For those fascinated by history, the Dr. Samuel A Mudd House Museum is a wonderful site to visit. 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. read more

See all

Great tour, pretty reasonably priced, and the tour guide was dressed nicely with a bow tie and was very 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. read more

See all

Fist-fought my way out of DC to find the gates closed an hour before they close according to Google. So, be sure to check their actual website. But that being said, with such limited hours, they clearly don't want or need your money/business. Also, their absurdly limited hours don't line up with the Surratt Tavern, because that would just make too much sense. So, good luck or maybe just skip it. read more

We finally stopped here today and so glad we did! Our tour guide, Mr Bob Bowser, was an AMAZING guide. We homeschool and our son was like "I would love to have him for a history teacher (btw - he is a high school teacher) - not sure what this says about our teaching our son lol Anyhow so much more information than what I thought we knew. If you're in the area - stop by here. You won't regret it. A lot of history in this tour. read more

See all

We came here as the next stop on the John Wilkes Booth escape route tour. To be honest, I hadn't heard much about Dr. Samuel Mudd--just his name mentioned briefly. Dr. Samuel Mudd treated John Wilkes Booth's leg which was fractured while fleeing Ford's Theater after the Lincoln assassination. Mary Surratt seems to get more attention. Our docent was very knowledgeable and very personable. She was dressed in an outfit for that period in time. She even had a dog that was paralyzed join her on the tour (not part of the tour...lol). The Mudd family has done an excellent job preserving the home and many of the items in the home are original pieces. Typically, when you tour historical places such as the Mudd house, it's filled with replicas but that wasn't the case. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Homes. I really like Ford's Theater and the tours given there, but if you are a history buff or interested in the route John Wilkes Booth took after assassinating Lincoln, it is worthwhile to visit some of the other places-like Dr. Mudd's home. read more

The Dr Mudd house closed their gates at 3:28 when they were scheduled to close at 4:00 pm, with the last tour being at 3:30. Despite arriving on time entrance was denied. Very bad customer service. read more

This museum did a good job highlighting not only Booth's medical care by Dr. Mudd, but also had many artifacts from Dr. Mudd's time imprisoned at Fort Jefferson (now Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida). It was cool to see the couch Booth was examined on, the room he stayed in, etc., but just as cool to see the woodworking Dr. Mudd did while in prison, many of the items with seas shells incorporated, and to hear stories of Ned Spangler's time at the house as well. The tour guide was a very knowledgeable woman and I appreciated her frankness. At one point she said Dr. Mudd's granddaughter (founder of the museum) would have kicked her out because she was open about some of Dr. Mudd's flaws. I appreciated her a lot and she did a great job painting a picture of what life was like in Southern MD in 1865. One of my fellow tourists asked about ghosts and she gave us the dirt on a few strange occurrences. I plan to come back for one of their many events and to hike the trail as it was very hot and thunderstorms rolled in as my tour was ending. read more

I had a very informative afternoon/evening visiting this historic old house. The windows were being repaired during my visit but I didn't notice much because the volunteer was very interesting and knew all the historical facts. An hour or two later I returned for a lecture about a book written about the life of a slave and his family after the Civil War. Te author had several signed copies for purchase after refreshments and a q and a session. read more

This is a great museum, the docent, Marilyn, was very knowledgeable about Dr. Samuel Mudd and the journey John Wilks Booth took to attain medical help for his broken leg. We enjoyed this tour very much. They have the real items used by Booth and belonging to the Mudd family. The price for this great afternoon was a mere 10.00 per adult. Very much worth the price .They have a public restroom and handicap parking close to the home. General parking is about 300 feet from the museum. Will defiantly go back for their Christmas showing. read more

Amazing staff who are incredibly knowledgeable and so apparently passionate about sharing, teaching and inspiring. I was quite impressed with the amount of work and information that went into the docents tour. The grounds are absolutely stunning and interactive. It's always so amazing to me to learn more information about the huge historical impact that Charles County played during the Civil War. I hope they have their Victorian Christmas this year, its a great pleasure to attend. read more

A little known part of history. Dr. Mudd treated John Wilkes Booth's broken leg he broke jumping from the Presidential box after mortality wounding Lincoln. The house is well preserved complete with actual items belonging to the Mudd family. You can see the door Booth came in, the bed he rested in, even the trail he used to continue his journey to Virginia. The tour guide was very informative and gave a great biography of Dr. Mudd as well as the details of Booth's visit. A must see for history buffs. read more

