History museum programs in Laurel, Maryland

Montpelier House Museum, located at 9650 Muirkirk Road in Laurel, Maryland, is a historic landmark that was home to the Snowdens, plantation and ironworks owners, and the 169 people they enslaved. The museum offers tours and public programs to preserve the histories of all who lived there. The gift shop features a variety of items including tea and teapots, Fair Trade items, books, decorative items, and old-fashioned toys. The museum also hosts the annual Festival of Herbs, Tea, and the Arts, as well as themed tours, workshops, and exhibitions. Montpelier House Museum offers programs for groups of all ages, including private, public, and home school groups. Programs cover a range of themes such as African American history, Native American culture, music and dance, and the importance of community. Advanced registration and payment are required for group tours and programs, which typically last 1-1.5 hours.

High Ridge Park, located at 10100 Superior Avenue in Laurel, Maryland, is a historic park and tourist attraction with a rich history dating back to the colonial era. This park is part of the larger Blandair Regional Park, which includes the North, West, and East sections in Columbia, Maryland. The park offers a variety of outdoor activities and amenities, including multi-purpose fields, basketball courts, skate park, pickleball courts, pathways, and shade structures. The land on which High Ridge Park is situated has been inhabited by various Native American tribes, European settlers, and African Americans over the centuries. The park's history includes ownership by prominent families such as the Talbots, Dorseys, Howards, and Weems, who were involved in farming and slave ownership. The property was eventually purchased by Theodorick Bland, who named it "Blandair" in the mid-19th century.

The M-NCPPC Dinosaur Park, located in Laurel, Maryland, is a unique paleontological park owned by the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County. Visitors can participate in educational experiences and assist park staff in uncovering fossils that are 115 million years old from the Early Cretaceous period. The park is home to Astrodon Johnstoni, the Maryland State dinosaur, and offers public days from October to May, as well as private educational programs for schools, homeschool groups, and special events. Visitors can explore the park and collect fossils with the help of paleontologists, or join in on a multi-year dig project to extract buried fossils. The park also offers off-site presentations about the Early Cretaceous period for those unable to visit in person. Dinosaur Park's history dates back to the discovery of dinosaur fossils in Prince George’s County by African American miners in the 1800s, and continues to be a site of ongoing fossil discoveries today.