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.

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

Mount Vernon was one of the highlights of our trip to Washington, DC. The grounds are absolutely…read morebeautiful, and everything is so well maintained. Walking through George Washington's home and learning more about his life gave us an even greater appreciation for the man behind the history. The staff and volunteers were friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer questions. We also enjoyed the museum and exhibits, which added so much to the experience. Plan to spend several hours here because there's a lot to see. If you're visiting the DC area, I highly recommend making time for Mount Vernon. It's well worth the trip.

We had a great time touring Washington's house. During our visit, there was construction in the…read morefront. They were working on the HVAC system so created some weird lines. The tour of the house was great we learned so much. We especially loved all of the different rooms and little traditions they did around the house. The docents around the house were welcoming and extremely knowledgeable. I especially enjoyed the fact that they were stationed around the house it was neat to hear different perspectives.

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!

Despite being a pretty seasoned veteran of Southern Maryland tourism, I managed to drive past this…read moreplace until now. That's because it is a pretty significant detour from anything else, even the small settlements and local attractions elsewhere in the area. Upon arriving I was offered the choice to roam the grounds for free or pay to get inside the lighthouse and museum exhibits, which I did. It's a small museum covering a couple of rooms, but does have some interesting bits. Notably, there is apparently a sunken German U-boat offshore, a relic of military experiments conducted on it after it was surrendered to the U.S. military. But you can't see the real thing unless you're an expert diver. The lighthouse is quite tiny as these things go, and you can't see a ton from it. There's a brief tour of the neighboring quarters as well. There was another building of exhibits that I didn't visit. There is a beach; it is quite tiny but there isn't a ton of public land on the lower Potomac. Notably, the houses one drives past on the way in have their own little stretches of beach which appear to catch some nice breezes. The river is quite estuarine at this point. As with a lot of little attractions down this way, I'm not mad that I stopped and took a look, but I don't think that you'll miss a ton if you see the sign on route 4 and keep driving. I'm glad the site is preserved for public use. Notably, there's also a large and free picnic area.

For those fascinated by history, the Dr. Samuel A Mudd House Museum is a wonderful site to visit…read more After having read the well researched book "American Brutus" I was already fascinated by the motivation & details regarding the John Wilkes Booth assassination of Abraham Lincoln. But I had no idea that I was staying near the area where he fled for treatment of the broken leg he received when he jumped from the Presidential Box in Ford's Theater to the stage below. In Charles County, MD for wedding showers in La Plata & Port Tobacco, I was staying at a convenient Residence Inn in Waldorf. Imagine my delight when the Mother of the Bride suggested a tour of the nearby Mudd House. The historical events I had read about were all around me. The docent we had at the Mudd House was extremely knowledgeable & interesting. She pointed out that some of the furnishings were original to the house, including the sofa on which John Wilkes Booth lay injured. Her knowledge, beginnings with Booth's history as an actor in Baltimore, validated the research in the fascinating book I read. Although Mudd had been seen in Washington with 3 of Booth's conspirators, no connection to the plot was ever found. Booth had fled Dr, Mudd's house the following day into Virginia. Nonetheless Dr Mudd was found guilty of conspiracy & imprisoned, finally being pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. He died in 1883 & is buried at St. Mary's Church in Charles County, There are many Mudd descendants remaining in the area. Some I met at the wedding festivities. The Mudd house is easily reached via either Alexandria, VA or DC by crossing the Potomac to the National Harbor then on to Waldorf. My path to Charles County has always been taking the backroads from Coastal Virginia, passing many historic buildings & landmarks as a bonus. The Dr. Samuel A Mudd House is open for tours from spring through fall on Wednesdays & Saturdays 11am - 4pm & Sundays from noon - 4pm. The last tour begins at 3:30pm. As an epilogue, one afternoon I was driving home from an event in rural Virginia between Hampton Roads & Northern Virginia. Not familiar with the area, I was enjoying the exploration. On a stretch of road that was heavily treed I spotted a historical marker ahead. I always brake for historical markers. It was the location of the capture, shooting & death of Booth. The Garrett Farm & Tobacco barn where he was hiding has been long lost to time. All that remains is the historical marker. All serious historians should visit the Mudd House. It's a rare piece of the past that still remains intact.

Great tour, pretty reasonably priced, and the tour guide was dressed nicely with a bow tie and was…read morevery knowledgeable on Dr Mudd. It was really round the clock touring, as when we arrived, they had us join the end of a concluding tour, then at the end of our tour, a group joined us, and I was impressed that they had a good amount of people interested in seeing the site John Wilkes Booth set his injuries then continue to flee after Lincoln's assissination. The guide wasn't a Mudd apologist but did provide information what is was guilty and not guilty on with details of his prison stint and his barely escaping the death penalty. It's an interesting historical note in such an important US event for this small-town doctor to be so impactful that we still want to learn and see a primary location. The house is still pretty intact with possessions from the Mudd family and rooms to view upstairs and downstairs. The gift shop is small but has some good souvenirs. It is down a two lane road in some farm lands, but it's worth the drive. There are a couple of other buildings on the site, but the whole thing should only take 1-2 hours. The hours/seasons are a bit limited, so I recommend calling first to double check, and then it's a very enjoyable tour.

