Holy concrete, glass and art! Glenstone is a canvas for adults' imagination. This retreat is if a…read moreminimalist billionaire and Mother Nature had a serene art child. Every turn of concrete and glass leads to a magical surprise. My favorite was the Alex Da Corte exhibits which were full of color and textures.

Glenstone is one of the country's most well-respected and influential modern art galleries. The…read moreRales' have amassed a private post-War art collection worth more than $2 billion, and they have built a private museum to showcase their collection, spending more than $200 million to build the structures over the years. The property encompasses 360 acres and includes not only the two buildings housing the art, there's also an arrival center, a cafe/cafeteria, a patio cafe/coffee shop, and a beautiful woodland walking path, along which one can experience many outdoor sculptures and pieces of art. And all of this is open to the public for free. You are advised to schedule your visit in advance via the website, but walk-ups are accommodated during the winter months. If you arrive via the Ride-On bus (the Rales' worked with Montgomery County to ensure that a bus would be routed right to the front door of the arrival center), you are guaranteed entry. Students 12 and older (including college and graduate students), educators, active-duty military members, veterans, and museum professionals enjoy guaranteed entry for themselves plus one guest, 12 or older. You might read articles about Glenstone that disparage what the Rales' have created, but the reality is that they are doing good in the world: they are making world-class art available to the public for free. I've visited Glenstone about a half dozen times over the years. There are some permanent exhibits but the majority of the galleries rotate art from their massive collection. The cafe has great food. The grounds are quiet and beautiful. The staff are all unbelievably knowledgeable and helpful. A visit to Glenstone is a gift to yourself.

The MOOseum is a dairy barn that is opened on Saturdays, from May through October, from 10AM-3PM…read more They also have a special program/event offered on the fourth Sunday of each month (from 1-4PM), such as Montgomery County History Tours, Farm Tour & Sales, County Fairs, etc. Admission is free! With your admission ticket, we participated in one of their offered tours (you can see their collection of dairy farm-related items (like milk bottles, cans, and related equipment from local farms), check out their dairy maps, photographs, hear oral histories, and were able to peruse their research library that has a collection of books/print/videographic material that's related to the dairy industry. Just note that there aren't any 'live' animals, as this is more of a museum/educational set-up. There is also plenty room to picnic and a children's playground for the little ones. We also stopped by the shop where you can purchase gifts of local artists/artisans, books, and anything 'MOO'-related. If you're into barns, the farm-life, or just curious and want something interesting to do, check out the MOOseum - it's close by, too, in Germantown :D

So....not quite what I expected. I had hoped for a bit more liveliness out of a barn, but hey, it…read morewas still fun. And free. Free is awesome. Just so we are clear though, there are no live animals at this barn. There are no dead ones either. But fake ones aplenty. The volunteers were very knowledgable and friendly and there was a lot of education to be found regarding Montgomery County's disappearing dairy farm history. You can "milk" two different cows and play conductor with the toy trains. At most you need maybe 30 minutes to see everything. For kids, there is a little playroom off to the side where they can color. And the park just right out front is very nice with a play set for kids and lots of room to run.

The 1920s exhibition is wonderful I'm going to come back before it ends in January. You get to see…read moreperiod dresses and bakelite. The docent was friendly and discussed the textile conservation that goes on in the old kitchen area. They said the curator does Thursday conservation labs where you get to see closeup costumes not on display.

Knowledgeable and engaging staff that answered my questions about the museum and history in…read moregeneral. I will return when I have more time to explore the area.

If you're into the arts, check out the workshops and art gallery inside the Mansion at Strathmore…read more There's a parking lot near a garden full of sculptures and chairs to enjoy the view. Walk inside to the mansion to find an art gallery throughout. Here, they host afternoon tea, crafts, story time, and more. My nine-year-old daughter loves their gift shop!

