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    Calvert Marine Museum

    4.5 (84 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Calvert Marine Museum Photos

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    John B.

    This museum graces Solomons with a relocated lighthouse, of distinctively Maryland design. I also found it to have quite a large amount of aquarium wildlife, including things that I wouldn't have thought about in the Chesapeake Bay area like moray eels, lionfish, and otters. The main building is a pretty decent size and covers a wide range of history of the area. One can walk up into the lighthouse or take a small boarwalk through the marsh. I suspect the museum's best audience is people who haven't been to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum on the other side of the bay, or people who aren't generally seasoned veterans of the region (i.e. me). However, it was still a pleasant experience. They do offer tours by boat once a day, and there are a variety of events they put on, including educational groups and concerts on a stage outside. If I were living here, it would definitely be a place I stopped at regularly. For the tourist, I think it is worth checking out.

    Calvert Marine Museum library and archives.
    Andrew L.

    The Calvert Marine Museum is located just as one enters Solomon's Island proper. Watch for the entrance drive to the parking lot, it is narrow and you might miss it. The museum's entrance fees are quite reasonable. Inside exhibits cover marine life and seafaring around the Solomon's Island region. The standout exterior exhibit is Drum Point Lighthouse, moved to the museum property in 1978. It is a Chesapeake Bay screw-pile lighthouse built in 1882. The museum has the keep's logbooks in its collections. Also outside are exhibits of small craft from the Chesapeake Bay region. Leading this collection is a preserved Chesapeake Bay Bugeye, a unique two masted sailing vessel traditionally used to harvest oysters. I was intrigued by the Wood Carving Shop where model boats are made. It was not open during our visit. The museum is in a new building while the adjacent former schoolhouse has the archives and library. An enjoyable museum to visit and one that puts Solomon's Island in contact.

    Matt D.

    SOLOMONS, Md. - A much much better and bigger museum and experience than it should be, being out in rural southern Maryland where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay. It's got an authentic 18th century lighthouse you can go into, which is cool; very elaborate displays about the fossil finds of the Calvert Cliffs areas and marine life there today; and a lot of artifacts about the sailing and boating and fishing and oyster canning history of the region. Far bigger and nicer and more elaborate than you'd expect to come across. Good gift shop. Tons of parking. Friendly staff. The otter tank is cool. Hourish from the Beltway, it's a decent one-tank trip. Admission: $11 per adult. Worthwhile.

    The museum has various buildings.
    Courtney K.

    Bottom Line: This museum perfectly covers the unique subculture of the Chesapeake Bay region. The Chesapeake Bay region has a unique, interesting and rich subculture that I didn't understand until moving to the West Coast for 12 years and then moving back to Maryland. What I like about this museum most is that it covers the many interesting aspects of life on and near the Bay such as the following: - crabbing, oystering and fishing for recreational and commercial purposes - boat building and wood carving - transportation routes and important port cities and their roles - the role of the iconic screwpile lighthouses like the onsite Drum Point Lighthouse - the fragile ecosystem of the Bay and the many animals that live there - military installations and activities in the region The museum starts with fossils in the Bay with an emphasis on those found by the nearby Calvert Cliffs and takes guests on a tour through time all the way to present day Bay activities. In between the museum covers Native Americans indigenous to the area, the horrors of slave trade and bondage and the evolution from sailing vessels to steam ships. My favorite exhibits at the museum are the cute river otters and the fully restored Drum Point Lighthouse. It was neat to see this iconic Lighthouse in person and I am glad it was saved after its technology was obsolete.

    AL K.

    A cozy museum where you get your $ worth. Entrance is $7 for adults and with AAA card you get $1 off. A must if you are visiting the island. The staff members are uber helpful and informative. Catch the film showing the lighthouse.

    The lighthouse
    Katy R.

    It's a very nice museum! It's not ginormous but there are a lot of interesting things to see. They have a little pool that string rays swim in, a big thing of sand filled with teeth and other fossils and if you find something, you're allowed to take one home. They also allow you to go into the lighthouse outside, which is really cool! I didn't know it was an actual house with kitchen and bedrooms. There's a bunch of very old small boats, and a couple of cute Otters. We went on the one hour "cruise" which is an additional $7. It takes you through to the Patuxent River, under the huge bridge, while also giving you facts and information about the island. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. We'd like to come back again with family.

    Randy J.

    I really enjoyed this place. It is definitely worth a visit. From dinosaurs to live sting Ray's that you can pet. They even have clear baby Ray's in a tank and you can see the internal organs. There is a restored light house in the property that you can go in also. We will be going back with more friends next time.

    Pei L.

    Visited here for the second time. Best things to do at Solomon Island. It's totally worth the admission ticket for 9 bucks. You can experience the touch of the sea life, and gain knowledge about sailing, fishing, crabbing and so on. Very educated, and clean places to go.

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    Fun little museum with friendly and helpful staff. The location is great to make it a day on the rest of the Solomon Islands boardwalk.

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    Review Highlights - Calvert Marine Museum

    The lighthouse was excellent and we were lucky enough to be there while they had the boat building open.

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    Historic St Mary's City - Cordea's Hope

    Historic St Mary's City

    4.4(29 reviews)
    10.6 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Historic St Mary's City - Inside of barn

    Inside of barn

    Historic St Mary's City - Historical church

    Historical church

    Historic St Mary's City

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    Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center - Loved this piece inspired by lung disease the artist's parents both, unfortunately succumbed to.

    Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center

    4.5(48 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    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!

