10 Museums in Montgomery County That You Shouldn't Miss

The Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery is located in the historic freeman's village of Sandy Spring founded in 1728. Learn about the heritage of Blacks through the middle passage building America, salvation of the Underground Railroad,the struggle for civil rights and more. Tour a slaving clipper ship,step into an 18th century cabin and a replica of Nelson Mandela's childhood home.

Art glass gallery and glass-making studio with classes and workshops

It's all about community. The Sandy Spring Museum is a place where people can develop meaningful connections by exploring community history through the visual, literary and performing arts. The Sandy Spring Museum began when a group of residents noted that the community's history was being sold off with every passing of a long-time resident. The organization was incorporated in 1981 by volunteers who set up shop in the basement of the Sandy Spring Bank. For many years, they operated out of the bank, exhibiting artifacts in hand-made cases and hosting many lectures on local history. It was this group who started the Strawberry Festival, which has become part of the community's history itself! The museum moved to the residence Tall Timbers in 1986 and celebrated its grand re-opening in 1997 at its permanent location on Bentley Road. The land on which the museum sits was donated by the Bentley Family, whose ancestors moved to Sandy Spring in the late 1700s. In 2007, the museum complex was completed with the addition of a state-of-the-art research library and collections storage facility. The museum, which sits on 7 beautifully landscaped acres, is the heart of the Sandy Spring community.

Guided by the personal vision of its founders, Glenstone assembles post-World War II artworks of the highest quality that trace the greatest historical shifts in the way we experience and understand art of the 20th and 21st centuries. These works are presented in a series of refined indoor and outdoor spaces designed to facilitate meaningful encounters for our visitors. Admission is always free.

Local history full steam ahead at the Gaithersburg Community Museum! Located in the restored 1884 B&O Railroad complex in Olde Towne, the museum bridges Gaithersburg's past and present for visitors of all ages. Exhibits in the Freight House and rail cars explore our rich history and hands-on learning centers for children spark the imagination. The Station, an active commuter stop, houses dining and restroom facilities, and the outdoor interpretive spaces, with the ever-popular rolling stock, offer the possibility of experiencing the sights and sounds of the trains that frequently rumble past the Museum. Nearby Observatory Park is home to the Gaithersburg International Latitude Observatory. Operating from 1899-1982, the Observatory was one of six worldwide that measured the wobble of the earth on its polar axis leading to improved navigation and significant scientific discoveries. This outdoor interpretive space highlights the importance of the scientific work conducted here for nearly a century.