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Community Resources & Things to Do · Showing 24 of 266 resources
Gaithersburg
Activity Center at Bohrer Park
A city recreation campus combining a skate park, water park, mini golf and activity center. Skate park, summer water park and mini golf in one place; indoor activity center for rainy days; city-run pricing.
Cost
Entry to the Activity Center at Bohrer Park and at least some exhibits (e.g., Activity Center Gallery) is free; fees apply only for specific amenities/programs such as the Fitness Zone, pickleball, and youth programs, each with its own daily/membership charges.
Best fit
kids, teens
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- indoor fitness center for teens and parents ↗
- two large indoor gymnasiums with basketball courts ↗
- multi-purpose rooms for classes and activities ↗
- outdoor 18-hole miniature golf course ↗
- fishing pond beside picnic areas ↗
- Bohrer Park open space and walking trails ↗
- mini-golf games with per-round and unlimited options ↗
- Recreation Super Pass covering multiple facilities ↗
Programs
- Recreation Super Pass access program ↗
Washington
Anacostia Community Museum (Smithsonian)
The Smithsonian's neighborhood-focused community museum east of the river. Free daily; exhibitions built with and about DC communities; small enough for a short visit with young kids; a genuinely under-visited Smithsonian.
Cost
"Free Admission."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- outdoor plaza hosting seasonal ACM Farm Stand ↗
- George Washington Carver Nature Trail behind museum ↗
- interactive activism quiz and button-making station ↗
- Weekly FRESHFARM ACM Farm Stand with local produce ↗
- drop-in arts and crafts workshops for families ↗
- Indoor Sunburst Lounge space for family programs ↗
- on-site parking for museum visitors ↗
Abingdon
Anita C. Leight Estuary Center
A county estuary education center at Otter Point Creek on the upper Chesapeake. Discovery Room; a 300-gallon turtle pond; marsh boardwalks and canoe programs; part of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Cost
General admission to the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center building and Leight Park grounds is free; some specific programs, canoe/kayak trips, and events require paid registration or fees.
Best fit
kids, teens, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- hands-on exhibits on Chesapeake Bay ecology ↗
- animal encounters with turtles, snakes and other ambassadors ↗
- critter programs where kids can help feed animals ↗
- trails through tidal marsh and forest habitats ↗
- canoe and kayak access to Otter Point Creek ↗
- pontoon boat excursions on the creek ↗
- citizen science activities like fish seining and marsh surveys ↗
- summer outdoor camps focused on estuary ecology ↗
Washington
Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC)
A DC government aquatic education center inside Anacostia Park with a wall of aquariums. About 20 aquariums of native Potomac/Anacostia fish; free fishing clinics; hands-on watershed education; right on the Anacostia River.
Cost
Free fishing clinics and programs (DOEE-run public facility).
Best fit
kids, teens, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- over 40 species of local fish on display ↗
- aquariums of Anacostia and Chesapeake Bay species ↗
- walk-in aquarium tours Tuesday-Friday afternoons ↗
- close-up encounters with aquatic animal ambassadors ↗
- aquatic-based environmental education lessons onsite ↗
- boat rides on Anacostia River for some groups ↗
Stafford
Aquia Landing Park
A county beach park at the confluence of Aquia Creek and the Potomac, and a historic Underground Railroad departure point. Free sandy beach and swimming; restrooms on site; excellent bird and dragonfly watching; open daily 8 a.m. to dusk.
Cost
"Free."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
Programs
- Picnic shelter rentals for group outings ↗
Baltimore
Baltimore Museum of Art
A major art museum with a large Matisse collection and a dedicated hands-on education center. Always-free general admission; Joseph Education Center with hands-on family activities; free sculpture garden; adjacent to Johns Hopkins' Homewood campus.
Cost
Free — "General admission is always free" (reservations recommended).