See all

Nice tour. The people were very knowledgeable and were able to answer a lot of questions. Most of the items in the house are originals, which was neat to see. They also have a couple other displays on the property - farming equipment and civil war camp. read more

Dr Samuel A Mudd House Museum - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Waldorf, Maryland

See all

My son was very fascinated by the John Wilkes Booth Escape route and we went last Sunday. The website had said that the Mudd House Museum was open on Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. We reached there to find that the Mudd House Museum is open only till late November. SO we could not get into the grounds. It is still fascinating. From there you can follow the trail to Bryanstown, St. marys Church, Rich Hill and the Pine Thicket - all the places that John Wilkes Booth visited while escaping. The cemetry at the St. Marys Church has the grave of Dr.Mudd and his wife. Allow 2 to 3 hours to do the Civil War trail. I hope to go back when the museum is open read more

I'm a huge history nerd and have recently been doing a fair amount of research on the Lincoln assassination. As I live in the D.C. Area, I'm perfectly located to visit the relevant sites. I've been to Fords Theatre several times but decided to see some of the minor sites and I was extremely surprised at how wonderful this tour was. The docent was the absolute best I've ever had on a Lincoln related tour and since the house was lived in by the Mudd family until they turned it into a museum it is filled with pieces relevant to Dr Mudd. Often you go to a site and it is filled with recreations or items authentic to the era but not the house but this was very much the exception. They even have the couch that Booth laid on while being treated by Mudd. This place is very much the time for anyone interested in the assassination plot. read more

See all

My husband and I enjoy visiting historical homes and learning about American history. We were looking forward to learning more about Samuel Mudd and his family. Unfortunately, the visit was a bit disappointing. The staff, many of whom are descendants of Mudd, are very friendly and willing to answer questions. The house is beautiful and is furnished with items that actually belonged to the Mudd family. However, our tour guide, who was not one of Mudd's relatives, was a bit clueless. She read off of note cards and didn't have much knowledge about the house or the Mudd family. For example, the land is still used to "farm stuff that is sent wherever." One of Mudd's grandchildren petitioned two US presidents to have Mudd pardoned posthumously, but the docent couldn't remember which presidents were approached (Carter and Reagan). The majority of the tour focused on the items in the home. While it is great to learn about the sideboard and crystal, I really wanted to know more about Samuel Mudd. I left feeling frustrated. Wikipedia later filled in the gaps the docent couldn't seem to fill. I think this site has great potential. I love that it is run by the Mudd family; however, I think they need to invest more in their tour guides. Visitors should not leave the tour feeling confused and frustrated. read more

I enjoyed my visit, the guide did a great job, It is a very interesting site. It is well worth the drive from DC, a beautiful location. read more

Dr Samuel A Mudd House Museum - Parlor, Mudd House - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Waldorf, Maryland

See all

I'm glad we spent some time here. Very interesting history. So many artifacts that are original to the Mudd family. The family has done an outstanding job of preserving this piece of history. Docent tour was informative and friendly. Setting is beautiful. If you are in the area, don't miss this stop. Worth the $7 admin ticket. Watch for days and hours. read more

Interesting learned a lot kids enjoyed it but all the money they are collecting they should at least pay for pest control services for this house there were very visible spider webs and dropping all over the place not sanitary for kids and elderly people tour was nice tour guide was knowledgeable read more

We toured Dr Mudd's house on Saturday. Our tour guide was Jim Rather. You could not ask for a better docent. Jim was thorough and had a wealth of knowledge. With his winning personality, he answered every question put to him. Many original furnishings were still in the house. It is rather chilling to see the couch Booths layed on and stand in the room were he was treated. If you are interested in American history, you will love this tour. read more