Attended the afternoon tea experience at the Strathmore Mansion in May 2025. Probably one of the…read morebest tea services in the area for the value. Their signature blend tea is really flavorful and available for purchase in their gift shop. Everything was laid out on the table when we arrived so we were able to enjoy ourselves. Great variety of sandwiches, desserts and a scone. The caterer did a fabulous job with the food prep. I'm not a fan of macarons so that was the only item I didn't taste. The chicken sandwich was the only one that was missing something, but it still tasted very good. They host teas during the week and on one Saturday each month. The weekend dates sell out pretty fast. Definitely worth a try! And parking is right there so you can get decked out for your tea experience and not have to worry about walking too far!

The National Museum of Health and Medicine was a bit small, but it still made for a fun pitstop…read moresince we were already in the area. Parking was free and no tickets were required. We visited on a rainy day, and many guests left their umbrellas and coats in the entry room where there were hangers available. Volunteers greeted us at the front and pointed us toward a stand of pamphlets. We were able to see the entire museum in about 30 minutes. At one point, the staff brought out a cart of organs for hands on interaction. Based on some of the flyers, they also host additional demonstrations once a month. There was a modest anatomical collection with a focus on the nervous system and bones. I found the displays of brains after injuries and strokes especially interesting. There were also several examples of bone infections and exhibits highlighting medical developments over time. I appreciated the historical context behind each advancement, particularly how it connected to warfare. One of the most striking sections for me was the wall of organs affected by different diseases and infections. It felt especially rare compared to what I have seen in other museums. I was also fascinated by the less common presentations of parasites, which are not typically featured elsewhere. There was also a room dedicated to surgical advancements, and I found myself quiet while looking at the stories of soldiers who sustained injuries and underwent reconstruction. There was no gift shop and it seemed like a quick stop for most visitors. There was an upcoming veterinary focused day that looked interesting and would be worth checking out if I were still in the area. Overall, the museum is not as elaborate as others, but I still enjoyed the visit while staying nearby.

This museum may be the most unique museum in the D.C. area. If you are into history and medicine,…read morestop by. Or if you want a very interesting museum experience, visit. Opened in 1862 during the Civil War, the museum preserves over 25 million objects about medicine, public health, and anatomy. Nowhere else can you see skull fragments of Abraham Lincoln, President Garfield's vertebrae, and President Grant's tumor slides. The museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10am-5:30pm with free admission and parking in Silver Spring, Maryland. Walk inside and find all the exhibits on the main floor in a brutalist building. One exhibit talks about public health and the others focus on history of military medicine and anatomy. Here, you'll find lots of bones and organs preserved in medical jars. If you have a weak stomach, be warned. Eat BEFORE visiting. The museum is well kept with clean restrooms and lots of space to enjoy the museum. I highly recommend it for adults and older kids with an interest in the medical field.

Today and yesterday are side by side here at the G'burg Fire Museum. See how this time-honored…read morecommunity based organization has served the people and remained a focus of Old Town life.

Funny story - I was looking for kid-friendly ideas of things to do in DC and asked ChatGPT for…read moreideas. One of the responses was the Planet Word museum, which I never heard of. I looked it up and decided to try it! They recommend you get timed passes online ahead of time; it's free but they do recommend a donation. This museum is SO COOL! As someone who loves different languages and words I loved everything about this place! My kids loved all of the interactivity. There is a room with an interactive word wall and you can interact and answer and request more info on the history of certain words. For example, I learned that "ketchup" was named after a Chinese sauce even though they are not similar. There is also a magical library room where you can pick a book off the shelf and place it on a book holder and the book is read to you. There are also mirror shadow boxes that come to life if you read the inscription. Finally, the kids loved the karaoke room - you select a song and as you sing along you see the types of parts of speech at play in the song. Great experience, would for sure recommend and go back!

