Waldorf, Maryland

The Dr. Samuel Mudd House and Museum preserves the historic St. Catharine home, located near the city of Waldorf. The two-part frame farmhouse is best known as the site where Dr. Samuel A. Mudd treated the injured John Wilkes Booth after his assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. The home had been in the Mudd family since the 1690s, showcasing a two-story main section and a smaller two-bay wing.

After Booth shot Lincoln and jumped off the balcony at Ford's Theater, Mudd, a Southern sympathizer during the Civil War, set Booth's broken leg. He was charged as a co-conspirator in Lincoln's assassination and sentenced to life in prison at Florida's Fort Jefferson. Today, the home is privately owned and operated as a living history museum, showcasing information on Mudd's life and position during the Civil War.

The Dr. Samuel Mudd House & Museum, Phone: 301-645-6870

Shlagel Farms has been in operation for over a century, overseen by the third generation of the Shlagel family. The farms sell delicious locally-grown fruit and vegetables to farmer's markets and grocery stores throughout the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas and operate a CSA program for area subscribers.

Visitors can pick their own pumpkins at the farm on October weekends or enjoy educational farm experiences for the entire family on select weekdays, showcasing wagon rides and petting zoo experiences.

Farm workshops highlight animal care practices and gardening and harvesting methods, teaching future generations how to care for Maryland's terrain and protect natural resources.

12850 Shlagel Rd, Waldorf, MD 20601, Phone: 301-645-4554

St. Charles Towne Center is a lovely bi-level shopping center located within the planned community of St. Charles, within Waldorf's city limits. The mall, which was constructed in 1988, is the only regional mall in Southern Maryland, stretching across nearly a million square feet and showcasing over 130 specialty and upscale stores and dining destinations.

Anchor stores include national chain favorites like Sears, Macy's, JCPenney, Kohl's, and Dick's Sporting Goods. A wide variety of popular specialty stores are also showcased, ranging from fast-fashion favorites like Old Navy and H&M to upscale retailers like American Eagle, New York and Company, and Lane Bryant. Adjacent to the mall, an AMC Theatres cinema plays first-run blockbuster films.

11110 Mall Cir, Waldorf, MD 20603, Phone: 301-870-6997

Where to Eat:

Silver Diner is an award-winning diner founded in 1989 by restaurateurs Ype Von Hengst and Bob Giaimo, offering several locations throughout Maryland today, including a Waldorf location.The diner strives to serve comforting American dishes with healthy twists, crafted from ingredients sourced from sustainable producers in the regions.

Delicious fare served up throughout the day includes entree favorites like roasted chicken pot pie, black Angus meatloaf, calf's liver and onions, and Rhode Island-style fried shrimp. Vegetarian and vegan options range from tofu banh mi sandwiches with vegan mayo and sweet potato fries to miso-glazed burgers with wasabi sour cream. Heart-healthy options are also served up, along with low-calorie and gluten-free options to suit all diners' dietary needs. The restaurant's children's menu is free of high-fat options like French fries and soda, replaced by Kids LiveWell health-conscious choices.

3081 Festival Way, Waldorf, MD 20601, Phone: 301-645-1224

Dat Jerk Caribbean Chargrill is the vision of restaurateur Richard Fray, who relocated from Southern California to the Maryland region to bring Cuban and Jamaican fare to the Chesapeake Bay. The restaurant serves up a variety of delicious Caribbean favorites, including shrimp varieties sold by the pound in vibrant flavors like buffalo, lemon pepper, honey lime jerk, and Maryland-style Old Bay. Delicious jerk chicken and pork dishes feature perfectly-rotisseried meats, while traditional entrees like curry chicken and honey lime salmon highlight traditional Caribbean recipes. All menu items are available as tossed bowls, in wraps, or stuffed in homemade roti shells. Homestyle side dishes range from fried plantains to stew peas and Caribbean-style rice and beans with coconut milk.

2716 Crain Hwy, Waldorf, MD 20601, Phone: 240-210-8113

The All American Steakhouse and Sports Theater is a unique restaurant concept offering several locations throughout the Maryland region, including locations in Edgewater and Waldorf. The restaurant chain, which was founded by restaurateurs Brock Anderson and George Jones in 2003, is famed for its wet and dry-aged steaks, which are cut in-house by professional butchers onsite daily. All steaks are aged on average between 45 and 70 days and then dry-aged another week according to an extensive secret aging process trademarked by the restaurant. Affordable steak and seafood entrees are served up in a family-friendly steakhouse environment, emphasizing old-fashioned American service. Entree favorites include selections like center-cut mesquite-grilled pork chops drenched in mushroom marsala sauce, mesquite-grilled salmon filets with grilled pineapple, and black and bleu burgers topped with Cajun seasoning and onion straws.

35 St. Patrick's Drive, Waldorf, MD 20603, Phone: 240-222-3327

Recommended Activities for Families

Waldorf residents are fortunate to have easy access to the Capital Clubhouse, an amazing 90,000 square-foot sport center offering year-round indoor sporting facilities for all ages. Here you can come to enjoy some ice-skating on an NHL-size ice rink which offers public skating, hockey training and matches as well as lessons for children and beginners. The indoor sport courts include areas for Futsal, Volleyball, Basket ball and Lacrosse as well as a rock-climbing wall. The Capital Clubhouse is also a wonderful venue for a children or teen’s birthday party and offers packages including your choice of sporting activity, drinks, pizza and a party room.

Capital Clubhouse, 3033 Waldorf Market Place, Waldorf, MD 20603, 301 932 4348