St. Mary's County Maryland Visitor Guide 2025 - Magazine - Page 21
H I S T O RY
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
TO ST. MARY’S MUSEUMS
The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum is a must-visit
for aviation enthusiasts. It is the only naval museum
in the United States dedicated to aviation research,
development, testing, and evaluation. Walk through
fascinating displays of crew system artifacts, ejection
seats, radar, test instrumentation, and uncrewed
aerial vehicles. Try your hand at the Mach Combat
simulators, check out the impressive outdoor flight line
of 25 naval aircraft, and plan for plenty of time to browse
the gift shop, which offers a large selection of books, art
prints, models, apparel, and other aviation merchandise.
TA K E A T O U
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Climb to the top of the oldest lighthouse on the Potomac River
at the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park and
take a tour of the keeper’s quarters. The museum’s maritime
exhibit offers insight into the lives of the watermen who
worked the river and is home to six historic wooden vessels,
including a skipjack and bugeye boat. Take advantage of the
kayak launch, boardwalk, and picnic areas while you’re there.
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Don’t miss the Women in Aviation exhibit, where you’ll hear
the inspiring stories of women who have contributed to
naval aviation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, including
pilots, naval flight officers, engineers, and mechanics.
Head to where it all began for Maryland! Watch a short film at the
St. Clement’s Island Museum and learn about the treacherous voyage
made by the colonists who landed on St. Clement’s Island in 1634.
The museum also offers a history of local watermen. Take a water taxi
to uninhabited St. Clement's Island State Park, where you can enjoy a
peaceful picnic, take a tour of the picturesque recreation of Blackistone
Lighthouse, and visit the memorial cross dedicated to the first colonists
who sought religious toleration.
A visit to Leonardtown isn’t complete without a stop at the Old Jail Museum,
built in 1876 and used through 1945. Visitors can explore the downstairs jail
keeper’s quarters and the prisoners’ cells upstairs. The museum is one of
four National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites in
St. Mary’s, and you can learn about the five freedom seekers once held there.
DID YOU KNOW?
A World War II-era German submarine lies sunken in the
waters of the Potomac only a mile from Piney Point.
Learn more about Maryland's first underwater diving
preserve while you’re there!
VISIT ST. MARY’S MARYLAND
