There are often festivals of one sort or another among the many shops, bars, and restaurants around…read moreMain Street in downtown Ellicott City. This is the first time we've made it to SpringFest (Apr 2025). It was amazing! SpringFest took over the entirety of Parking Lot D, south of Main Street behind the old Post Office building, plus several other locations around town, with walkable nearby satellite parking and a free shuttle all day. We skipped the kids'-activities towards the west end of downtown, but we did see the cute results of face-painting :-). Onstage by The Wine Bin, we enjoyed a 45-min set by a favorite local rock band, Gary and the Groove, always laying down great dancing music and well-crafted vocals. Their stage had live performances noon to 8pm! We heard an excellent Red Hot Chili Peppers rendition as we took a free shuttle to the east end of Main Street. We saw art and a dj in a small park, and, across the river, found a cute little courtyard we hadn't noticed before at Old Mill Cafe! It was a short uphill walk back up to Lot D, full-to-bursting with artisans and food vendors and shops. Amid throngs of people, we tasted Asian, Mexican, juice, and some snacks among eight or ten food vendors, and a few tables around the edges. We checked out cool merch from around 15 artists, flower sellers, ceramics, soft crafts, herbs, candles, and more. We heard live music from two more stages, with a wide range of tribute-bands and some cool musicians from Columbia's Soundcheck Academy. We loved the true-to-life Grateful Dead. The Band was a fun groove. Classics by Cure, Black Sabbath, Van Halen. Every song you ever heard, which means Billy Idol :-). We had to leave as The Talking Heads started up. Darn. We missed Bowie and Santana, too. Music here was also noon to 8pm, with slightly shorter hours on the student stage. A long lovely day, which reminds us to watch for more events in downtown Ellicott City!

Great place to walk and explore. Lots of fun stores and places to eat. There is a large free…read moreparking lot. Traffic can be congested, but this place is definitely worth the stroll. I like the bridge over the water and the local coffee shops.

I visited Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park with my husband and some of his family that were…read morein town for a visit. It was an interesting visit! The Patapsco Female Institute is a former girls' boarding school, which opened in 1837 and closed in 1891. After the school closed, the property was converted to and used as a summer hotel, a private home, a hospital during WWI, and theater. After it was abandoned and ignored for a period of time, the structure fell to ruins. The decision was made to stabilize the ruins, and that's what you'll see when you visit. The area is now a historic park, but pay attention to the park's hours. The ruins are gated and are only accessible when employees/docents are there. There's a small parking area as well as some portable toilets. But the ruins are what you'll be there to see and the staff were very helpful to understand the context of the ruins. The property has an interesting history, and I think it's worth a visit if you're interested in this little piece of Maryland history.

What a cool space. You can have weddings and other events here. I went to a ghost tour here. It…read moreused to be a well to do girls boarding school. Nowadays, there is also Shakespeare in the park here. There is a fire pit area.

Wide historic site crammed closely next to the local road. It's part of the War of 1812 trail and…read morethe Victorianesque House was used to hide message and post-rider horses during the War of 1812. Gravel turn off allows for a view of an old 3 floor white-wood house and surrounding pasture fields. Cemetery. Farm implements. History signs. Rebel review: 5

This is a large central library. You can't find free parking immediately around it, so you can…read moreeither search a ways or pay for the municipal garage, which adjoins the library, is quite large, and is not wildly expensive. It was a substantial facility offering a mix of reading materials and social services. I had no difficulty in locating a workspace, and wifi, charging, and air conditioning was mainly what I needed.

This is a really nice branch of the Baltimore County Public Library…read more What I like about Towson specifically: *Parking garage right next to it that makes finding a place to park a breeze *Employees are super helpful. I've had multiple employees assisting me in finding a book that was on hold and misplaced while placing a second book on hold while also assisting my daughter who had her own questions that needed answered. *Interactive games and activities in the kids area. They have scavenger hunts, corn hole, puppets and a kitchen area as well as a castle my kids love to read in. *Summer events designed to get kids reading and exploring things. We've participated in STEM activities and "field trips" as well as the summer reading competition over the last three summers. *Large collection of adult and kids books, video games, DVDs and STEM items for checkout *Employee recommendations and new books highlighted as soon as you enter the building from the parking garage What I like about the Baltimore County Public Library system: *Easy to place books on hold using their app *Checkout is simple, so simple, my kids can take care of their own *Books from other libraries that are placed on hold will be sent to the library that is closest to you. I love the Baltimore County Public Library system and Towson is my favorite branch that I've visited so far.

Great service, great snack food and cold drinks! What else could you ask for!? Top it all off with…read morea great crowd who is super welcoming. I love hanging out here.

Newly Renovated, RESPECTFUL to our SERVICE MEN and WOMEN!…read more Barmaids GREAT People !! Polite and Efficient !! Regulars weekly always GOOD People to talk and relax with! -- Everybody knows "Steve-O"

This is an art center in PG county where they have periodic art exhibitions and area for artists to…read morecreate art. We were here for the Twelfth Annual Artists on the Rise: Juried Teen Exhibition. There's a garden and the exhibition was on the first floor and could be accessed using a boardwalk. The gardens look nice for a walk. The facility is very neat and well maintained.

I have driven past the sign for Montpelier Mansion numerous times and finally decided to explore…read morethis historical landmark. The grounds are beautiful, with a lovely garden filled with wildflowers. I visited the ironworks exhibit, the carriage house, and the main office/gift shop. The staff are friendly, and there is plenty of parking.

This is an educational community gem. The staff is fabulous, offering wonderful activities and the…read moreschool is an essential addition to the community.

The VLP hosts a lot of community events that locals should really attend - resident-run classes (on…read morepop culture, beer, etc.), quiz nights (held once a month, BYOB, with prizes), Spaghetti Disco, Wine Auctions, and more. They have a booth at the Charles Village festival every year, with games and prizes, offer after-school and summer classes for kids, a computer lab, a library, and on and on. The sign-ups for childrens' classes fill up immediately, and tickets to most of their events sell out. That should tell you that if you're not involved, you're missing out. Most of what they offer is free - if you live nearby, take advantage.

Today was my first time at this library and it was super nice! It was very well-kept and the…read morelibrarians were extremely helpful and pleasant. There was a large number of books to choose from . There is also plenty of parking outside the library.

I love this library but I also grew up going to this library in middle school. They've made some…read morechanges inside which is nice, there's an updated children's area with places to play inside and outside along with computers for older kids to use. The adult side also has a lot of computers, sitting areas, study areas, a quiet room. There is scanning, printing, and faxing capabilities but they come with a cheap cost. Library cards are free and they have more than just books that can be borrowed. There are two private bathrooms. Plenty of parking out front, and it's directly across from the Aberdeen police and fire department! The staff members are always nice and willing to assist! There are self check out kiosks throughout, and if you want a contactless experience you can utilize their app or website to check out books and pick up right inside the front door. They host events for all ages throughout the week too! There is a big park and playground across the street from the library. There are so many great things about the library so definitely check this little gem out!!!!