Places to visit with kids in Washington DC, Maryland & Virginia.

Jump To


	Kids & Family Activities at Maryland
	Ocean City Beach & Boardwalk
	Baltimore Inner Harbor
	Port Discovery Children's Museum
	Six Flags America/Hurricane Harbor
	Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
	NASA Visitor Center
	Maryland Zoo
	Applewood Farm
	The Puppet Co. Playhouse
	The Enchanted Forest
	Bohrer Water Park

Ocean City Beach & Boardwalk

"The East Coast''s Number One Family Resort," Ocean City, Maryland is a beautiful family vacation resort with miles of sparkling blue ocean and white sand beaches for sunning, swimming, surfing, body surfing, fishing, building sandcastles, sea kayaking and jet skiing. The Ocean City Boardwalk is buzzing with family activities, entertainment, events, shops, restaurants, and amusements. The kids will smile for the Boardwalk's five theme parks - the Jolly Roger at the Pier and 30th Street with thrilling rides and attractions, Splash Mountain, Delmarva's largest family water park, Speedworld, featuring 10 skill and thrill tracks and 300 state-of-the-art cars to race, and two miniature golf courses. Check out all the colorful sights as you bike, walk or ride the train the entire length - just over 3 miles. Explore the Lifesaving Museum, take a walking tour of historic downtown or shop for beach gear at the cool shops. Hike nature trails, enjoy the tranquil beach and dance on the sands to free summer concerts. Visit www.ocean-city.com. [Top]

Baltimore Inner Harbor

Baltimore's exciting family destination is filled with waterfront dining, entertainment, and fun attractions. Enjoy panoramic views from the 400-foot World Trade Center, take a sightseeing harbor cruise and meet colorful street performers. Catch the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium and cheer for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards where you can visit the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum. Take your family to the Baltimore National Aquarium, which houses sharks, dolphins, rays and tropical fish among 16,000 creatures in natural aquatic exhibits, including a walk-through rain forest, dolphin shows and an Australian exhibit. Let your senses soar as you engage in hands-on activities and fun exhibits at the Maryland Science Center, featuring an IMAX theater and a planetarium. Visit the B&O Railroad Museum where kids are entranced by the gigantic iron horses that fill the roundhouse where American railroading began. See treasures of the Inner Harbor by touring the Lightship Chesapeake at the Maritime Museum, and walk the decks of the USS Constellation, the only Civil War ship still floating. Visit www.baltimore.org/baltimore_inner_harbor.htm. [Top]

Port Discovery Children's Museum

Port Discovery Children''s Museum will ignite your imagination and inspire learning through play. At this kid-powered museum in Baltimore, the entire family can explore three floors of fun, interactive exhibits - mostly designed by Walt Disney Company "Imagineers" and entertaining hands-on activities. Cross the Nile to explore ancient Egypt, climb through a kitchen drain to solve a mystery in Miss Perception''s Mystery House, play on the three-story urban treehouse at KidWorks, ride the HiFlyer Balloon, and see the splashiest exhibit in town - the Wonders of Water. Kids also love R&D DreamLab, MPT Studio, The Diner, Adventure Expeditions, Sensation Station, and Meet & Greet Street - The Atrium. Stop in at the Kid-Powered Toy Store, with a cool collection of high-tech puzzles, games, and toys that enable children to compose music, shoot videos, and produce cartoons. Families enjoy special events such as the Annual Rattle Your Bones Shindig and the Children's American Music Festival, and toddlers can enjoy afternoon story times. Visit www.portdiscovery.org/. [Top]

Six Flags America/Hurricane Harbor

Located in the Baltimore/Annapolis area, Six Flags America is the ultimate family theme park on the Mid-Atlantic Coast, featuring more than 100 thrilling rides, family shows, activities and attractions. Experience eight fast, furious roller coasters, 26 kid's rides, live Hollywood-style shows- including the hip-hop music review - Radioactive!, and a huge water park with over a million gallons of splash action. Fly through the sky on Batman's Batwing and take a nerve-rattling plunge to earth on Superman: Ride of Steel. Ride daredevil dives, rollovers, sidewinders and spins on Mind Eraser - one of the first inverted looping coasters. Splash into Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, a wet and wild water park with rides, slides, twists, tunnels and activities for your family. Hop in Hurricane Bay, one of the world''s largest wave pools, or dip in Monsoon Lagoon, float down the lazy river and spin down the crazy Tornado. Six Flags presents family entertainment, live music concerts and shows, Looney Tunes characters and a one-of-a-kind parade. Visit www.sixflags.com/america. [Top]

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Anchored out of St. Michael''s, Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is an indoor/outdoor museum focusing on the traditions, culture and history of the Chesapeake Bay. Situated on 18 acres of riverfront property on the beautiful Miles River, the Museum's nine exhibit buildings house an array of maritime exhibits such as replicas of historic bay working boats, historic guns, ship models, and the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse. Enjoy breathtaking vistas of the Miles River while the kids check out the working Boat Yard where shipwrights restore historic vessels and give interactive programs. Visit http://www.cbmm.org/index.html. [Top]

