For you convenience, here is a list of some of those local museums within Montgomery County and the Ride On bus routes that will get you there.
- Josiah Henson Museum and Park (North Bethesda): Celebrate Black History Month learning about Reverend Josiah Henson. Visit the former plantation property of Isaac Riley where Reverend Josiah Henson was enslaved. This park is a historic resource of local, state, national and international significance because of its association with Reverend Henson, whose 1849 autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s landmark novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The Park contains the historic Riley/Bolten House (ca. 1800-1815) and its attached log kitchen (ca.1850-51). Ongoing archaeological excavations seek to find where Josiah Henson may have lived on the site. The museum is open Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. This weekend marks Black History Month Family Days, presented by Montgomery Parks, starting at noon both Saturday and Sunday. Take Ride On route 26 to get there.
- National Capital Trolley Museum (Colesville): Experience for yourself the transit systems that built and served communities across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia for a century (1862-1962). Enjoy exhibits and presentations at the Visitor Center, then come aboard their living collection of historic street cars for a ride down one mile of woodland track in beautiful Northwest Branch Park. Take Ride On route 39 to get to this charming piece of transit history.
- Glenstone Museum (Potomac): Glenstone is a place that seamlessly integrates art, architecture and nature into a serene and contemplative environment. Glenstone assembles post-World War II artworks presented in a series of refined indoor and outdoor spaces designed to facilitate meaningful encounters for visitors. Passengers who arrive at Glenstone on Ride On route 301 are offered guaranteed entry during operating hours; this bus drops visitors off directly in front of the Arrival Hall.
- Clara Barton National Historic Site (Glen Echo): The Clara Barton National Historic Site, situated next to the historic Glen Echo Park, was established in 1974 to honor the life and work of Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. This historic gem includes nine acres of land and Ms. Barton’s own 38-room residence, which served as an early headquarters of the American Red Cross. To get there, take Ride On route 29.
- Kid Museum (Bethesda): Looking for something hands on for the younger members of your family? KID Museum is our region’s pioneering experiential museum and educational makerspace. It fosters the 'Mind of a Maker' in kids and youth, empowering the next generation with the skills to invent the future. To get there, take Ride On routes 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, 47 or 70.
- National Museum of Health and Medicine (Silver Spring): The National Museum of Health and Medicine was established during the Civil War as the Army Medical Museum, a center for the collection of specimens and artifacts for research related to trauma and pathology. The museum's mission to preserve and explore the impact of military medicine spans more than 150 years and includes each major U.S. armed conflict. To get there, take Ride On routes 4 or 5.
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