Category Archives: Trains

December 10, 2017 · 1:08 pm

Giveaway! All Aboard the Magical Holiday Express at the B&O Railroad Museum

Trains are magical during the holidays, and at a venue dedicated to locomotives, you know the seasonal exhibition is going to be extra special.

The B&O Railroad Museum invites all aboard the Magical Holiday Express! The spectacular celebration in the B&O Roundhouse is devoted to trains of all sizes and shapes with holiday festivities and a winter wonderland of family fun and activities. There is something to see and do every day at this annual holiday event!

Magical Holiday Express at the B&O Railroad Museum
Where: 901 West Pratt Street | Baltimore, MD
When: Mon-Sat 10am – 4pm/Sun 11am – 4pm through December 31
Admission: $20/adult, $17/senior, $12/age 2-12

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Giveaway: For a chance to win Admission for 4 to the B&O Railroad Museum’s Magical Holiday Express, simply leave a comment below telling me your favorite holiday song. Get an extra chance to win by entering on the KidFriendly DC Facebook Page, too! This giveaway will run through Wednesday, December 13, then TWO winners will be drawn at random and notified shortly thereafter. Good luck!

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Filed under 2017, All ages, Annual, Christmas, Contest, DC, Exhibit, Giveaway, Holidays, Indoor Play, Maryland, Seasonal, Trains, Weekdays, Weekend, Winter

Tagged as B&O Railroad Museum, Children's Activities in Baltimore, Contest, Family Fun, Fun Things to do with Kids in the Washington DC Area, Fun with Kids in Baltimore Maryland, Holiday Train Exhibit, Magical Holiday Express, Ticket Giveaway

November 26, 2017 · 5:50 pm

Where to Play on the Weekdays: November 27 – December 1

Hike (and hide) amid the pretty foliage at Pohick Bay Regional Park

Monday – Hang out at Hains Point! Play, picnic, and enjoy the surrounding scenery where the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers converge. Head all the way down, almost to the tip of the park, to reach the playgrounds. They’re set amid a large grassy area with picnic tables and restrooms right there, too. And the spot offers great views of the rivers and airplanes taking off and landing at DCA. You could even make a longer day of it, and visit the nearby Tidal Basin to explore the Jefferson, Roosevelt, and MLK Memorials. Admission to all of it is free.

Tuesday – Relish in the beautiful fall day at Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, VA. Hike the easy trails through the woods vibrant with foliage, take in views of the water, let kiddos swing and climb on the playground, and play some disc golf if that’s your thing. Bring along a picnic — there are lots of tables in gorgeous spots for lunch al fresco. Hours are sunrise to sunset, and admission is $7 (though the gate house was closed when we recently visited, so entry was free).

And don’t forget to take part in Giving Tuesday! If you want some ideas of where to donate, the GIVE page has a long list of charities and causes, all of them shared by KFDC readers. (And if you have one you’d like to highlight, leave a comment on that page, and I’ll add it.)

Wednesday – Enjoy a little time trip back to the 18th century at Claude Moore Colonial Farm. The living history locale welcomes visitors to explore the grounds, where there is a tobacco barn, farm house, garden, orchard, and animals. Guests can also interact with a family portraying life as it was back then. Hours are 10am – 4:30pm Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is $5/adults, $3/children ages 3 and up, free/2 & under. Read about our first experience there in this post.

Thursday – Bring little ones to the National Museum of American History for a special Sesame Street Celebration. Festivities include a “Create Your Own Character” craft, a music making station, Sesame Street story times, and a rare opportunity to see Sesame Street characters from the Museum’s storage. Plus, families will be able to meet Julia, one of Sesame Street’s newest residents who lives with autism, during meet and greet sessions. This will all take place 10am – 12pm. Admission is free.

Friday – Zip over to DC’s big train station to check out the little trains. Union Station’s annual Holiday Train Show is back in the West Hall, featuring an elaborate Norwegian mountain landscape. Plan to grab a bite to eat at one of many options there or pop over to the National Postal Museum next door for more fun. Admission is free to both the train exhibit and the museum.

Giveaway: Enter to Win Free Admission to Brookside’s Garden of Lights!

Holiday light displays are always a seasonal treat, and you have a chance to win a visit to an area favorite: The spectacular Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens!

Escape to a glittering world with towering sunflowers, puffy rain clouds, lazy turtles, larger-than-life mushrooms, and other critters so beautiful, you’ll think you’ve been transported to a fairytale land.

Garden of Lights delights families every year with its imaginative and lighted figures that help usher in the holiday season. The handmade forms of forest animals, flowers and other natural elements help transform the gardens into whimsical winter scenes.

But the fun doesn’t stop outdoors. The conservatory will be transformed by G-scale model trains racing through a wintry landscape. And no wintertime shindig would be complete without mugs of piping hot cocoa, s’mores and live musical performances.

Garden of Lights opens November 24 and will run through January 1 (closed December 24-25). Hours are 5:30-9:30pm Sunday – Thursday, and 5:30-10pm Friday – Saturday. Admission is $25 per car/van Sunday – Thursday, and $30 per car/van Friday – Saturday. (KFDC Tip: If yu can swing it, go on a weekday when it’s less crowded.) Brookside Gardens is located at 1800 Glenallan Avenue in Wheaton, MD.

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Giveaway: For a chance to win free admission to Brookside’s Garden of Lights, simply leave a comment below telling me your favorite holiday treat to eat (savory or sweet). Get an extra chance to win by entering on the KidFriendly DC Facebook Page, too. The passes can be used on any date the exhibit is open. This giveaway will run through Tuesday, November 21, 2017, then a winner will be drawn at random and notified shortly thereafter. Good luck!