If you are visiting or passing through this is well worth a visit, even if not a train/railroad…read morehistory enthusiast. The docent (James) was super friendly and eager to show you everything that this small, but well maintained piece of rail history has to see. He walked us through the three main exhibits which are made up of the main building, the tower & best maintained Caboose that I have ever seen. James provided knowledge that I was lacking and I have visited a few train museums. What this one lacks in size it definitely makes up in the presentation, preserved history and friendly enthusiasm. We left knowing more than we did before visiting, and definitely enjoyed the stop. So glad they did all that they did to ensure this was done & maintained. Definitely visit !!!

The Huntington Railroad Museum (also known as the Bowie Railroad Station Museum ) presents a look…read moreat Bowie, Maryland, through its railway heritage. The museum consists of three buildings, an interlocking tower, a combination passenger and freight station, and a waiting shelter. All three buildings were once functionally located nearby, but have been moved off of the railway right-of-way and restored. The station contains displays on the operation of the tower and the history of the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad and how, allying with the Pennsylvania Railroad, it came to be the competitor with the Baltimore & Ohio for rail traffic from Washington, DC to the Northeast. Displays also describe life in the town of Huntington, later the city of Bowie. There is a small O-gage train layout. The docent was eager to show visitors around the property. I really enjoyed going up in the tower (signal box). It still provides a vantage point up and down the Amtrak Northeast Corridor line. Much of the equipment used to control and switch trains passing throuhg the junction is in place. (Bowie Junction is now remotely controlled from Philadelphia.) The vintage wooden waiting shelter was in use by commuters until 1989 when a new station opened nearby. There is a wooden Norfolk & Western caboose, too. Not a railroad that came here, but what is railroad museum without a caboose? It's used for events and birthday parties. There is no admission, but donations are accepted.

Working in DC, I've visited many museums over the years, but the Textile Museum officers a very…read moredifferent experience from the large Smithsonian museums. It's smaller, quieter, and perfect if you want to explore something unique without the crowds. I had the opportunity to take a private tour of the museum, which made the visit even more special. The exhibits highlight textiles from around the world, showcasing beautiful craftsmanship, intricate patterns, and the cultural stories behind fabrics and garments. It's fascinating to see how many history and artistry can be expressed through textiles. One of the highlights form e was he museum shop, which honestly feels like an extension of the museum itself. The store carries handmade items from artisans around the world, reflecting their cultures through unique colors, patterns, and textile techniques. It felt less like a typical gift shop and more like another curated exhibit. I also loved the library, which may be small but holds an impressive collection of textile-related books. For anyone interested in fabrics, fashion, or global textile traditions, it's a wonderful resource. Located on GW campus, this museum truly feels like a hidden gem in DC. It's definitely worth a visit!

Stopped by here to check out the museum during lunch, and it was very quiet on a Friday afternoon…read more There were only 2 exhibits open, but there was a lot of neat things to check out. I particularly liked the historical pieces of traditional costumes on display. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Oh and check out the stairs...amazing!

Honestly, such a cool and unique place to be. The Petersen House is one of those places that really…read moremakes history feel real because you're actually standing in a place connected to such a major moment in American history. It's not a huge place, but there's so much history behind it and being able to walk through and learn about what happened there was really interesting. Definitely worth stopping by if you're exploring DC and want to see something a little different from the usual monuments and museums.

A sacred place where one of the two greatest Americans took his last breath. I was overcome to be…read morein the room where Lincoln died Almost as breathtaking is the tower of books on Lincoln that is in the gift shop. Almost has to be seen to be believed

I visited Annapolis for the first time a few weekends ago with my boyfriend, and we stopped by this…read moremuseum upon searching things to do in the area. What I noticed immediately was that the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming. There was an event going on with the featured artist next door in the church building, but we were unable to stop by yet still enjoyed his artwork in the first room. Upstairs, we explored the history and watched a short historical video on the church. I really enjoyed how immersive and informative the museum was. It was a short but sweet trip and I learned a lot of new things about African American History in Maryland, which was awesome.

