Hagerstown, MD & Harpers Ferry, WV
Come explore the history Maryland has to offer. Take a walk into the past and visit the Hager House built in 1739 and the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum to learn about railroad history.
The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts has an outstanding collection of exhibitions, musical concerts, lectures, films, art classes and special events for children and adults throughout the year. The Discovery Station is a “hands on” learning museum that promotes science, technology and local history through displays and programs for the whole family. You could see a baseball game at Hagerstown Suns Municipal Stadium, which is one of the three oldest Minor League baseball stadiums in the country, or take a 40 minute tour and explore Crystal Grottos Caverns. In between Hagerstown and Harpers Ferry, you can stop at The Antietam National Battlefield which was not only the first major Civil War engagement on Northern soil, but was also the bloodiest single day battle in American history. At Fort Frederick State Park you can see a large stone fortification that has stood since the French and Indian War. Then visit the Washington Monument State Park, South Mountain State Battlefield or Gathland State Park. Enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife viewing on Greenbrier State Park’s trail which is a convenient connection to the Appalachian Trail. Forty miles of The Appalachian Trail is in Maryland and passes through the historic town of Harpers Ferry, within just a quarter-mile of the visitor center, providing opportunities to explore the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and its interpretive exhibits. Hiking and biking along the towpath are excellent ways to see the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
Washington, D.C.
Explore the abundant history, fine art, and fantastic exhibits that the nation’s capital has to offer. The National Mall is the most popular attraction where you can visit the major monuments, memorials and museums. Here you can tour the Capitol Building and White House, see the Washington Monument, Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, the Reflecting Pond, and the Vietnam, Korean, and WWII memorials. There are Nine Smithsonian Museums, including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM) which has the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world, the International Spy Museum with the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display, and the National Postal Museum which offers a unique collection of airmail planes, stagecoaches, rare stamps, letters, and a Pony Express exhibit. Then take the kids to the Capital Children’s Museum where they are encouraged to explore by touching, climbing, tasting and using their imagination to learn about the world around them. There are many art museums and galleries such as the National Gallery of Art. The National Zoo is combining wildlife with the best of natural history museums, botanic gardens, aquaria, and even art galleries. Enjoy a live theatre production at Ford’s Theatre or a Washington National Opera or Washington Ballet performance. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents more than 3,000 performances each year. Then get out and picnic, hike, bike, skate, play tennis or golf at Rock Creek Park which is one of the oldest and largest forested urban parks in the United States.