Discover St. Mary's County 2009 - (Page 17) CHESAPEAKE BAY FIELD LAB AND SKIPJACK 16129 Piney Point Road Piney Point, MD 20674 www.thebaylab.org, 301-994-2245 Natural history and environmental tours of the area’s waterways aboard an authentic skipjack, the Dee of St. Mary’s. Schools and youth groups seine for fish, tong for oysters, learn which plants help the Bay stay healthy and participate in a wide variety of activities at the Sea-Fruit Oyster House where the skipjack docks. Classes and cruises aboard the skipjack must be scheduled in advance. The Dee may also be chartered for group and private events and crab feast cruises. Open to the public Apr.–Nov. by advance arrangement. OLD JAIL MUSEUM AND VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER 41680 Tudor Place Leonardtown, MD 20650 www.stmaryshistory.org, 301-475-2467 Built in 1858 and in use until 1942, the granite block and brick structure retains its original upstairs cells where prisoners were once segregated by gender and race. The jail keeper’s quarters downstairs house artifacts that relate county history. A cannon from the Ark, one of two ships that first brought colonists to Maryland, and later used to defend St. Mary’s City, is displayed on the grounds. National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site. The museum also serves as a county visitor information center. Open Wed.–Fri., 9 a.m.–2 p.m. PINEY POINT LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM & PARK 44701 Lighthouse Road Piney Point, MD 20674 301-769-2222 www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/museums Climb the oldest lighthouse on the Potomac River, constructed in 1836. The six-acre park that surrounds it offers picnic areas, a boardwalk, a pier, and a museum. The site once served as a summer resort for Washington dignitaries including several U.S. presidents. The museum details that story and also includes artifacts from the WWII U-1105 Black Panther German submarine, which lies just offshore in an area designated as the state’s first Historic Shipwreck Dive Preserve. Housed in a separate building is a collection of historic wooden boats including a skipjack. Maryland Civil War Trails Site. Grounds open sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week. The Museum and Lighthouse Lens Museum Shop open every day from Mar. 25 – Sept., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Open weekends only Oct.–third weekend in Dec., noon–4 p.m. DRAYDEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN SCHOOLHOUSE 18287 Cherryfield Road Drayden, MD 20630 301-769-2222 www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/museums One of the best preserved African-American schoolhouses in the country, the structure marks the era of segregated schools. Built in the late 1800s, it was used until the early 1940s when it was occupied as a residence. Interpretive site markers on the grounds tell the story. Tours by advance arrangement. PATUXENT RIVER NAVAL AIR MUSEUM 22156 Three Notch Road Lexington Park, MD 20653 www.paxmuseum.com, 301-863-1900 The Navy’s aircraft and flight systems have been evaluated and refined at “Pax River” since WWII. The museum conserves and presents that story, and is the nation’s only official Navy Museum dedicated to naval aviation research, development, testing and evaluation. Interior exhibits include a propulsion display, unmanned aerial vehicles (including a half-scale mockup of the X-47A Pegasus unmanned combat air vehicle), crew system artifacts, ejection seats, radars, and test instrumentation. An outdoor aircraft park displays 21 naval aircraft, and features both the X-32B and X-35C Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstrators tested at Pax River. For a nominal fee, visitors can fly in the sophisticated simulators of the resident Mach Combat™ facility. Museum Store. Open Tues.–Sun., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Guided tours and children’s educational activities available by advance appointment. POINT LOOKOUT STATE PARK LIGHTHOUSE & CIVIL WAR MUSEUM 11175 Point Lookout Road Scotland, MD 20687 www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/ pointlookout.html, 301-872-5688 Located at the southern tip of St. Mary’s County, Point Lookout served as a watch post during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. During the Civil War, it served as a Union hospital and then as a prison camp for captured Confederate soldiers. The park features a museum detailing its Civil War history and a reconstruction of Civil War Era Fort Lincoln. The park also offers recreational opportunities (see State Parks, www.Maryland375.com HISTORIC ST. MARY’S CITY 18751 Hogaboom Lane St. Mary’s City, MD 20686 1-800-762-1634/240-895-4490 www.stmaryscity.org See page 14 for complete information. 17 http://www.thebaylab.org http://www.stmaryshistory.org http://www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/museums http://www.paxmuseum.com http://www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/museums http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/pointlookout.html http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/pointlookout.html http://www.stmaryscity.org http://www.Maryland375.com
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