This was apparently the Banneker-Douglass museum once, but has added Harriet Tubman as another…read morelocal figure of renown. A total of three rooms of exhibits were available, two for a rotating art exhibit, of which one was the interior of a historic church, while the other room is a locally focused history of the African American experience. The local aspect of the museum calls Maryland "Southern", a reminder that this is somewhat ambiguous historically. The museum is free to enter. It will not take long to get through, but in combination with other local sites this stop will give a different perspective.

Had a great tour this afternoon! Very informative guide and interesting history to the House/Tavern.read more

This place is special. It has an amazing story and historical significance. The food is good and…read morethe atmosphere is great. This place will engage all 5 senses.

Small but cool museum for kiddos!…read more My husband and I wanted something fun but something new. This place came across to make a quick trip to Alexandria. Alexandria is well known for art galleries and museums but this was a new and interesting place to visit. AND no ticket is required! It is located inside of US Patent & Trademark Office building. You can park in their garage ($3 per hour). We were confused when we walked into the building but the security guards were very nice and kindly directed us where this museum was. I enjoyed learning different invention and how/when it started. I think it is very important to highlight creativity and innovation to children and amongst ourselves while we live in the society where it changes day to day basis. I would recommend!

The National Inventors Hall of Fame is located inside in the same building of the United States…read morepatent and trademark office. Look on this Yelp page for the photo of the building this little museum is located in to make it easier to find if you wish to visit. My husband and I decided to check out this little place on a Thursday morning around 11 am since our hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) was about 0.5 mile away. I really wasn't expecting much but was surprised to have enjoyed my time here. This museum has free admission and recognizes engineers and inventors who invented some significant king of technological, who have a U.S. patent. Here you can actually look up some of the inventors with patents by state, by year, by category. Please note that when you come into this museum, you will walk through their gift shop before getting inside to see all of the neat stuff on display. There are numerous of exhibits on display with documents from important collections of patents. There is also some interesting little video clips you can watch about some of the remarkable and highly intelligent folks that created a lot of interesting things (that has truly significantly impacted your life). But what I really liked the most about this little museum is the interactive kiosks. I liked playing some of the games to identify the trademark logo/ image, video or song to a specific brand. I also liked testing my knowledge with random history of these trademarked companies. And lastly, I liked testing myself to see if I can tell the difference between a real item and the fake item (for example, there is a real designer purse in a display case, alongside a fake. Are you able to tell the difference?). I was able to identify the real one each time. Although this little museum does appear to be small, you can find 1-2 hours worth of interesting things to learn and do during your visit. Not bad for a free museum.

My best friend is a member here and we were visiting for the art at night and had a wonderful time…read more I went with one of their seltzers since I have a beer allergy, and can confirm it was delish. Definitely would love to come back and do a tour at some point too. And to come back for a capri sun and adult lunchable. The beer garden is really cute and clean, I love they have recycling as well as trash options here.

Back at the Heurich House for the Bock Release and it is delicious! The Marzen is great too. Love…read morebeing a member of this museum. Will be back again soon!

This random little museum has a beautiful building if you're looking for a wedding venue (the…read morereason I was here). There is a large empty room on the second floor of the museum which can be used for a wedding ceremony. The museum itself was small but had some nice touches. My kids enjoyed seeing the lighthouse lights, especially seeing how small the lights were compared to the amount of light they generated. The museum had a few other touches for kids, like a small table with coloring sheets and crayons, and a large deer hide with a sign saying PLEASE TOUCH. Admission is free for Alexandria residents. I'm not sure I would have paid if I wasn't already there for the wedding. There is also a small parking lot with about 15-20 parking spots, and plenty of paid 2-3 hour street parking around there.

Taking away some stars due to consistent poor quality merchandise (neither Virginian nor America…read moremade) in their gift shop.