Free & Cheap Things to Do in Solomons

History & Museums

Solomons' marquee museum covers the Patuxent and Chesapeake through three themes — paleontology (Miocene fossils from the nearby cliffs), estuarine biology (river otters, rays, an aquarium), and maritime history. The 1883 screwpile Drum Point Lighthouse and the historic bugeye Wm. B. Tennison sit on-site to tour.

Address: 14200 Solomons Island Rd, Solomons, MD 20688

Tip: Admission includes the Drum Point Lighthouse, and the river otters are the kids' favorite. Homeschool groups of 10+ book discounted field-trip programs in paleontology, biology, and maritime history.

Parks & Waterfront

The free Riverwalk boardwalk runs along the Patuxent harbor through the heart of Solomons Island, past marinas, galleries, ice-cream shops, and a riverside gazebo and fishing pier. The walkable island town — barely a mile end to end — pairs Chesapeake views with seafood shacks and free parking.

Address: Solomons Island Rd, Solomons, MD 20688

Tip: Park free near the boardwalk and stroll the half-mile each way; restrooms and a playground are at the north end. It's dog-friendly, and sunset over the Patuxent from the gazebo is the highlight.

Arts & Culture

A Smithsonian-affiliated sculpture garden on a wooded 30-acre site, Annmarie winds a paved path past permanent and loaned sculptures (including works from the Smithsonian and National Gallery), a fairy-lore trail, and an arts building with rotating exhibitions. Admission is pay-what-you-wish.

Address: 13470 Dowell Rd, Dowell, MD 20629

Tip: The shaded loop is stroller- and wheelchair-friendly and great for kids — look for the Fairy & Gnome Home Festival pieces. The arts building has changing exhibits and a gift shop. Just south of Solomons.

Wildlife & Education

Run by the University of Maryland's environmental science center in the historic Solomons House, this small free visitor center explains the health of the Chesapeake Bay through hands-on exhibits and an oyster-reef aquarium. A quick, free, kid-friendly science stop right in town.

Address: 200 Farren Ave, Solomons, MD 20688

Tip: Open seasonally (closed in winter), so call ahead for hours. It's a 20–30 minute visit, easy to pair with the Riverwalk next door, and the oyster-reef tank is the highlight.

Lighthouses & Parks

Ten miles south in Lusby, the 1828 Cove Point Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay. Run by the Calvert Marine Museum, its grounds and bell house open for free summer tours with a docent, with views up the Calvert Cliffs shoreline.

Address: 3500 Lighthouse Blvd, Lusby, MD 20657

Tip: Open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays 1–4, May through September. It's a quiet, scenic stop — combine it with Calvert Cliffs or Flag Ponds, both close by in Lusby.

Hiking & Outdoors

Famous for fossil hunting, Calvert Cliffs draws beachcombers searching for sharks' teeth and Miocene shells washed from cliffs 10–20 million years old. A flat 1.8-mile trail through forest and marsh leads to the fossil beach on the Chesapeake, about 14 miles south of Solomons.

Address: 10540 H G Trueman Rd, Lusby, MD 20657

Tip: It's a 1.8-mile walk each way to the beach, so allow time, and sift the sand at the waterline for sharks' teeth. The base directly beneath the cliffs is fenced off for safety, but the open beach is fine.

Beaches

A Calvert County beach park between Solomons and Calvert Cliffs, Flag Ponds has a sandy Chesapeake swimming beach, coastal cliffs, freshwater ponds, and wooded trails — plus its own fossil-hunting shoreline. A boardwalk and observation deck overlook the ponds and marsh.

Address: 1525 Flag Ponds Pkwy, Lusby, MD 20657

Tip: Open Friday–Monday off-season and daily in summer. Bring water shoes for the beach and a bag for sharks' teeth. Last entry is an hour before closing.

History & Nature

Maryland's state museum of archaeology spreads over 560 free acres on the Patuxent River in St. Leonard, with more than 70 archaeological sites spanning 9,000 years, a reconstructed Indian village, hiking trails, a visitor center, and the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab holding 10 million artifacts.

Address: 10515 Mackall Rd, St. Leonard, MD 20685

Tip: Grounds are open daily 7:30 to dusk at no charge. Time a visit for the summer Public Archaeology Program to dig alongside staff, or tour the MAC Lab. It's about 10 miles north of Solomons.

Parks & Nature

At the northernmost natural range of the bald cypress, this free 100-acre sanctuary near Prince Frederick protects a primeval swamp of towering cypress trees. A quarter-mile elevated boardwalk loops through the swamp, and a small nature center offers interpretive programs and live-animal exhibits.

Address: 2880 Grays Rd, Prince Frederick, MD 20678

Tip: The quarter-mile boardwalk is short, flat, and shaded — ideal with kids. Check seasonal nature-center hours (reduced in winter). About 20 miles north of Solomons, off Grays Road.