We went to the Dr. Mudd House while it was decorated for Christmas. There were Civil War reenactors outside, warming themselves by a fire. They showed us weapons and uniforms from the period and discussed a soldier's life at the time. We went inside the small house to pay. They had cookies, cakes, homemade goodies, cider, and coffee for us! We indulged a bit, and looked at some of Lincoln's ephemera. They have the letter written from Lincoln to the little girl who told him to grow whiskers. They also have some of Mudd's personal items, like apothecary bottles. Next, we went inside the Mudd House. I was a little put-off by the brusque nature of the woman who answered the door. She was clearly not from the area where Dr. Mudd lived. She was inhospitable, and she pushed us around a bit. I didn't like her at all. She treated us like we were on the Metro at rush hour...jostling and jockeying for position, rather than at a holiday tour. Fortunately, we didn't have to deal with her much. She was a jerk. I'm not sure what she was doing there. I guess she was just a volunteer. The docents upstairs were much kinder. They weren't giving tours that day, but they still gave us plenty of information about the house, the original furnishings, the family, and who lived in which rooms. There was a decorated tree in every room. One tree was decorated with hard tack, which is what the soldiers of the time subsisted on in the field. A docent upstairs creates all of her own costumes, and she talked about the dress of the times. Downstairs is the actual settee on which John Wilkes Booth lay when he was in the home. As for those who have talked about the docents having a lack of knowledge, they are volunteers, not paid tour guides. I wouldn't expect them to know everything, or be able to answer every question I could throw at them. I also wouldn't expect that the Dr. Mudd House could draw enough volunteers to keep it staffed at all times, so I anticipate that many docents are new, or called in on the spur-of-the-moment; therefore, they might require cue cards. Having said that, the Surratt House is also staffed by volunteer docents, and I felt like they had a solid knowledge. Nevertheless, I feel like the reviews bashing the docents are a little harsh and the expectation is a little high. We also got to tour the grounds. The barn contained a lot of equipment that was labeled, so you would know what you were viewing. Another building gave a soldier's history and included some graphic images of what war was like at the time. If you have children with sensitive constitutions, you may want to skip that building. Otherwise, the whole museum is something I'm glad to have seen. I've lived in the area for too long to never have seen it. At $8 admission, it was more expensive than the Surratt House, but I feel that it was worth it. It's closed for the season now, but it will reopen in the Spring. NOTE: The Mudd House is only open for one weekend around Christmas. Otherwise, it is closed in the cold season and only open during warmer months. See here: http://drmudd.org/hours-admissions-2014 read more

I had the pleasure of visiting Dr. Mudd's home today. I've lived close to Dr. Mudd's home but never visited. Thank you to Mr. Mark McWhorter (my apologies if misspelled). He is very passionate about telling the story of The Mudd family and John Wilkes Booth. I learned a lot today, and hope to learn more in the near future. I hope to come back and bring my family and others with me. Thank you Mark for an enlightening Sunday afternoon! read more

After reading the other two reviews, I thought it would be only fair to post a different experience. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and did NOT read off cards. She was willing to give her full attention to any question we had, whether it was about living in that time period or the events around Lincoln's assassination. As the other reviewer said, very enthusiastic and friendly. Very enjoyable, and I thought, very reasonable for $7 per adult and $2 per kid (under 16). read more

only giving it a A-OK cause it's run by family/volunteers - not Govt sponsored. No fault of theirs - but - when you compare it to like Mt Vernon tours (which we had just done) - it's a lot more laid back. First off though - I would give 5 stars just to the enthusiastic FRIENDLY folks that ARE there giving up their time/weekends/whatever to show folks about the place. I got lots of chuckles out of the tour guide showing us about the house. Kindly put - she was reading information off the cards.....when you go off the cards though - it was something else for sure. The Mudd Families have donated LOTS of stuff through the years to the house - so although Samuel Mudd does have some possessions there (like what Booth lay on when wounded...) - there is a lot of other stuff donated by Mudds through the years that is all over the place too. so if you're looking for historical accuracy/museum setting....you got part of it!...you just have to poke about a bit and do some sifting. Frankly - I got a kick out of the gravestone in the back barn. and I LOVED some of the stories taht were told. nice friendly folks - bring the kids - help out a good cause - keep an open mind... it's still some of the most entertainment I had on this vacation for sure! read more

Interesting tour of the house and some of the grounds. Tour guide focused mainly on the items in the house, spending about the same amount of time in each room. The tour lasted about an hour plus. I walked away feeling as though I knew Dr. Mudd himself, having never heard of him before. Very nice day. read more

We visited with my father who was staying with us from Pennsylvania. The guides were very friendly and helpful. They lifted my father's wheelchair up into the dining area. While there, soldiers put us under house arrest! My Dad got a kick out of it! read more