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. 10500 Clarksville Pike, EC Rt 108. 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. 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. Arcade, bowling, lazer tag, billiards. $25+ 9/11am -12am 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 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. 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 Rt 40 6030 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville
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
Monster mini golf. 7351 Assateague Dr Suite 380, Jessup
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)
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 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
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