NASA Visitor Center

Greenbelt, MD - NASA Visitor Center offers out-of-this world activities, programs and presentations that enlighten your family with space science. The exhibit Hubble Space Telescope: New Views of the Universe contains celestial bodies and interactive displays which invite families to play a video game, work with an infrared camera and explore the technology behind an electronic galaxy counter. Check out the exhibits: Sun as Art, a spectrum of photos highlighting the shapes and colors in the sun to bring its beauty into focus; FRIZION: Ice as Art, photos of polarized light reflected off of ice crystals; and Landsat-7 Earth as Art Gallery, breathtaking pictures of the Earth by the Landsat-7 satellite. Families enjoy special programs and events such as Space Chats and Space Missions, and earth science and technology presentations. Youngsters light up as they watch a rocket launch and participate in NASA's hands-on children's programs. [Top]

Maryland Zoo

Third oldest zoo in the country, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore will delight youngsters with its massive habitat of animals and activities. The 160-acre Zoo features 2,000 zoo inhabitants, including 1,500 birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, representing nearly 200 species displayed in natural settings replicating their native habitats. Meet amazing animals such as Mini Rex Rabbit, Armadillo, Laughing Kookaburra, American Kestrel, Aardwolf, Polar Bear, Gazelle, Lemur, Snow Leopard, and Sitatunga. Don't miss Polar Bear Watch, the Zoo''s state-of-the-art exhibit about life on the edge of the Arctic, and the camel ride exhibit, where kids can ride incredible humped creatures. Trek through the Maryland Wilderness, home to the award-winning Children''s Zoo, or embark on an African Journey. Families can also enjoy special events like Roar N Snore, an overnight camping adventure, ZooZoom, a zoo race with proceeds to the Zoo Fund, and ZOOBOOO, a spooky trick or treat event at the zoo with Halloween contests and activities. Stop at the Wild Things Gift Shop and take home souvenirs of your trip. Visit www.marylandzoo.org. [Top]

Applewood Farm

Experience a day of natural fun in Whitewood, MD at the beautiful Applewood Farm. Spend a relaxing day enjoying 100 acres of lush greenery and wildlife - wild turkeys, deer, pheasants, and foxes - fun attractions, such as model train displays, corn mazes for families, a petting zoo, competitive games such as Snowball Bowling and Reindeer Antler Toss, hay rides, pony rides, horse-drawn carriage rides and a Reindeer Village. A great family event, FALLFEST presents exciting activities for kids, such as puppet shows, live music, and pumpkin picking. During the Christmas season, Applewood is a Christmas Tree Farm with exciting family activities, holiday shopping and stunning light displays. [Top]

The Puppet Co. Playhouse

Set in Glen Echo Park, the 200-seat Puppet Co. Playhouse presents exciting family shows that blend the puppetry arts with magical visual aesthetics. Children are entranced by the bright colors, breathtaking costuming and intricate backdrops of the lively puppets in performances such as Goldilocks, Cinderella, Aladdin, Hansel & Gretel, The Magical Worlds of Whimsy Woods, Peter & the Wolf, Rapunzel, and The Nutcracker. Stop off at The Green Room to meet the artists responsible for creating and presenting these wonderful shows. During the springtime, you'll find the annual exhibit - Puppets, Puppets and More Puppets - which offers interactive activities for kids. Visit www.thepuppetco.org/. [Top]

The Enchanted Forest

The Enchanted Forest brings the fantastic into a child's reality. Located in Ellicott City, the Enchanted Forest is considered the first theme park on the east coast. This family amusement park offers amusing attractions, such as Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves, Alice in Wonderland Teacup Ride, The Big Red Barn, Chance Carousel and the Antique Car Ride, and many special events and programs such as Circus in Central Park, Easter Bunny's House, Enchanted Castle, and Old Wise Dragon. Children are captivated by the delightful scenery and sights such as the Gingerbread Men Fence, Humpty Dumpty, Jack & the Beanstalk, Little Boy Blue, The Little Chapel in the Woods, Little Red Riding Hood's Grandma's House and The Magic Wishing Well. [Top]

Bohrer Water Park

Located in Gaithersburg, Bohrer Water Park is a splash-filled family fun zone with numerous aquatic attractions and activities that cool you off on a summer's day. From kid's rides to lightning-fast slides, the water park features a variety of wet and wild attractions, such as a double water slide that's 250 feet in length with lots of twists and turns, activity pods, a zero-depth pool and a splash pool with a frog slide for the tots. After a refreshing day in the water, families can enjoy the picnic tables, playground, snack bar, high back sand chairs, and chaise lounges. Visit http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/waterpark. [Top]

Our Hotels in Maryland

1-800-272-6232

From the vibrant suburbs of Washington, DC to the magnificent coastline of Virginia Beach and Ocean City, the Mid-Atlantic region offers a diversity of family vacation retreats and family-friendly hotels. Whether you are looking for a high-tech business hotel near the nation's capital or a relaxing family vacation getaway by the beach, the Ramada Hotels of the Mid-Atlantic offer beautiful accommodations, impressive services and deluxe lifestyle amenities everywhere your family roams in Virginia, Maryland and the Washington, DC Area.

[ View Maryland Hotels ]