Children's play areas around Howard County MD

Several include historic sites (Children’s Museum in c1812 Quaker school, oldest train station, Enchanted Forest), many local farms, indoor activity centers, libraries, and more.

Near Wilde Lake, a tot slide has been incorporated within the ruins of historic Bleak House.





Ellicott Mills Children’s Museum. Weekends 1-5. Second Ellicott stone school house c1812, enlarged then called Weir House. 4 hands-on areas: Quaker School; Great Room; Ellicott General Store; Mill Display. Free. Next to the old courthouse & church on the hill over old EC. 3725 Park Avenue, Ellicott City. HERE

B & O Museum old Ellicott City. Wed-Sun 10-5/6. Oldest train station in the US. Tap an old telegraph key (makes sound), see living quarters, waiting room, repair section (whole engine would be rolled into second half of building) and a huge working model train setup in historic outbuilding. In December many model train displays around the RR Station. HERE. 3711 Maryland Avenue, Ellicott City. Past blog posts HERE.

Train setup: Old Ellicott mills (+ second pic) bottom right, past quarry, along river to Baltimore station in top left section.

Holiday Train Garden at Ellicott City Volunteer Fire Department. 11-8:30 Dec 2-Jan 1. hours vary. Donation. Long setup with scattered questions and info on the partition. 4150 Montgomery Road (by Rt 29 exit and Old Columbia Rd into Main St. EC - see RR station holiday model train displays same day) HERE

Enchanted Forest - 1950s-80s theme park was on Rt 40 - now many parts are at Clark's Elioak petting Farm HERE. 10500 Clarksville Pike, EC Rt 108. $8+ Previous post HERE

Bleak House - historic home ruin now a tot slide. Rain Dream Hill up slight hill; also ball field. Previous post HERE

Robinson Nature Center. Wed-Sat 9-5, Sun 12-5. $3, adults $5 Large play room with games, activities, touch tank and kids books. Displays on two floors. Picture of mill wheel which operates models of conveyors and other things above. 6692 Cedar Lane, Columbia. HERE

Howard County Nature Conservancy. Mon-Sat 9-3 building. Trails, animals, owls, dawn to dusk. 10520 Old Frederick Rd. Goats, old farmhouse in trees. HERE

INDOOR PLAY AREAS

Playseum Mon-Sat 10-5. $15 ($2 grandparents Tue) Columbia Mall HERE. Picture, above, taken when first opened. Many activity sections, varieties of 'stores'.

Doodlehatch! F-Su 10-5. $10 Interactive art, many theme areas made by artists. Photo inside space ship (purple hue, with hidden alien). 8775 Cloudleap Ct (175e to Tamar Dr.) HERE

Hyperkidz All week 9-7. $12/17 varies. 9309 Snowden River HERE. Tall large climb/slides space, ocean theme

Hardware stores, kids workshop : Lowes, Columbia (175 & 108) 8281 Gateway Overlook Drive, Elkridge, 3rd Sat 10-1 HERE, Home Depot 9190 Baltimore National Pike, EC. 1st Sat 9-12 HERE, or 9051 Snowden River Pkwy, Columbia

My Gym Children’s Fitness center. Classes/groups. 6905-C Oakland Mills Road off Snowdon River Pkwy. Many pieces of gym equipment, pic of play area for little ones. HERE

Main Event. 9/11am -12am $25+ Arcade, bowling, lazer tag, billiards. Columbia Mall HERE.

Play n’ Learn, playground superstore. M-F preregister $10. A store selling playground sets for homes, has open play on all the sets. 9033 Red Branch Rd, Columbia HERE

ClimbZone All week 10-5/8 $27.99 indoor climbing. 13200 Mid Atlantic Blvd Ste 130, Laurel HERE

Dinosaur Park of Laurel. near ClimbZone. A Dino sculpture to play. Public program 1 & 3rd Saturdays about the actual dinosaur bones in the dirt. 13100 Mid Atlantic Boulevard, Laurel, MD HERE. Then go to the Laurel Library children's room to see dinosaur skeleton in the floor HERE

Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure park. 12/4-8/10 all week. $33 +/- 13446 Baltimore Ave, Laurel. Many trampolines, orange zip rail near ceiling, 7 yr old 'zipping' in center top of first photo. NOTE: Be vigilant HERE

Kidsville all week 9/10-8 $14.50 Adults nc Rt 40 6030 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville HERE

Monster mini golf and arcade. 11am or 12- 8 or 10. c$13.50. 7351 Assateague Dr Suite 380, Jessup 175 & rt 1 behind MOM's organic. HERE

Discovery Station. Th-S 10/12-4 Hagerstown. HERE

The Little Towns Children's Museum. All week, various hours. “grocery store, fire station, veterinary hospital, post office, salon, restaurant, gym, and more” Tots and preschool. 4931 Wyaconda Rd. North Bethesda HERE

