Unearth a piece of history at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum (10515 Mackall Road, St. Leonard, Md.), where you'll find 70+ identified archaeological sites, as well as the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab), which contains more than eight million artifacts.
A “Behind the Scenes” guided tour of the MAC Lab gives guests an up-close-and-personal look at the collections. Tours are offered at 1 p.m. on the first Friday of each month.
Visitors also can hike one of five peaceful nature trails, some featuring educational signs and information along the way.
The War of 1812 Trail leads visitors back in time, up to the mouth of St. Leonard Creek where one of the battles occurred.
Additional outdoor activities include a canoe and kayak launch site, and a Native American village constructed to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Smith's exploration of the Chesapeake Bay.
The visitors' center offers an interactive exhibit on archaeology that includes discoveries from every county in Maryland, plus a theater room and a discovery room, where kids can try on colonial clothing, play with historical toys, and identify artifacts. The visitors' center is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, from mid April to mid-October.
The
Worth the Trip
features two named exhibit: "Farmers, Patriots and Traitors: Southern Maryland and the War of 1812" and "12,000 Years on the Chesapeake," plus antique farm equipment. It's open Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun. 1-4 p..; and Tue. 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3:30 p.m.
