Laurel, MD

Laurel Park Race Track is an historic American thoroughbred racing track located just outside the city of Laurel, Maryland, originally opened as part of the Laurel Four County Fair grounds in 1911.

The track has hosted some of horse racing's most notable thoroughbreds over the years, including Triple Crown winners Secretariat, Whirlaway, Sir Barton, War Admiral, and Affirmed.

Its 1 ?-mile course hosts annual Grade 2, Grade 3, and Listed stakes races throughout the year, including the Maryland Million Classic, the Commonwealth Derby, the Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup, and the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship. The track is associated with Baltimore's nearby Pimlico Race Course, which hosts the annual Preakness Stakes, a part of the Triple Crown series.

198 Laurel Race Track Rd, Laurel, MD 20725, Phone: 301-725-0400

Montpelier Mansion is an historic Georgian-style plantation house in Prince George's County, located just south of the city of Laurel in Maryland.

The house, which has also historically been known as the Snowden-Long House, was originally constructed between 1781 and 1785 as a residence for Major Thomas Snowden and his wife, Anne.

Throughout the home's history, it has served as a residence for major American figures such as Breckenridge Long, the Undersecretary of State in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration in the 1930s.

Its grounds were once home to a 9,000-acre slave plantation, which has been reduced to approximately 70 remaining acres today. Today, the home and its surrounding acreage are preserved as a National Historic Landmark and open to the public for guided tours as a living history museum.

9650 Muirkirk Rd, Laurel, MD 20708, Phone: 301-377-7817

Patuxent Research Refuge's North Tract is the primary visitor area of the Patuxent Research Refuge, originally established in 1936 as the United States' only National Wildlife Refuge meant to support wildlife research. The refuge encompasses more than 12,800 acres throughout the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas today, including land formerly overseen as part of the Department of Agriculture and Defense. Over 1,100 species of vascular plants are showcased on the refuge, located within lovely meadow, forest, and wetland habitats. The refuge's North Tract offers opportunities for hunting, fishing, and nature hiking, while its National Wildlife Visitor Center hosts environmental science and education programs throughout the year.

National Wildlife Visitor Center, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel, MD 20708, Phone: 301-497-5760

Recommended Activities for Families

Laurel MARC Station is an historic rail station located along the MARC Train's Camden Line, a public transportation line operated by the State of Maryland traveling between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. throughout the week. The historic station was originally constructed as part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line in 1884 as part of the line's Washington Branch route, designed by E. Francis Baldwin. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and reopened to the public with the implementation of the MARC Train. Today, visitors can explore its preserved historic features and view original design elements such as its gabled and hipped roof sections and its interior chimney system. MARC Train service offers affordable one-way and roundtrip train service to both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. seven days a week, including late-night service select days.

Laurel, MD 20707

The Laurel Museum is a charming museum preserving the history of the city of Laurel, located within a former mill worker's home constructed between 1836 and 1840 by Horace Capron. The gorgeous 2,590-square-foot brick-and-stone building was originally constructed to showcase four home units. Throughout the 20th century, it was maintained as a two-family home before being purchased by the City of Laurel in 1985 for conversion into a public museum. Today, the nonprofit museum showcases exhibits on the city's social, cultural, and civic history, including retrospectives of influential citizens. Museum admission is free for visitors throughout the year.

817 Main St, Laurel, MD 20707, Phone: 301-725-7975

Dinosaur Park is a unique public attraction near the cities of Laurel and Muirkirk, overseen by the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation. The park preserves an important paleontological site that has uncovered significant early Cretaceous fossils, including significant Astrodon teeth findings. It sits on the site of former iron ore mines and furnaces, which were used to produce iron and steel during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1858, workers at the mine site discovered what turned out to be confirmed as dinosaur fossils by Maryland state geologist Phillip Thomas Tyson. Additional dinosaur, turtle, and crocodile fossils were uncovered by John Bell Hatcher and several scientists connected to the Smithsonian Institution. Today, the site is open to the public and lets visitors embark on their own paleontological exploration with the help of onsite staff and volunteers.

13100 Mid Atlantic Blvd, Laurel, MD 20708, Phone: 301-627-1286

Attractions for Couples

ClimbZone is a revolutionary family entertainment concept destination offering family-friendly climbing experiences for visitors of all ages to enjoy. The center is the United States' first indoor climbing center, adapting a popular entertainment center concept in New Zealand for American audiences. Visitors can enjoy a plethora of themed climbing experiences throughout the complex, including themed areas designed to resemble American landmarks Mount Rushmore and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. Other climbing areas are more geared to families and children, including a Jack's beanstalk climbing zone, a giant spider web, and a massive space rocket climbing structure. An auto-belay hydraulic system ensures safe climbing experiences for all participants.

13200, 130 Mid Atlantic Blvd Ste 130, Laurel, MD 20708, Phone: 301-317-1970

Laurel's House Of Horror and Escape Room is a top-rated haunted house in the Washington, D.C. region, open each year throughout the Halloween season between September and November. The attraction opened for the Halloween season of 2014, located within Laurel's Old Movie Theater within the Laurel Centre Mall Shopping Center, a purportedly haunted location that has been explored by area ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts. Unique haunted attractions play on visitors' senses, creating fear and anticipation through creative interactive exhibits. The house's escape rooms are also open to the public throughout the year, challenging visitors to work together to find their way out of themed rooms in an hour or less.

371 Armstrong Ave, Laurel, MD 20707, Phone: 240-294-8444

The Gardens Ice House is a privately-owned skating rink in Laurel, located on the grounds of Fairland Regional Park. The ice house is the home of the Mid-Atlantic Skating School and the Gardens Figure Skating Club, showcasing an Olympic figure skating rink, three NHL-regulation hockey rinks, and a miniature outdoor rink. The facility has hosted major figure skating, hockey, and curling championships throughout its history, including the Washington Junior Nationals and the Maryland Scholastic High School Championship. Roller hockey and indoor football are also hosted at the facility, many of which are open to the public as ticketed events. Open ice times are offered throughout the year at all four rinks and at the outdoor Whitey's Pond, named in honor of ice hockey rink owner Whitey Guenin.

13800 Old Gunpowder Rd, Laurel, MD 20707, Phone: 301-953-0100