Cute little museum! The best part are the otters, you can see them swimming around and they are…read morepretty active. They also have some other aquatic life like turtles and fish that are cool. You can spend a hour or two in here if you wanted to

Location Just off the highway…read more Parking Large lot Tour Children's area, frog and fish area, the history of the area-boats, wildlife, and MORE! Lighthouse in the back- refurbished and furnished. Guides provide additional information. Summary Informative introduction to the area. Loved it!!

Absolutely love this one! I was in the area and had an hour before I needed to hit the road... I…read morewas late hitting the road! There is so much to see you cannot possibly see it all in an hour. There are a ton of aircraft displays, engines, and even a few videos. A good mixture of indoor and outdoor displays. Wear comfortable shoes so you can walk around a lot. I am a history buff, and was stationed at NAS PAX in the 1980's so I was very interested in all the historical information the museum presented. I WILL be back!

My wife and I took a Saturday drive and ended up at the museum mid-afternoon. Approaching the…read moremuseum, we saw all the aircraft parked outside on their ramp. A bonus for EV drivers is their onsite fast charger. Driving here from NoVA, we could use the charge. Admission to the museum is $10 per person. There are a couple of displays inside along with a gift shop. We quickly headed outside though to check out the aircraft. My wife's favorite was the A4 Scooter with its skinny head-on profile and Blue Angels heritage. My favorite was the Osprey. I had no idea the rotors were that large on it. We took a lap inside the gift shop before heading back on the highway with a full charge. We spent about 90 minutes checking out all the aircraft there and enjoyed our visit.

A hidden gem! Friendly, knowledgeable staff, excellent exhibits, great kid section on the top…read morefloor, neat options in the gift shop. All with no admissions fee!

What a well done museum in an unexpected place!! We were looking for a day trip from our home in…read moreNorfolk and saw this one on TripAdvisor. Since it is only about 20 miles from the bridge tunnel up the shore (one of my favorite places on earth!), we decided to check it out. SO glad we did! And since admission is free, it made the bridge tunnel toll worth it! When you walk in you are greeted by the most friendly docent who gives you a brief background of the museum and what it's about. She told us they have several films and asked if we wanted to watch any of them. We did - "Our Island Home" gives you a terrific view of what life on Hog Island was like before it was abandoned from people who were actually born there. After whatever movie(s) you want to watch, you are "free range" to explore the museum. It is SO well done. I could have roamed around for longer than the 2 hours we were there (but I'm a museum reader - I have to check out everything!). Definitely allow yourself a couple of hours to explore. The exhibits are fantastic and laid out well. All artifacts were donated or on loan from actual island families - they don't purchase their artifacts. I like that. Shows the love for the community that these people have. Definitely check out the attic! There are hands on things for the kids - it's hot up there in the summer though! I was fascinated by the twisted chimney (not going to tell you why it was built that way - you'll have to go find out for yourself!). This is a GREAT little stop if you are looking for something cool to do on your way up or down Rt. 13 on your way to your vacation or a great day trip from the VA Beach area. With all their many activities and programs, we will definitely be back!

Always hard to write a bad review of a cool attraction & I certainly can't here! The grounds are…read morewell kept, there is a nice museum & gift shop on the site - and- we had our own guided tour of the lighthouse & keepers' quarters. Staff on-site were friendly and informative. Museum had a lot of interesting information about the lighthouse and nearby area - also nice and cool on a hot day ;) If you're a lighthouse buff - this should definitely be on your to-see list!

Great lighthouse, friendly staff, nice museum and Keepers home. Visit if you happen to be in the…read morearea.

BLUF: A wonderful museum consisting of 18 acres, many buildings and even a river cruise, telling…read morethe history about the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is one of those museums that I enjoy visiting every few years. Since they recently opened a new building I was excited to check it out. With limited time to explore, I stuck to the new building which has their admissions/ticket counter, various types of Chesapeake Bay boats, a well curated display case of ship models on display and a lovely gift shop. Oh, and let's not forget Sailor the Iron Dog! Two of my all time favorite exhibits at the museum are the display of oyster cans and the crab picking machine. I laugh every time I see the crab picking machine and I always marvel at all of the big oyster cans. Being able to go inside the Hooper Strait lighthouse is also fun. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum has lovely views of the river from shore but those who want a better view can take a cruise or sail on one of various historic vessels. Another things that makes CBMM great is its plentiful parking and close proximity to downtown Saint Michaels.

At $20 per person, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was a bit of a letdown…read more They currently have an exhibit entitled "Sailing to Freedom" and that was the main reason for our stop here, especially considering we have recently visited a different nautical museum which was similarly priced and fantastic. Unfortunately the exhibit was small and, if I'm being honest, boring. The grounds here are not very large and are composed mostly of old wooden boats, bells, and a lighthouse, which was by far the highlight of our visit. They claim that the grounds are dog friendly however there isn't much to see outside so I would not recommend bringing a dog. I wouldn't personally recommend bringing children either as it doesn't seem like they would have a good time here. There were five or six children present during our visit and they were literally just running in circles on the grass. I understand that our visit was during the off-season but it was a wasn't a very good use of time or money in my opinion.

To start the young man at the front desk was very welcoming, professional, and knowledgeable. The…read moregrounds outside were well kept and extremely clean. Closed toed shoes for walking around the park is a must, I went unprepared with flip flops. The restrooms inside were also clean. There's a gift shop and a library as well. The exhibit was very well done and I absolutely loved how interactive it was, it's also handicap accessible and self guided! I definitely recommend checking out the wildlife drive across the street at blackwater refuge, we saw the statue of Harriet Tubman catching a muskrat to then seeing one at the refuge!

Beautifully done. This National Historical Park is well maintained and full of interactive…read moreexhibits. The space is handicap accessible and most exhibits include easy to read fonts and braille. I would definitely recommend this educational experience to learners of all ages.

This is easily the best museum I have ever visited…read more The exhibits are epic in scope and absolutely stunning. The architecture is just as impressive--it's a fantastic homage to the iconic US Marine Corps War Memorial. Wandering the grounds is an experience in itself; they are immense and exceptionally well-maintained, reflecting the quality found inside. During my recent visit, a museum employee who overheard my dad and me discussing the landscaping nearby (not the museum's, which is pristine!) politely stopped to ask for feedback, eager to address any potential issues. That commitment to excellence blew us away. The museum also hosts events beautifully. My brother, who just transitioned from Gunnery Sergeant to 2nd Lieutenant after graduating from OCS, had his celebratory banquet catered by the museum on the second floor. The food was delicious and varied--we had fried chicken, pulled pork, mac and cheese, salad, crackers, fruit, and dessert, among other food choices, plus a small cash bar. The area was nicely laid out, and the banquet tables looked sharp. For everyday amenities, there are two spots to eat, including the iconic Tun Tavern, plus a fantastic, well-stocked gift shop (though be prepared for the prices!). This museum is an absolute must-see.

Food is spectacular! All the staff there are so welcoming, friendly, and very attentive. I adore…read morethe atmosphere in the restaurant with all the paintings and decorations overall a 10 out of 10 experience.

Pretty substandard NPS. Reasonable location to preserve but the interpretative execution is…read moreextremely antiquated. (Eg park film is from mid 70s.). Friendly rangers. Nice junior ranger program. Would not go out of way to visit this park.

We took the guided tour here. Our tour guide, the park ranger were very passionate and…read moreknowledgeable. If you love history, this place is worth visiting.

What an amazing experience! Beautiful land with knowledgeable historians throughout the property…read more I had a great afternoon exploring the Historic City. I was able to walk around the property on the paved pathways and not only see and read about the history of the buildings, but also hear from live historians and some of the locations. I arrived later in the afternoon and received my ticket at a discounted price ($3.50) compared to the $10 admission fee charged during the day for adults. I loved learning the history of this area while visiting from out of town. I highly recommend stopping if you can, but do give yourself minimum 2 hours (or more!!) to get through everything. I did miss out on viewing the plantation and a few of the smaller building

St Mary's City was the first capital of Maryland and established as a place of religious freedom…read more We were in nearby Leonardtown MD visiting the giant Rubber Duck and lucked across this historic site. There are a number of reconstructed buildings and archeological digs on the site. The interpreters at the Ordinary (a pub/rooming house) and the print shop really connected us with the spirit of this historic town. The reconstruction of the old church with video explanation of the burials there also brought the town to life. The boat was docked out in the water so we couldn't board it but we were provided tickets to come back at a later date. Worth a visit if you are into history and don't mind walking a bit. Paths are mostly paved but a bit rough. Definitely wear sunscreen and a shade hat in summertime.