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- Experience Gallery with playful artist-designed installations ↗
- Wall of Wonder with interactive digital art displays ↗
- discovery drawers with artists' material samples to touch ↗
- Insight Lab for art exploration and experiments ↗
- Book Nook and Quiet Room for reading and downtime ↗
- detective-style gallery games for families ↗
- act-it-out activities using paintings as prompts ↗
- downloadable family art projects from collections ↗
Leesburg
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve
A 699-acre county nature preserve with an extensive trail network, open on scheduled days. 15 miles of trails across 699 acres; grassland and stream habitats; volunteer-led hikes and bird walks; one of the quietest large preserves in NoVA.
Cost
General admission to Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve is free; the Loudoun County facilities page lists Admission Fee: N/A. Some special programs or organized educational activities may have separate fees, but there is no charge to enter the preserve grounds during normal operating hours.
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
Prince Frederick
Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary
One of the northernmost bald-cypress swamps in North America, with a boardwalk and small nature center. Quarter-mile elevated boardwalk into a primeval cypress swamp; nature center exhibits; genuinely unusual habitat for the mid-Atlantic; free.
Cost
Free — the county facility page lists cost as "None."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- interpretive exhibits on swamp ecology and cultural history ↗
- live animal exhibits with turtles, snakes and owls ↗
- nature trail and boardwalk through bald cypress stand ↗
- outdoor raptor enclosures with owl and hawk ↗
- nature pond attracting butterflies in season ↗
- classes and demonstrations on local wildlife and habitats ↗
- field trips highlighting swamp's natural and cultural heritage ↗
Boyds
Black Hill Discovery Center
A lakeside discovery center in Black Hill Regional Park on Little Seneca Lake. Children's corner and exhibits; ADA wraparound deck overlooking the lake; natural play spaces, native gardens, pond, meadow and an Earth Bench; boat rentals and 20+ miles of trails in the park.
Cost
General admission to Black Hill Discovery Center and exhibits is free; however, many organized programs, classes, and pontoon boat activities charge per-participant fees.
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families, sen
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- Little Seneca Lake overlook ↗
- native plant gardens ↗
- natural play spaces ↗
- pond and meadow ↗
- exhibits and children's corner ↗
- trails ↗
- information desk with park maps and naturalist staff ↗
- indoor exhibits about local ecosystems and wildlife ↗
- children's corner for hands-on nature activities ↗
- nature programs aligned to MCPS curriculum K-12 ↗
- girl scout badge programs using real-life field experiences ↗
- pontoon boat tours on Little Seneca Lake ↗
Alexandria
Boardwalk Astronomy at Huntley Meadows Park
Evening astronomy programs held out on the wetland boardwalk, away from tree cover. Stargazing from a marsh boardwalk inside the Beltway; naturalist-led; ages 8+; combines wildlife listening with astronomy.
Cost
Park entry is free (no entry fee for individuals or families); program registration may apply.
Best fit
kids, teens, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 8 and up
What's here
- naturalist-led constellation tour along wetland boardwalk ↗
- stargazing focused on current night-sky events ↗
- guided discussion of comets and deep-sky objects ↗
- opportunity to listen for beavers, owls and wetland wildlife ↗
- evening program inside large freshwater wetland ↗
- small-group astronomy experience away from city lights ↗
Programs
- Boardwalk Astronomy ↗
Loudoun County
Brambleton Library makerspace & soundproof Recording Studio (LCPL)
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces; a library card is not required, and trained staff provide assistance.
Cost
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces ; Children’s events include LEGO Creators at Ashburn, Builders Free Play at Middleburg, Puzzles and Games at Brambleton, and Little Artists at Lovettsville.
Best fit
kids, teens
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Wheaton
Brookside Gardens
A 50-acre award-winning public display garden inside Wheaton Regional Park. Free admission to a botanical garden; Children's Garden and seasonal Butterfly Garden (ticketed); conservatories; in the same park as the ice arena, train, carousel and Brookside Nature Center.
