

Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I St. NW
Washington, DC, 20001
202-408-3100 Fax: 202-408-5124

Originally dedicated as a synagogue in 1908, the building served as the site of Turner Memorial Baptist A.M.E. Church from 1951-2002. Last year, it was rededicated as the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. Tours in English are offered noon-3 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and the first Sunday of the month. Tours are also offered by appointment in Hebrew, French, German, Polish, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

Smithsonian Institution American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery
17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C., 20560
202-633-1000

The gallery collects, exhibits, studies and preserves American crafts and decorative arts from the 19th to 21st centuries. Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Closed Christmas. Free.

Smithsonian Institution Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
1050 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, D.C., 20657
202-633-4880 Fax: 202-357-4911

Museums of Asian art. Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily except Christmas. Free. The Sackler Gallery is at 1050 Independence Ave. SW. The Freer Gallery is on Jefferson Drive at 12th Street SW. The two museums are connected by an underground exhibition space.

Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum
Independence Avenue at Fourth Street SW
Washington, D.C., 20560
202-633-1000

Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African Art
950 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, D.C., 20560
202-633-4600 Fax: 202-357-4879

Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History
14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D.C., 20560
202-633-1000 TTY: 202-357-1729

Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D.C., 20560
202-357-2700 TTY: 202-357-1729

Regular hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily, except Christmas. Additional hours: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays March 11-May 21, and 5:30-7:30 p.m. daily May 26-Sept. 4. Free.

Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian
Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW
Washington, D.C., 20560
202-633-1000

Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery
Eighth and F streets NW
Washington, D.C., 20560
202-275-1738 Fax: 202-275-1887

The National Portrait Gallery is closed for renovations; it is scheduled to reopen July 4, 2006.

Mailing address:
National Portrait Gallery
Smithsonian Institution
PO Box 37012
Victor Building, Suite 8300 MRC 973
Washington, D.C. 20013

Smithsonian Institution National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, D.C., 20002
202-633-5555 TTY: 202-633-9849

Sojourner Truth Room
Oxon Hill Library
6200 Oxon Hill Rd.
6200 Oxon Hill Rd.
Oxon Hill, Md., 20745
301-839-2400

The Oxon Hill Library is built on the site of the Sojourner Truth Elementary School. The Sojourner Truth Room was established in 1967 and named in honor of the civil rights activist. It contains a collection of books, periodicals, pamphlets, photographs and other material on African American history and culture. The library is open to the public. Currently closed for renovations.

This middle-class plantation home, built in 1852 for the Surratt family, served as a tavern, post office and Confederate safe house during the Civil War. In fall 1864, the Surratts became involved in a plot to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln. After the plan was changed to murder in April 1865, the assassin John Wilkes Booth stopped here briefly as he fled Washington. Group tours by appointment. The John Wilkes Booth Escape Route Tour is held throughout the year. Surratt House is open January through mid-December, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Adults: $3; seniors, $2; children, $1; children under 5, free.

The Lyceum
201 S. Washington St.
Alexandria, Va., 22314
703-838-4994 Fax: 703-838-4997

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Closed New Year’s day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Tobacco Farming Museum
16000 Croom Airport Rd.
Upper Marlboro, Md., 20772
301-627-6074 TTY: 301-699-2544

Part of the Patuxent Rural Life Museums, the Tobacco Farming Museum has exhibitions about the agricultural heritage of Prince George?s County. Located at Patuxent River Park. Open April through October, 1-4 p.m. Sundays or by appointment. $5 for an annual pass for county residents.

U.S. Botanic Garden
100 Maryland Ave. SW
Washington, D.C., 20024
202-225-8333

Hours: Bartholdi Park is open from dawn to dusk daily; the conservatory is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, including holidays. Free.

U.S. Capitol
East Capitol and First streets NW
Washington, D.C.,
202-225-6827

Hours: Mondays-Saturdays 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., including all federal holidays except for Thanksgiving day and Christmas. Guided tours, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Free, timed tickets distributed at 9 a.m. The line forms at the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds at Independence Avenue and First Street SW. One free ticket per person.

U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr.
Reston, Va., 20192
703-648-4748

A visitor center at the federal agency offers an introduction to such topics as volcanoes, earthquakes, disaster preparedness, pollution and flooding. Hours for self-guided tours are 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. weekdays; guided tours are available Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays by calling 703-648-4748.

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW
Washington, D.C., 20024
202-488-0400 TTY: 202-488-0406

Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily except for Yom Kippur and Christmas. Free. Passes required to visit the museum’s permanent exhibition.

U.S. Navy Memorial
Pennsylvania Avenue NW between Seventh and Ninth streets
The memorial centerpiece is a 100 foot diameter granite map of the world surrounded by relief sculptural depictions of historic events in US Naval history. The memorial also features a granite map of the world, 100 feet in diameter, surrounded by relief sculptures showing events in naval history. The Naval Heritage Center located next to the meorial, has a theater and an electronic log with the names of Navy veterans, as well as other displays. The memorial is open to the public 24 hours a day. Naval Heritage Center hours: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. Free.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Museum
600 Dulaney St.
Suite 0100
Alexandria, Va., 22313
571-272-8400

W. Henry Duvall Tool Museum
16000 Croom Airport Rd.
Upper Marlboro, Md., 20772
301-627-6074

Part of the Patuxent Rural Life Museums, the Duvall Tool Museum is located at Patuxent River Park and houses more than 1,000 farm implements, tools and household items from the 19th century. Open 1-4 p.m. Sundays, April through October. Tours are available at other times by appointment. Free admission.