We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym. All week 8-6. 7601 Airpark Dr, Suite D and E, Gaithersburg HERE

Bubala! 1500 Reisterstown Rd. Suite 217. Pikesville. indoor, playground for 7 and under. Also Eldersburg. HERE

Nearby counties, Baltimore and Frederick sections below


LIBRARIES

Storyville - Woodlawn MD. Mon-Sat 9-4/7. Good sized indoor play areas for 5 year olds and under. Kitchen, library, stage, grocery story, tree house, construction area, trolley, toddler area. Free and fun! [story time Tuesday] 1811 Woodlawn Drive. HERE

Howard County MD libraries HERE Activities calendar HERE. Each branch is different. Glenwood library branch, Builders Barn HoCo. Elkridge branch, fish tanks. Savage branch, seperate play room, visits from Santa or Frosty.


SPECIAL OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES

HoCo Pirate Adventure Chalk activities (walk the planks with shark, below), find clues along trail to use on worksheets (2 age groups) to open treasure chest (above), changes each month (locations, activities, clues).$5 donation HERE

StoryWalk Howard County Md 2022 article HERE; Upcoming events, lower on page HERE Middle Patuxent Environmental Area Trail. 5795 Trotter Road, Clarksville

PLAYGROUNDS

Parks, Playgrounds & Trails HoCo. Many large and small including Meadowbrook Park (Long Gate) HERE. Best in HoCo sunshinewhispers HERE

Blandair Park. Rt 175. Several playgrounds HERE

Tire Playground at the Patapsco State Park Hilton Area. $3. 1101 Hilton Ave, Catonsville [Rt114 EC Main St to Hilton Ave Rt 166 S] HERE

FARMS

Clark's Elioak Farm. Tue-Sun 10-5 (Mondays in Oct) $8+ HERE Many farm animals, pony ride, petting animals, wagon rides, pumpkin patch, other activities, and with structures from Enchanted Forest (photo - tortoise and the hare race). 10500 Clarksville Pike,EC Rt 108.

Mary Farm. activities thro week. 4979 Sheppard Lane, Clarksville HERE

Haviland Hens Farm Clarksville HERE

Larriland Farms Lisbon Pick your own HERE

Lisbon Sunflowers HERE


BALTIMORE

Port Discovery Children's Museum. Days vary: Summer every day, winter F-Sun 9/10-5. 35 Market Place. $23.95. Many rooms - Egypt archeologists, water, converyor belts, more. Picture (below) of rope climbing net then down the 4 story slide. HERE

Maryland Science Center. W-Su 10-4/5. 601 Light Street. Inner Harbor. $21, 27. Planetarium, hands on experiments, huge dinosaur, dinosaur bones puzzle (picture below) and much more HERE

B&O Railroad Museum. 10-4 M-Su. Site of first US train line, 1827, from Baltimore to EC. Roundhouse 1884, Mt Claire Station 1851, RR Car repair shops 1869. Train rides Ju-Nv Th-Su, varies. Toddler Time - two Thursdays 10:30. Calendar. 901 West Pratt St., Baltimore. HERE

National Aquarium. hours vary 9/10-4. Inner Harbor 501 E. Pratt St. $50, $40 (5-20,70+) Discount times HERE

The Maryland Zoo. 10-4. 1876 Mansion House Dr (while parking lot renovations) HERE. $26, $22 (savings on website; Winter Fri-Mon)

Smithsonian’s National Zoo. 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, DC. 8-4 HERE


FREDERICK

The Children’s Museum of Rose Hill Manor. 11-4 Ap-Se Th-Su; Oc-Nv weekends. 1611 N. Market St., Frederick. Huge mansion built 1790s. Children’s activities among historical items, hearth cooking. school outings. Dec special - the 2d Saturday: Museums by Candlelight (free admission, art activities, music). HERE

Me Land. Indoor playground. 10-7/8 all week. 5115 Pegasus Ct. Suite P – R, Frederick HERE

Urban Air Adventure Park. 11-8 Various hours, all week. Trampolines and more. Must buy their socks. 5830 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick HERE

Pinecliff Park Various materials to climb up to next level, ie nets. 8350 Pinecliff Park Road, Frederick HERE

Museums by Candlelight. December, second Saturday. Many museums, sites, libraries throughout Frederick County (free admission, art activities, music). HERE

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Wheaton Playground HERE pics HERE

Wizard of Oz Playground. Watkins Regional Park HERE

Adventure Playground. South Germantown Regional Park. Boyds HERE

Mooseum. Boyds. HERE

Woodland Wonderland Playground at Walker Mill Regional Park HERE


©2023 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD