Fantastic museum tucked away in MD, only a 45 min drive out of DC. Visited two years ago in the…read moresummer and went back this week in the fall. Enjoyed a delicious lunch at the cafe, which was under renovation the last time we went. Highly recommend the chicken sandwich. The coffee was also out of this world--maybe our highlight of the day. Very whimsical to watch all the guests walking around draped in Andrea Bowers protest ribbons (which were also at the NMWA!), and the rainy weather added to the ethereal experience. There are free umbrellas in the arrival hall. They cap the guests per day so it never feels crowded; oftentimes, you're the only visitor in a room. Only downside is the weird cult-ish vibe of the greeters at the arrival hall. Both times they've been aloof and unfriendly. But once you make it into the main area, everyone we spoke to was lovely. Service is pretty spotty unless you're indoors on the guest WiFi! There is ample parking and they have shuttles that can take you back to your car from the main area.

I love coming here and the art installations are always so nice and interesting to see. I love how…read moreminimalistic the design and layout of the museum is and I especially love the outdoor experience of walking around and looking at the outdoor art. The staff are always so friendly and welcoming. It's been becoming hard to get tickets now since it always gets sold out fast! However I was able to get tickets and experience their summer music series for the first time. It was a wonderful time listening to live music outdoor and enjoying lite bites and drinks from their cafe patio.

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!

(4.15) ~ Very good afternoon tea w. music & speaker for a good cause:)…read more MENU HIGHLIGHTS (see photos): ** Fig & Brie Croissant = (4.35) Our fav! ** Caramelized Onion Quiche Bite = (4.15) Very tasty ** Tomato Canape = (4.15) Very good ** Mini Lemon Cheesecake Bite = (4.15) Very tasty ** Strathmore Tea Blend (Harney & Sons) = (4) very good & I like to squeeze some lemon into it;) ** Water (tap) = (4) very good, must be filtered;) ** Everything else on the menu was very good too = (4)

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.

Very interesting exhibits! It's free so you can't really complain regardless, but honestly I really…read moreenjoyed my trip!

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.

I really enjoyed the overall concept and creative vision of this museum. It has a lot going in its…read morefavor. It has a prime location within easy walking distance of Metro center, in the beautiful old Franklin building. The staff are friendly and helpful. There is no charge for entry although donations are very welcome. One could almost go exclusively to visit the gift shop and the museum cafe as they are both so nice and full of fun things to feast the senses on. But for now I will stick to the museum. You start on the third floor and work your way down. There are displays for all ages and levels of interest, from very technical linguistics to basic "repeat after me". There's karaoke for the brave, joke telling for the dads, a Photo Booth for the tweens and an absolutely epic library in which fairy tales come to life. There's also a section on advertising and it's lures. The café is really fabulous and delicious and gives you a true taste of the global plate that America thankfully has adopted. I thoroughly enjoyed my West African chicken and shrimp curry. I was only sad that it was too early in the day on a weekday and with kids to enjoy one of their dozens of fantabulous looking cocktails! I'll have to go back for that!

We went here with some friend while visiting the DC. area. It was very fun and interesting I wish I…read moretook more pictures. They had a room with a digital globe in it where you learned about different languages. Another room talked about telling jokes and you would sit and tell jokes to one another. There was a karaoke room where you learned about how music is constructed. There was a library which is like a Harry Potter room with a hidden door to a poetry nook. I would definitely recommend this place for $15.

I recently returned to Maryland after a decade away, and one of the first places I re-visited was…read morethe Sandy Spring Museum. I remembered it fondly as having lovely grounds and a small collection of interesting historical exhibits. Well, it still has beautiful grounds and some historical exhibits, but now most of its space is devoted to the work of local artists. It currently hosts colorful yarn sculptures that appear almost organic. Their beauty is enhanced by the diverse shapes and colors the artist chose for each grouping. It's a display that can be enjoyed by people of any age, and it's small enough that children won't get bored. The museum is free to visit, so anyone can enjoy what it has to offer. Highly recommended!

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.

I've come here a few times now and I've always enjoyed the experience…read more I brought my older kids here a few years back and they were a little too young to appreciate the advances in aviation that we can see over the whole museum. Luckily, they loved the space exhibit towards the back, including watching an Imax show about the Shuttle program. Went back recently with all the kids and the older ones were much more into the various planes/jets throughout the museum. The front desk has scavenger hunt sheets to help give littles a goal while exploring the space. They earned a small prize for completing it. Child #3 was able to get around fine in his stroller with various ramps and elevators throughout the musum. No matter your age, it is an impressive selection of aircraft, including some of the early prototypes from the late 19th century, up to more recent advances such as one of the Concordes. On one visit, there was a temporary display of a replica of the Wright Brothers' plane. Seeing those old aircrafts, to the stealth Blackbird, to the space shuttle Discovery, it's incredible just how far we've come in just a century. Make sure to go up the observation tower, where you can watch planes fly into Dulles. There's even a spot where you can listen in on air traffic control. When you see that a new plane comes in every 2 minutes (my wife and our friend counted one interval of just 90 seconds!), you truly appreciate the work that goes into modern aviation. The location is a bit out of the way of everything (it's about a half hour drive to DC or Alexandria), but there are some decent restaurants in Chantilly if you want to skip the resident Shake Shack for lunch. Parking is easy and relatively cheap (make departure easy and pay your parking pass before you drive away; otherwise you're sitting in line for a pay kiosk). The museum itself is free, so the excursion is quite the bargain.

Amazing exhibit of aircraft, you can easily spend the day immersing yourself in all of the history…read moreand background of all of the aircraft, including rocket ships! They also have an observatory with nice views of the surrounding greenery, an IMAX theater, and Shake Shack! Ample parking (with a small fee) but the exhibit itself is free!