    Photos
    Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center - Trains

    Trains

    Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center
    Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center - Pick ur ornament

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    Pick ur ornament

    Dr Samuel A Mudd House Museum - Former tombstone (not buried here)

    Dr Samuel A Mudd House Museum

    4.1(25 reviews)
    27.5 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Dr Samuel A Mudd House Museum
    Dr Samuel A Mudd House Museum - Where Booth sat

    Where Booth sat

    Dr Samuel A Mudd House Museum

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    Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum - Beautifully restored lighthouse

    Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

    4.5(56 reviews)
    34.2 mi

    BLUF: A wonderful museum consisting of 18 acres, many buildings and even a river cruise, telling…read morethe history about the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is one of those museums that I enjoy visiting every few years. Since they recently opened a new building I was excited to check it out. With limited time to explore, I stuck to the new building which has their admissions/ticket counter, various types of Chesapeake Bay boats, a well curated display case of ship models on display and a lovely gift shop. Oh, and let's not forget Sailor the Iron Dog! Two of my all time favorite exhibits at the museum are the display of oyster cans and the crab picking machine. I laugh every time I see the crab picking machine and I always marvel at all of the big oyster cans. Being able to go inside the Hooper Strait lighthouse is also fun. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum has lovely views of the river from shore but those who want a better view can take a cruise or sail on one of various historic vessels. Another things that makes CBMM great is its plentiful parking and close proximity to downtown Saint Michaels.

    At $20 per person, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was a bit of a letdown…read more They currently have an exhibit entitled "Sailing to Freedom" and that was the main reason for our stop here, especially considering we have recently visited a different nautical museum which was similarly priced and fantastic. Unfortunately the exhibit was small and, if I'm being honest, boring. The grounds here are not very large and are composed mostly of old wooden boats, bells, and a lighthouse, which was by far the highlight of our visit. They claim that the grounds are dog friendly however there isn't much to see outside so I would not recommend bringing a dog. I wouldn't personally recommend bringing children either as it doesn't seem like they would have a good time here. There were five or six children present during our visit and they were literally just running in circles on the grass. I understand that our visit was during the off-season but it was a wasn't a very good use of time or money in my opinion.

    Photos
    Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
    Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
    Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

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    George Washington's Mount Vernon - Spinning and weaving house

    George Washington's Mount Vernon

    4.4(674 reviews)
    42.5 mi

    This was definitely a highlight of our vacation last month. It was even one of my son's favorite…read moreplaces we visited. The estate is spectacular, even in January. The house is undergoing restoration. It didn't affect the tour, which was interesting. The only downside of the restoration is that it prevents visitors from taking an unobstructed photo of the exterior of the house. If you're visiting with kids, remember to ask about the adventure map. Our son had a blast finding the different stations and solving the puzzle. Once completed, take it to the visitor's center for a prize. Another kid friendly thing they had was a presentation in the Greenhouse about musical instruments of the era. The Shops and food court were also closed for renovations, but the restaurant was open. It's worth checking out. If you have time, the George Washington Presidential Library is across the street. There is also a hiking trail.

    Brought the family here on October 18th, 2025. This place is amazing. The main house was under…read morerenovations. I would recommand that if you are wanting to try any of the food made onsite. Skip everything and head down to the farm. We missed it but about 10 minutes. The unmarked graves of the slaves that worked on the farm was probably the most sad part of the visit. Everyone that works here is always in character so keep that in mind if you talk to anyone once you're outside of the entrance. I would recommand this place if you are into history.

    Photos
    George Washington's Mount Vernon - Mt. Vernon home of George Washington

    Mt. Vernon home of George Washington

    George Washington's Mount Vernon - Chocolate Making display

    Chocolate Making display

    George Washington's Mount Vernon

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    Solomons Island - The Riverwalk South.

    Solomons Island

    4.6(20 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    Picturesque inlet that's good for a nice waterfront stroll. Petty homes denote upscalia but besides…read morea summer concert series, dining and recreational options are limited which if you live here is music to your ears as swarming tourists are kept to a minimum. Five stars for the stroll.

    Since I live in Solomons, I should probably give it one star so as not to encourage tourists, who…read morebring traffic and noise and otherwise detract from my lifestyle. But that would not be honest, and if nothing else, I'm honest. Solomons, also known as Solomons Island, is an unincorporated community in Calvert County, Maryland. The population was 2,368 at the 2010 census, up from 1,536 at the 2000 census. Solomons is a popular weekend destination spot in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. It includes the mainland on the north side of the mouth of Patuxent River, where it meets the Chesapeake Bay. It is just across from the U.S. Naval Air Station Patuxent River (on the south side of the mouth of the Patuxent River). Originally called Bourne's Island (1680), then Somervell's Island (1740), Solomons takes its name from 19th century Baltimore businessman Isaac Solomon, who established a cannery there shortly after the Civil War. Solomon's home still stands on the front of the island. The area has been inhabited since colonial times. Solomons was a rather isolated boat-building town housing the University of Maryland Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, until 1977 when the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge was built. The bridge leads from just off Solomons Island proper to St. Mary's County and the Patuxent Naval Air Station. The town now welcomes tourists with numerous marinas, seafood restaurants, gift shops, a boardwalk, a sculpture garden, the Calvert Marine Museum where visitors can climb atop a former lighthouse, board harbor cruises, and hear occasional outdoor concerts by famous performers. Solomons also has three major hotels, a U.S. Navy family recreation center, and Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Chruch. The Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center in Solomons is a Smithsonian-affiliated forested sculpture park where creations of Kenneth Snelson, George Rickey, Arnaldo Pomodoro and other major sculptors are on exhibit.

    Photos
    Solomons Island
    Solomons Island
    Solomons Island - Best views in MD

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    Best views in MD

    Calvert Marine Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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