16 Best Things to Do in Rockville, MD

By VI Staff on March 31, 2020 - Updated

Keith Allen/stock.adobe.com

The city of Rockville in Maryland is a fun, family-friendly city with plenty of things to see and do. The town is centered around Rockville Town Square, which is lined with shops, restaurants, cafés, and boutique stores and has a grassy lawn for relaxing in the summer and a seasonal ice-skating rink in the winter. Rockville has something for everyone from swimming and fishing in the 75-acre Lake Needwood and exploring the nature and culture exhibits at the Meadowside Nature Center to rock climbing and bouldering at the Earth Treks Climbing Center. Here are some other fun things to see and do with the family in Rockville, Maryland. CDC information for travelers. Hours/availability may have changed.

1.Lake Needwood

Fed by Rock Creek, Lake Needwood, is a 75-acre reservoir in Derwood in the eastern part of Montgomery County that was created by damming Rock Creek in 1965. Located east of Rockville, the lake offers a wide variety of outdoor and recreational activities such as fishing, boating, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and pedal boating. Fishing is permitted at both Lake Needwood and Lake Frank, and boat rentals and permits can be obtained from the Boat House. Visitors can take pontoon boat tours of the lake on the Needwood Queen, which operates on weekends and holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day and provides the opportunity to see birds, turtles, and other wildlife on the lake.

The Boat House: 15700 Needwood Lake Circle, Rockville, MD 20855, Phone: 301-563-7540

2.Glenview Mansion

Glenview Mansion is a historic home surrounded by 65 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds in Rockville. Resting at the heart of the Civic Center overlooking 28 acres of exquisite grounds with ornamental gardens, the Glenview Mansion is an elegant, Neo-Classical Revival home that was designed and built in 1926 by prominent Washington, D.C., architects Lochie and Porter and considered a local historic landmark. Listed on the National Registry for Historic Places, the mansion was a popular destination for Washington's socialites and boasts breathtaking interiors with marble floors, soaring ceilings, and a six-room art gallery overlooking manicured formal gardens with holding fountains.

603 Edmonston Dr, Rockville, MD 20851, Phone: 240-314-8660

3.Earth Treks Climbing Center

The Earth Treks Climbing Center is a local adventure chain outpost in Rockville offering a variety of climbing terrains, programs and lessons, and space for cardio and strength training for climbers. Established by Chris Warner in 1990 as space for the climbing community to come together to train, share ideas and expertise and develop the sport, the Earth Treks Climbing Center also supports local and national projects that aim to protect the environment through climbing. The Earth Treks Climbing Center has several locations around the state and one in Virginia and offers lessons for beginners and training tips for advanced climbers.

725 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, Phone: 240-283-9942

4.7 Locks Brewing

Located in the heart of Montgomery County, 7 Locks Brewing is a locally-owned and operated independent brewery and craft beer destination that produces delicious beer from regionally sourced ingredients. Housed in a 15-barrel brewhouse, 7 Locks Brewing produces traditional beers using well-balanced malt and hops with an added twist, along with some seasonal and limited edition styles, and a rotating selection of 10 craft beers on taps like the Redland Lager, the Blockhouse Point Stout, and the famous Surrender Dorothy RyePA.

12227 Wilkins Ave, Rockville, MD 20852, Phone: 301-841-7123

5.St. Mary's Catholic Church

St. Mary's Catholic Church was the County's first brick Roman Catholic church, and today is the home of a diverse and vibrant faith community boasting more than 5000 parishioners.

520 Veirs Mill Rd, Rockville, MD 20852, Phone: 301-424-5550

6.Rockville B&O Railroad Station

Built in 1873, the Rockville B&O Railroad Station was once a simple country outpost along the route between Washington’s Union Station and Point of Rocks. Designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin in the Victorian Gothic style with Eastlake detailing, the historic station still boasts the colored roof tiles and woodworking details at each gable that were characteristic of the era. Although the Rockville B&O Railroad Station contributed to Rockville’s early growth, the development of the modern railroad would later threaten its existence. The 400-ton station was relocated and refurbished to its former glory in 1981 and today houses the law firm of Gill and Sippel, who remain committed to preserving this significant building in Rockville’s history.

98 Church St, Rockville, MD 20850-4123

7.Historical Society of Montgomery County

The Historical Society of Montgomery County was established to preserve, interpret and encourage an interest in the rich history of Montgomery County. Founded in 1944 by Lilly Stone, the Historical Society of Montgomery County is located at the Beall-Dawson Historical Park in Rockville, which it manages and runs as a historic house museum that is open to the public. The Beall-Dawson grounds are also home to the Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine and the Sween Research Library and Special Collections, which act as a library and archival resource for genealogists and local historians, and an administrative complex for the Society.

