SOLOMONS, Md. — The Calvert Marine Museum is nestled along the picturesque Patuxent River in Solomons, Maryland. It’s a scenic drive, about 50 miles south of the downtown D.C. The interactive museum galleries make for a fun and educational destination for people of all ages.
“Every day there’s usually a child who comes through, who’s just super excited to see something,” said Mindy Quinn, Chesapeake Bay Field Lab Director. “Looking really interested, or seeing something that they’ve read a book on and it’s right in front of them.”
There are three areas of focus: paleontology, maritime history, and marine life in the local area.
Guests can tour the Drum Point Lighthouse, which once served the Chesapeake Bay. In the warmer part of the year, there are boat rides out on the Patuxent River.
Hands-on learning is at the heart of the museum. Kids can uncover their own fossils in the paleontology gallery and touch skates and rays in the touch tank.
“There’s different activities you can do,” said fifth grader Mattie Farmer. “So it’s not just looking around. It’s really fun.”
There are several classes designed for young kids to learn marine life basics. The Little Minnows program, intended for 3-to-5-year-olds, teaches fundamentals using a craft, a story and a song.
Quinn recommends elementary school students do a scavenger hunt, provided on the museum’s website, to help pace them through the displays.
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