There are many ways to learn about Montgomery County’s African American history. During the late-19th and early 20th century, over 80 Black communities were established in the county, many of which remain active and vibrant today.
Discover Montgomery County’s Black history at these five museums and parks.
photo courtesy Montgomery Parks
Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park
3610 Brookeville Road
Olney, Md
Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park is a living history museum that promotes awareness of and education about the Reconstruction Era and the free Black rural communities that appeared after the Civil War. In addition to the cabin, which is located on a former farm and plantation, the site includes the .7-mile natural surface Oakley Cabin Trail. Montgomery Parks developed and maintains the museum and park.
Hours: The cabin is open the second and fourth Saturdays, April through October from Noon ‒ 4 p.m. The park is open year round, sunrise to sunset.
Button Farm Living History Center
16820 Black Rock Road
Germantown, Md
The beginnings of The Button Farm can be traced back to 1767 when it was first established as a land grant. Since then, the next two centuries would bring various changes in ownership, with the most notable being a purchase in 1970 by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Button Farm now serves as the home of The Menare Foundation, an organization that promotes the history of the Underground Railroad through “immersive learning experiences.” The farm is Maryland’s only living history center depicting 19th century plantation life, according to the foundation.
The Button Farm Living History Center interprets the period when enslaved labor shaped the landscape and modern agricultural technology had not yet been developed,” the company states on the farm website. “To bring this compelling story to life we recreate sensory experiences of the past, integrating the tastes, touch, smell, sights and sounds of the 1850s into the daily operations of the farm.”
Hours: Button Farm is open annually from April 1-October 31 for programs, tours, recreation and annual events. Check the calendar for dates and times of operation. School and tour group visitation is by reservation only using the reservation link.
Admission: $8 (adults); $5 (Seniors, 1st responders, military, kids 6-17)
Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, Underground Railroad Experience Trail
16501 Norwood Road
Sandy Spring, Md
Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park provides a glimpse into Montgomery County’s agricultural past. The park, which is located on historic grounds, features the Underground Railroad Experience Trail, the Woodlawn Museum housed in the 1832 stone barn, and the Federal-era Woodlawn Manor House, which dates to the early 1800s. The park is part of the Rachel Carson Greenway and the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program. The Manor House is currently closed for renovations. Montgomery Parks developed and maintains the park.
Hours: Woodlawn Museum and Visitor Center, April through November, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday noon – 4 p.m.
Admission: $5 (adults); $4 (kids 6-17); $4 (seniors); Free (5 and under)
Trail and park grounds are open free of charge sunrise to sunset.
Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art Gallery
18524 Brooke Road
Sandy Spring, Md.
The Sandy Spring Slave Museum offers hands-on activities designed to help learn more African American history, travel through the African Diaspora, slavery, the building of America, Civil Rights and the historic kinship communities of Montgomery County.
Hours: Saturday-Sunday 2 p.m. until 4 p.m for self-guided viewing. It is good to confirm in advance. Phone number: 301.774.4066. Visit the Sandy Spring Slave Museum website to book a tour.
Admission: $10 (adults); Free (children under 6)
Josiah Henson Museum and Park
11410 Old Georgetown Road
North Bethesda, Md.
The Josiah Henson Museum and Park is the first museum in the United States dedicated to Reverend Josiah Henson. Located on the grounds of the former plantation where Henson was enslaved prior to self-emancipating to Canada, the site includes a visitor center, a historic house with an attached log kitchen dating to 1850, and a 4-acre landscaped park with accessible walking paths.
Indoor and outdoor interpretive exhibits throughout the property detail Henson’s inspirational life story, enslavement in Maryland, and the ongoing struggles for racial equality and justice. The park is part of the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program. Montgomery Parks developed and maintains the museum and park.
Hours: Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. ‒ 4pm, Sunday 12 p.m. ‒ 4 p.m. Park is open sunrise to sunset.
Admission: $5 (adults); $4 (children, 6-17); $4 (seniors); Free (5 and under)