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.

I have visited several times over my years of working for the Marine Corps. We have done team…read morebuilding here through docent tours, team lunches at Tun Tavern, and viewing Military promotions conducted here. Also having visited other Military museums, this one is particularly well done. There are very interactive parts, and I really enjoy being able to walk through the history from the beginning to the current day. Fun fact: the Marine Corps is the only Service who provides embassy security services around the globe. There is a lot to look at-big displays, virtual re-enactments to bring you further into the life of Marines in those dangerous situations. There are some brief movies worth watching too. On the first floor there is also a children's area which I will report back on when I finally visit with my kids. The restaurant onsite is really good-have had multiple items here over several lunches that hit the spot-the Reuben is my favorite! The museum is open 363 days a year and is free! Also free parking!

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

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

I found this place by randomly zooming in on Google Maps! TikTok kept recommending all the popular…read morespots in D.C., but this turned out to be a true hidden gem. I loved exploring the different artifacts and seeing how they represent cultures from various time periods around the world. The exhibits are incredibly unique, diverse, and thoughtfully displayed. It may not look like much from the outside, but once you step in, you'll be surprised by how spacious it is. Definitely worth a visit! Your friendly neighborhood museum, with items you wouldn't expect to see. All the items are incredibly beautiful!

I purposely visited recently (winter season) because entrance to the gardens is free, otherwise…read moreit's $15. The gardens are interesting even in the cold months. The couple most closely associated with this Georgetown estate, Mildred and Robert Bliss, clearly loved and thought deeply about this parcel of land when they owned it (1920/30's). Their efforts to preserve and share the space with the public are to be commended. It must have been quite something in its heyday. There's a lot of research that's supported here, as well as other activities. The website explains all that. It's a low-key sightseeing spot; quiet, contemplative.

After being a "local" for so long, I'm surprised that I hadn't been to here before. Check the entry…read moreprices online as there are discounts for seniors, military, students and members. There is parking below ground however the closet metro stop is Le'Enfant Plaza. This area can become congested with traffic and there is very little street parking. Upon entry, I was pleased to see the James Bond "007" car. Depending on your age, you may remember the movies and how "advanced" his cars and gadgets were. There are five levels and an opportunity to explore as a "Spy" or soak in some of the educational parts of tools, people and significant events in spy history. There are elevators that take you up/down. I do not recall wheelchair access for those who require ADA compliance. There are exhibits that have corresponding films. This is a kid friendly and interactive. I do recommend coming here to explore and challenging yourself to learn something new. Wear comfy walking shoes and pay attention to the things hiding in plain sight.

This was my first time visiting this museum…read more It is just minutes away from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station, walking distance. It is in a high traffic area given that it is D.C. There is an option to purchase tickets online and select a time, but not necessary We came on a Friday evening and were let in immediately. Expect to spend anywhere from 2-4 hours. Upon purchasing a ticket, they escorted us to a room where we each had our own Undercover Mission cards to scan on screens, which show us access to our spy name, mission and other information. There was a short video, then we were given access to the showcases. The experience varies from display cases to videos to interactive screens. I was more interested in hearing the different spy stories. The gift shop had some great items consistent with the spy-theme including (but not limited to): t-shirts with a variety of images, pens, books, games, hats, etc. Given that it is a museum gift shop in D.C., the prices were fairly high, but not surprising, but I bought a t-shirt for someone. The staff here weren't particularly friendly, some were standing around on their phones or chatting with each other. Would I return? Maybe, I don't feel the need to re-visit once i toured the full museum, unless I'm bringing someone new. I would highly recommend at least one visit to this museum!

It was very interesting I learn a lot.. I would like to go again the attraction was good..read more

If you're into American history, Gunston Hall is worth a tour to learn more about Founding Father…read moreGeorge Mason. The author of the Virginia Bill of Rights, Mason was contemporaries of George Washington and James Madison. Gunston Hall does a good job of bringing Mason's history to life. The visitor center includes an exhibit about his life, including areas for people of all ages to interact. There's even a dress up area that kids love. The house tour is $10 and it's the only way to go inside the 18th century mansion. The tour lasts around 45 minutes and they don't shy away from the fact that Mason enslaved between 100-300 people on his plantation. The garden behind the mansion is worth a visit as is hiking the trails, one which leads to the Potomac River. Mason and his first wife are buried near the mansion.