Cost
Free — "Admission to the gardens is free."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- conservatories ↗
- Children's Garden ↗
- Rose Garden and Butterfly Garden ↗
- Japanese-style Gude Garden ↗
- Aquatic and Azalea gardens ↗
- Fragrance Garden ↗
- Woodland Walk ↗
- The Butterfly Experience (seasonal exhibit) ↗
- Garden of Lights (winter) ↗
- 50-acre public display garden with themed areas ↗
- Visitor Center with information desk and exhibits ↗
- Brookside Gardens Gift Shop for nature-themed items ↗
Wheaton
Brookside Nature Center
A nature center in Wheaton Regional Park with a wooded nature play area and interpretive boardwalks. Wooded nature play area; accessible interpretive boardwalks through forest habitat; pond with great blue herons; the 1870s Harper Homestead on site.
Cost
Official Montgomery Parks pages for Brookside Nature Center list no general admission charge; external descriptions confirm that admission to the nature center and its grounds is free. Some programs, classes, and field trips have separate fees.
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families, sen
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- indoor wildlife exhibits ↗
- accessible interpretive boardwalks ↗
- pond with great blue heron viewing ↗
- wooded trails ↗
- 1870s Harper Homestead cabin ↗
- nature play area ↗
- live animal exhibits ↗
- children's discovery room ↗
- observation beehive ↗
- historic 1870s pioneer cabin ↗
- native plant gardens ↗
- miles of hiking trails ↗
Middletown
Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center
A Frederick County park and nature center along Catoctin Creek. Nature center with natural-history exhibits and programs; creekside hiking; playground and pavilion; fishing.
Cost
No general admission fee is charged for entry to Catoctin Creek Park or its nature center during regular public hours; some optional programs (e.g., birthday parties) have separate fees.
Best fit
families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- interactive exhibits on local wildlife and ecosystems ↗
- discovery areas with hands-on nature activities ↗
- live animal displays featuring regional species ↗
- nature programs and activities for children and adults ↗
- field trips aligned with Maryland science standards ↗
- multi-sensory trail experience for preschool-third graders ↗
- creekside walks to watch and listen for wildlife ↗
Baltimore County
Catonsville Branch Recording Studio (BCPL)
The Catonsville Branch has a free recording studio for recording songs, podcasts, and spoken-word pieces. Each studio has a soundproofed recording space and a mixing space.
Cost
The Catonsville Branch has a free recording studio for recording songs, podcasts, and spoken-word pieces. Each studio has a soundproofed recording space and a mixing space.
Best fit
Students
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Glen Echo
Clara Barton National Historic Site
The home and early Red Cross headquarters of Clara Barton — the first NPS site dedicated to a woman's achievements. Free ranger-guided house tours Fridays and Saturdays 1–4 p.m.; a 38-room house built partly from Red Cross relief supplies; next door to Glen Echo Park's carousel and arts campus.
Cost
Free — "Entrance – Free."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Runs weekly, year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Free ranger-guided house tours Fridays and Saturdays 1–4 p.m
What's here
Sterling
Claude Moore Park (Vestal's Gap Discovery Room)
A 357-acre county park with a discovery room, historic buildings and trails. Vestal's Gap Discovery Room with live animals; historic buildings and colonial-road trace; ponds and woodland trails; Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum on site.
Cost
"Park admission is free."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- 11 miles of hiking trails ↗
- 2 fishing ponds ↗
- Vestal's Gap Visitor Center Discovery Room ↗
- Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum ↗
- historic 1700s-1880s structures ↗
- sportsplex fields ↗
- sand/nature play area ↗
- nature center ↗
- Discovery Room with hands-on activities and live animals ↗
- two fishing ponds for catch-and-release fishing ↗
- picnic areas and open meadows for family play ↗
- birding and wildlife viewing opportunities ↗
McLean
Clemyjontri Park
A two-acre fully accessible playground where children of all abilities play side by side, plus a carousel. Four color-coded play areas with ramped equipment, a swing for wheelchair users and Braille/ASL panels; a carousel; rubberized surfacing throughout; free.