1654 DeKalb St, Norristown, PA 19401, Phone: 610-272-0297

8.The Beall-Dawson House

The Beall–Dawson House is a historic house museum and the headquarters of the Montgomery County Historical Society. Managed by the Society as an early 19th-century period historic house museum, the Beall–Dawson House is a beautifully preserved two-and-a-half-story Federal house built in 1815 with a Flemish bond brick front façade and several original outbuildings. The house features two rooms filled with rotating exhibits and indoor slave quarters, and other buildings on the property include the Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine with a variety of medical and pharmaceutical tools, furniture, and books from the 19th and 20th century on display. The Beall–Dawson House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

103 W Montgomery Ave, Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: 301-762-1492

9.Rockville Ice Arena

The Rockville Ice Arena is the region’s premier hockey and ice skating facility with three full-size rinks on which figure skating, ice hockey, and community skating activities can be enjoyed. Rockville Ice Arena offers a variety of in-house programs, such as skating lessons to skaters of all levels and beginner hockey instruction through the Hockey Initiation Program. The arena is home to three hockey teams, namely the Bullis Bulldogs, St. John's Cadets, and the MAPHL champion Landon Bears, and hosts a variety of high caliber youth hockey programs. League and championship games are played on two of the three rinks, which have ample bleacher seating and twelve locker rooms. The Rockville Ice Arena has an onsite restaurant that serves delicious food and drinks and has a private dining area for birthday parties and other events.

50 Southlawn Ct, Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: 301-315-5650

10.Rockville Little Theater

Located in the Rockville Civic Center, Rockville Little Theatre (RLT) provides high-quality performances to the community throughout the year. Founded in 1948 to entertain, enlighten and educate the public to the joys of the performing arts, the theater is the oldest continuously operating live theatre in the Rockville area. The theater produces and hosts several performances throughout the year and hold monthly discussions for playwrights who have creative ideas for new plays.

603 Edmonston Dr, Rockville, MD 20851, Phone: 240-242-9735

11.Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine

The Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine is a unique one-room Gothic Revival doctor's office that was built for and used by Dr. Edward E. Stonestreet in the early 1900s. Established in 1852, the museum exhibits the life of a country doctor in the mid-1800s, showcasing 19th-century medical instruments, equipment, and pharmaceutical items. The Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine highlights the developments in medical science that occurred during his era and the fascinating changes that happened in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

103 W Montgomery Ave, Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: 301-340-2825

12.First Line Training Center

The First Line Training Center is the most substantial ice hockey training and development facility in the country and features an array of world-class performance and training centers, coaching and training, equipment, and the latest state-of-the-art technology. Facilities include a Strength and Power Center, a Shooting Gallery, a Treadmill and Slide Center, a Speed Arc, a Dangle Zone, and a Mezzanine Viewing Area. The center also offers private lessons and training with professional coaches and has a Sense Arena, which provides a virtual reality training platform for all skill levels. Services include skate sharpening and cleaning, gear analysis, a skating treadmill, and training plans.

40-C, Southlawn Ct, Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: 301-637-9971

13.La Limena

Located in the Ritchie Center, La Limena is a Peruvian restaurant serving traditional Peruvian and Cuban cuisine in a casual, laid-back atmosphere. The restaurant boasts bright and color, hacienda-like décor, and comfortable seating, and large windows that flood the interior with natural light. The menu boasts an array of freshly made from scratch dishes featuring grass-fed beef, chicken, fresh seafood, vegetarian options and desserts with signature dishes like Ceviche de Pescado, Papa Rellena, Ossobuco con Tacu Tacu de Pallares y Sarsa Criolla, Tallarin Verde con Bistek Apanado, and Arroz con Mariscos. The food is accompanied by a selection of fine wines from Italy and around the world, craft beers, and classic cocktails. La Limena is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

765 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, Phone: 301-424-8066

14.Yekta Kabobi Restaurant & Market

Yekta Kabobi Restaurant & Market is a traditional Persian restaurant and imported-food market that brings the tastes and flavors of the Middle East to Rockville. Established in 1979 as a small grocery store by Iranian-born Yadi Dadras, the market grew into the bustling restaurant it is today, serving authentic Iranian and Persian cuisine. Signature dishes on the menu include kabobs, chicken koobideh, vegetable pilaf, Chen Jeh, and specialties like Mahicheh (lamb shank braised in turmeric and tomato sauce), Karafs (vegetarian celery stew with herbs), and Ghormeh Sabzi (slow-cooked beef, kidney beans, and dried key lime stew). Yekta Kabobi Restaurant & Market is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

1488 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, Phone: 301-984-0005

15.Sheba

Sheba is a small, family-owned eatery that serves traditional Ethiopian fare in a relaxed atmosphere. The ethnic restaurant has a warm and inviting dining space with comfortable seating and soft lighting and serves a menu with a strong emphasis on long-simmered flavorful dishes featuring authentic spices and imported ingredients. In true Ethiopian style, meals are prepared with the freshest ingredients, sourced locally where possible and accented with rich spices and herbs, with signature plates like Doro wot (Chicken Stew), Beef Tibs, Menchet Abesh (Beef), Yebeg Tibs (Lamb), Assa Goulash (Tilapia), and Bedergan (Eggplant Wot). Dessert options include Ethiopian honey wine, and the food can be enjoyed with a range of wines, including Ethiopian wine, craft beers, and soft drinks. Sheba is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

5071 Nicholson Ln, Rockville, MD 20852, Phone: 301-881-8882

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16.Baronessa Italian Restaurant

Baronessa Italian Restaurant is a family-friendly restaurant with a bright, comfortable dining space adorned with colorful murals that serve delicious homestyle Italian comfort food in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Drawing inspiration from traditional Italian family recipes, the menu features classic Italian dishes of homemade pasta and sauces, fresh seafood and meat dishes, fresh salads, vegetable plates, and wood-fired pizza with various toppings. The cuisine is made with locally sourced ingredients and imported specialties and is accompanied by a selection of fine wines from Italy and around the world, craft beers, and classic cocktails. Baronessa Italian Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

1302 E Gude Dr, Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: 301-838-9050