Washington National Cathedral
3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, D.C., 20016
202-537-6200 Recorded information: 202-364-6616

Hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily in fall, winter and spring; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, and 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekends from May 1 to Labor Day. Suggested donation: adults, $3; children, $1. Guided tours are available. Call for schedules.

White House Visitor Center
1450 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C., 20500
202-208-1631

Provides tours of the White House to groups of 10 or more. To obtain tickets, contact your Congress member. Tickets are not available at the Visitor Center.
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

White’s Ferry
24801 White’s Ferry Rd.
Dickerson, Md., 20842
301-349-5200

The only regularly operating ferry on the Potomac River. Operates 5 a.m.-11 p.m. year-round, weather permitting. $3 one way and $5 round-trip.

Similar to the residences used to house troops during the Revolutionary War, the building includes two main rooms on the first floor and two rooms on the second floor. Hours: by appointment only. It is maintained by the Historic Annapolis Foundation, 18 Pinkney St., Annapolis, Md. 21401.

Calvert Marine Museum
14200 Solomons Island Rd.
PO Box 97
Solomons, Md., 20688
410-326-2042

The Calvert Marine Museum is a public nonprofit museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, research and interpretation of the culture and natural history of Southern Maryland. Its mission is to interpret three maritime themes: regional Miocene paleontology, estuarine life on the tidal Patuxent River and adjacent Chesapeake Bay and the maritime histories of these waters. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Adults, $7; seniors, $6; ages 5-12, $2; 4 and younger, free; members, free.

National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy.
Chantilly, Va., 20151
202-633-1000

The museum annex, which opened in 2003, has more than 80 aircraft and dozens of space artifacts on display, including the space shuttle Enterprise and the B-29 Enola Gay. The center was designed as a companion to the main museum on the Mall.

Naturalist Center of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History
741 Miller Dr. SE, Suite G2
Leesburg, Va., 20175
703-779-9712 Fax: 703-779-9715

Visitors can investigate earth sciences, life sciences and anthropology with their own eyes, ears and hands at the Smithsonian Naturalist Center. This center has more than 30,000 natural history and anthropological specimens as well as books, microscopes, measuring tools and other equipment. Kids can touch volcanic rocks, animal skeletons and dead birds, or use microscopes and other tools, just like grown-up scientists. Open to visitors 10 and older.

Charles Carroll House
107 Duke of Gloucester St.
Annapolis, Md., 21401
410-269-1737

This was the home of three generations of Carrolls, including Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Hours: 2-4 p.m. Sundays; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and Easter and on weekends in January and February. Group and school tours by appointment. Closed for renovations until September.

Georgian-style townhouse built by Samuel Chase, an 18th-century lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The house is known for its interior detail.
Hours: March-December, 2-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. $2 admission.

Historic London Town and Gardens
839 Londontown Rd.
Edgewater, Md., 21037
410-222-1919

This 23-acre park incorporates part of the Colonial-era town of London. It is home to the historic William Brown House, an 18th-century Georgian mansion overlooking the Severn River. The park has an eight-acre woodland garden, sponsors archaeological digs for Anne Arundel County and hosts children’s programs. Hours: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-3 p.m. Sundays. House tours are given hourly, with the last tour beginning at 3 p.m. Gates close at 4:30 p.m. Admission: guided house and self-guided garden tour, $7; seniors, $5; children 7-12, $3. House tour only, or self-guided garden tour only, $4; children 7-12, $3. Free to members of the London Town Foundation and children under 7.

Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial
City Dock
Annapolis, Md., 21401
410-841-6920 Fax: 410-841-6505

Honoring the late author Alex Haley and his ancestor Kunta Kinte, an African slave and the subject of Haley’s celebrated book “Roots.” It features a series of statues, with Haley in the middle reading to attentive schoolchildren.

Maryland State House
State Circle
Annapolis, Md., 21401
Visitors Center: 410-974-3400

This is the country’s oldest historic statehouse building still in continuous use. Guided tours, which include the Old Senate Chambers, the Maryland Silver Room, the Calvert Room, the Archives Room, the Old Senate Committee Room, the House of Delegates, the New Senate Chamber and the Maryland Federalist, are given at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily except for Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Closed Christmas.

Cove Point Lighthouse
Cove Point Road
PO Box 97
Solomons, Md., 20688
410-326-2042

Built in 1828, it is the oldest continuously working lighthouse in Maryland. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Tours depart by shuttle bus from the Calvert Marine Museum. Tours are offered 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. weekends, May through September, and 1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, June-August. The lighthouse is closed October-April. Tour: $3.

Thomas Stone National Historic Site
6655 Rose Hill Rd.
Port Tobacco, Md., 20677
301-392-1776

Site of Haberdeventure, the family home of Thomas Stone, a lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Stone and his wife, Margaret Brown, built the home in the early 1770s, and it remained the Stone family home until 1936. The National Park Service, which finished restoration work in 1997, offers hiking and birding trails. Free. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Memorial Day-Labor Day; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, Labor Day-Memorial Day. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.