Planet Word is a fun pit stop geared mostly toward children, though adults will still find plenty…read moreto enjoy. The space feels very modern, with clean and well maintained exhibits throughout. I appreciated the free coat rack and lockers available to all visitors. One thing to note is that the stairs are unidirectional, so moving between floors requires walking across the entire level each time. We were advised to start on the third floor and work our way down. The third floor featured a massive globe surrounded by multilingual iPads. Each one offered different languages along with cultural and linguistic context. The video and audio quality stood out as especially clear. There was also an interactive show exploring the history and cultural influences behind everyday words. While museum shows can sometimes feel skippable, this one held attention for the full fifteen minutes with clever use of visuals, lighting, and a dynamic word driven backdrop. On the second floor, the free photobooth stood out as a highlight. Individuals or pairs pose based on randomly assigned words. The photo quality is not the best, but it still makes for a fun and memorable souvenir. There is also a sing along room where groups of children gather to perform songs. I had to laugh when Eminem came on, though I was genuinely impressed by how the lyrics were broken down and analyzed on screen. A small library space is also available, stocked mostly with children's books for casual reading. I also tried the Lexicon Lane experience, which cost forty dollars and is designed for groups of up to four. It is set up similarly to an escape room, but with a stronger focus on wordplay and language based puzzles. Since we were the first group of the day, we had full choice of the cases, while later groups had to pick from what remained. Each case offers a normal or expert level, though both were fairly challenging. Some puzzles rely heavily on familiarity with American idioms and cultural references, which could make them tougher for some players. That said, the staff were very accommodating and offered helpful nudges when groups got stuck. I would especially recommend this for puzzle lovers, as it is a unique add on and actually more affordable than a typical escape room. One of the standout aspects of Planet Word is the staff. They were consistently friendly, approachable, and clearly invested in making the experience enjoyable. Overall, it is a great museum to visit if you are looking to be entertained for an hour or so.

Enjoyed a walking tour of art on the grounds of SSM. Daría did an amazing job explaining each…read morepiece. This is a hidden gem in MoCo with a lot of history. You def need to check their website for different events and featured artists. FYI-you can have weddings, company events, etc.

A great place to visit with friends, family, and on your own. Art can be found everywhere. Be…read moresure to check out their calender for upcoming events.

If you haven't been to Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center, aka the National Air & Space Museum right next…read moreto Dulles Airport, go!! It will NOT disappoint. First off...the museum offers free extra large storage lockers, large enough to fit a large rolling suitcase, so it's a super cool spot to check out before heading to the airport. And the displays! The Challenger Space Shuttle is always one of my favorites. You can't fully appreciate the size until you stand under and walk around it. Displays range from history of rockets to air balloons, early winged aircraft, military planes, commercial flight (there's a Concord on display), small aircraft and satellites. So much to take in!! The displays do change, so there's always something new to see when we've gone thru. All the docents are super friendly and engaging and they have several small interactive displays to help stoke the interest in air & space for the youngins as well!

Amazing! Incredible! These just scratch the surface of what you can experience at this museum…read more Having been to the National Air & Space Museum in the past, I remember when this extension opened near IAD. The big draw at the time, the Space Shuttle Columbia and a Skunkworks SR-71. Both highly impressive, more on that later. We arrived on a Monday just after it opened at 10am. It was like Romper Room with all the unruly kids blocking the entrance and cause a disturbance. Sadly the chaperones didn't seem to care. No entry fee to visit the center, there's even a free bus of you have an extended layover in IAD, but parking is $15. Still well worth the cost without the crowds in DC visiting the other museums. There are some great exhibitions! Lots of aircraft from a SPAD to a JSF. It was neat to see some private aviation aircraft along with lighter than air and aerobatics. The commercial side of aviation was a bit lacking. Yes, the Concorde is very impressive but neurons that and a Dash-80, annotation seemed to end about 1995. The space exhibitions were excellent. The Columbia was highly impressive to walk around and take in this has been to spaces numerous times and the first shuttle in space. Satellites, modern mission equipment, like Mars explorers AB's various heavy boosters. Was neat to see equipment from the early years of NASA, Mercury, Gemini and the legends who made history. The Vietnam and Korean displays were some of the best from MiGs to F-14s to the JSF. Really awesome to get up close and personal with these aircraft AB's pilots who flew them. The SR-71 is attire the display in the middle of the center with lots of information on its, little more than hour flight time from LAX to IAD. Just so much to see. But something you can do in a few hours, or all day off you want to read AB's experience all there is. Not as overwhelming as the Air & Space Museum but still highly impressive from young kids to aviation enthusiasts and everyone in between. Highly recommend this stop!