I've been a student of the American Civil War for over 60 years. Recently, while visiting friends,…read moreI learned about the Monocacy National Battlefield where "The Battle That Saved Washington" was fought in July 1864. The Visitor Center is very nice with a electronic interpretive displays, as well as battlefield artifacts. There is a self-guided 4 mile (6 km) automobile tour of the battlefield and three walking loop trails. It was raining the day we visited, which curtailed exploring the Battlefield and its historical buildings. But I thoroughly enjoyed the the view of the Battlefield -- a rolling grassy field with dense forest around it -- and imagined what the battle may have looked like that day.

If you love history, specifically civil war history, make this a stop if you're in the area. Stop…read moreby the visitor's center first and pick up some guides & pamphlets to guide you on your journey through. Make sure you have a car, if not you'll be setting aside the whole day trying to walk it. Are you a jogger/cyclist? Love the outdoors? Then also make this a stop, maybe you'll learn something and pick up a few interests on your morning run. Do you fall into none of the previous categories? Well, maybe avoid it. Most of it just looks like big empty fields - it kind of is exactly that to the non-enthusiasts and imagination-deprived. The whole thing is free (including parking) for a budget friendly experience. My cons: 1). some portions lacked proper explanation as to what you were looking at. The "Grist Mill" location on the map did not have a mill. There was an office building with a "do not enter" sign and a small run down shack. Were either of those a mill? Sure didn't look like it. Did the mill just USED to stand here years ago? Who knows. As an actual history enthusiast I would've appreciated the ability to explore the historic buildings more. Several very old farmhouses related to the battle still stand and look in decent shape! Perhaps the budget does not allow, but it would be nice to place an employee at these places and allow people to tour. Also upon peering through the windows, it would seem a lot of history has been lost. The insides are barren and empty. Many times it felt like you'd get somewhere, step out and look at a field, then hop back in and go to the next place. This is coming from someone ACTUALLY interested. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'm sure there's something they could do to make the experience a bit more compelling.

We really like this falcon while we were in Frederick Maryland. Fredericks a cool little town it's…read moregot a lot of neat things to see and this is one of them with the island in lights fountain it was nice stick your hands in the water and cannot take photos with it and it just really brought the square of the town to life

amazing people work here wonderful security at the gates &…read morepolice keep us safe modern & upscale gym i work here as a postbacc at the National Cancer Institute, and the base here treats us amazingly! Thank you Fort Detrick

Military Museum [Frederick MD]…read more We had some time on our last day in MD before heading to the airport... from Linthicum Heights we drove some 50 miles to Frederick. We found a spot on a metered street parking in front of the museum. Admission is $9.50/adult. The museum is dedicated to telling the medical story of the Civil War. There are a lot to see... and learn. The exhibits were great and educational. We learned how the creation of Civil War medicine impacted the present day. Each gallery offered different exhibits following through the footsteps of the soldiers and surgeons and the harsh conditions and personal sacrifices they went through. I can't even imagine how they evacuate the wounded... an "ambulance" then was a wagon pulled by two horses and carted off to a medical facility. Or how about how they did amputations, amputations were the most common surgical operation during the conflict with more than 60,000 being performed. The wounded soldiers suffered different mortality rates depending on where the amputation took place on the body. There are two floors of exhibits. Stairs and an elevator are accessible to the top floor. There are bathrooms on both levels. I am not in the medical field and found the museum very interesting and educational. We didn't expect to stay as long as we did. We even got a parking ticket when we got back to our car ¯\_('~')_/¯ Review #3674

Two floors of exquisitely curated North and South artifacts. Plan on spending at least 90 minutes…read morehere. Public parking lot around the corner, very convenient; also street parking with meters. Charming, safe neighborhood.

The first of the three remaining covered bridges in Maryland that the family visited. It was built…read morein the first half of the 1800. This beautiful bridge was still being use during our visit. My daughter drove her vehicle through it for the ultimate experience. This location had no adjacent parking nor restroom facility.

The Utica Road Covered Bridge is a Burr truss wooden covered bridge located. Originally built in…read more1834, it spanned the Monocacy River at the Devilbiss Bridge crossing. An 1889 flood damaged the bridge and the surviving half was moved to Fishing Creek in 1891. A pier was inserted at the middle of the bridge to halve its span. The Utica Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The bridge is currently closed, which just means that you'll find it at one end or the other of a dead end road. The bridge is still open for pedestrian traffic. [Review 15592 overall - 637 in Maryland - 1096 of 2021.]

Such a great experience! Our guide did a wonderful job explaining things and helped our group of…read morestudents leave with new knowledge.

Located just off US-15, the Catoctin Furnace (also known as Catoctin Iron Furnace) is a historic…read moreiron forge. Only the smelting blast furnace remains and the forge is long gone. Catoctin Furnace was constructed in 1774 by four brothers Thomas, Baker, Roger and James Johnson to produce pig iron from locally mined hematite. In blast by 1776, the furnace provided ammunition (cannonballs) for the American Revolutionary War. Ultimately, three furnaces were built at the site, each named for the site. The first Catoctin Furnace was rebuilt a short distance away in 1787. The second, named Isabella was built in the 1850s by Jacob Kunkel (references give dates from 1853 to 1867). It still stands, within Cunningham Falls State Park. In 1973, the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc. was formed by G. Eugene Anderson, Clement E. Gardiner, J. Franklin Mentzer, and Earl M. Shankle to "foster and promote the restoration of the Catoctin Furnace Historic District...and to maintain the same exclusively for educational and scientific purposes...to exhibit to coming generations our heritage of the past..." The Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc., celebrates, studies, and preserves the rich history of this pre-revolutionary industrial village, including the architecture, cultural landscapes, lifeways, and foodways of the workers. This is a nice stop just off the highway for a bit of industrial era and Revolutionary War history. Several captions adorn the site pointing out the important parts. Much of the area is handicapped accessible. [Review 15590 overall - 635 in Maryland - 1094 of 2021.]

Last Saturday, we visited the largest, permanent, model railroad display in the mid-Atlantic, owned…read moreby the Baltimore Society for Model Engineers. The Society was founded in March 1932 and is the oldest exclusively model railroad club in the United States. They maintain 2,500 square feet of model railroad displays of steam and diesel freight and passenger trains and trolleys, plus so much more. It was fun to see all the parts of the display - it really gives you a glimpse into the history of railroading. It is not easy to find, as the doorway is tucked into the left front center of the building and the society is located on the third floor with no elevator. The display is normally open on the second Sunday of each month, except May.

These gentlemen have been around 81 amazing years. Great family environment with extremely…read moreknowledgable guys working. Displays are very detailed and even showcase popular Baltimore landmarks.