Cost
Free (park open 7 a.m. to dusk).
Best fit
kids, sen
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
Programs
- Clemyjontri Park Open House ↗
Parkville
Cromwell Valley Park (Willow Grove Nature Education Center)
A county park with animal exhibits, a nature education center and historic farmsteads. Animal exhibits in the Willow Grove Nature Education Center; historic lime kilns and farm buildings; maple sugaring and seasonal programs; meadow and stream trails.
Cost
General admission to Cromwell Valley Park and the Willow Grove Nature Education Center is free; no gate or daily admission fee is listed. Some special programs (e.g., group, scout, or school programs) may have separate program fees.
Best fit
kids, teens, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- Children's Garden near Willow Grove area ↗
- Nature Discovery Zone outdoor play and learning area ↗
- outdoor classroom for hands-on nature lessons ↗
- live amphibians and reptiles exhibits in nature center ↗
- hands-on natural history displays inside Willow Grove house ↗
- interpretive farm history and conservation exhibits ↗
- trail network including Meadow and Minebank Run trails ↗
- scenic overlook and hawk watch viewing area ↗
Rockville
Croydon Creek Nature Center
A city-run nature center inside Rock Creek Regional Park's Rockville section. Live animal ambassadors; hands-on exhibits; forested trails from the door; free walk-in access.
Cost
Free — "The center is free and open to the public."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
Baltimore
Cylburn Arboretum
A 200-acre city arboretum around a Gilded Age mansion, with a small nature center. Roughly three miles of paved paths and woodland trails; Nature Center with hands-on tree/root and Maryland-ecosystem displays; mansion porch and a hill made for rolling down; free parking.
Cost
Free — "There are no fees to enter the Arboretum. Some events may require an admission fee." Parking is free on-site.
Best fit
kids, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- Nature Education Center exhibit hall on trees and local habitats ↗
- teaching garden with native plants beside Nature Education Center ↗
- year-round arboretum grounds open Tuesday through Sunday ↗
- Nature Education Center indoor classroom space for visiting groups ↗
- field trip visits for school groups with nature lessons ↗
- drop-in nature-themed activities Saturdays at the Education Center ↗
- tree-focused displays in the Nature Education Center garden ↗
- seasonal native plant gardens around the mansion and carriage house ↗
Arlington
DEA Museum
The Drug Enforcement Administration's public museum in Pentagon City. More than 40 hands-on activities; Junior Special Agent program; forensics and undercover-operations exhibits; free and steps from the Metro.
Cost
Free.
Best fit
kids, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
What's here
- Illegal Drugs in America: A Modern History exhibit ↗
- Good Medicine, Bad Behavior: Drug Diversion in America ↗
- DEA at 50 exhibit on agency milestones ↗
- interactive timelines on history of drug use in America ↗
- cannabis, coca, and poppy science and regulation exhibits ↗
- Faces of Fentanyl memorial exhibit ↗
- virtual mission where visitors role-play DEA operations ↗
- education room with distance learning technology ↗
Charles County
Drop the Mic Recording Studio, P.D. Brown Memorial Branch (CCPL)
Drop the Mic Recording Studio at the P.D. Brown Memorial Branch is a free, full-scale professional recording studio with a sound booth, microphones, recording equipment, and mixing equipment
Cost
Drop the Mic Recording Studio at the P.D. Brown Memorial Branch is a free, full-scale professional recording studio with a sound booth, microphones, recording equipment, and mixing equipment ; The recording studio is available to all users, uses 30-minute reservation increments, has no meeting-room fees, and requires an adult to accompany children age 11 and younger
Best fit
kids, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Baltimore
Earl Teen Center & Teen Creation Station, Central Library (Enoch Pratt)
Teen Creation Station, a makerspace for teens in grades 6–12 at the Earl Teen Center, Central Library, offering workshops and one-on-one creative assistance
Cost
Studio use is free ; Free SAT preparation is offered through Peterson’s Test Prep
Best fit
kids, teens
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.