MUSEUM MATTERS

Here is what is happening at museums around Southern Maryland this week.

Charles

The La Plata Firehouse Museum is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on selected dates. The museum is located at 3 Firehouse Alley in La Plata. For group visits, call Danielle Mandley at 301-934-8421 or historiclaplata@townoflaplata.org.

The Maryland Veteran’s Museum at Patriot’s Park is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The museum is located at 1100 Crain Highway in Newburg. Go to www.mdvets.cc.

The La Plata Train Museum will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on scheduled dates. The museum is located at 101 Kent Ave. in La Plata. For group tours, call Danielle Mandley at 301-934-8421.

The Disabled American Veterans Chapter 36 is offering free assistance for claims support 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays at the Maryland Veteran’s Museum at Patriot’s Park, 11000 Crain Highway in Newburg. Appointments required. Call 202-531-0271.

The Historic McConchie One-School, which originally served African-American students exclusively, now serves as a living museum and is open for tours and periodically throughout the year to the public. The schoolhouse is located inside the Charles County Fairgrounds, 8440 Fairground Road in La Plata. Contact Edward Holland at 301-848-3476 or HistoricMcConchieSchool@gmail.com.

General William Smallwood’s Retreat House and Ground will be open on selected dates. The house is located inside Smallwood State Park, 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury. Call 301-743-3048 or 301-743-7613.

The Veteran’s Museum at Patriot Park will host a fundraiser to support disadvantaged and homeless veterans noon to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30. Food, entertainment, raffles, giveaways and more. Rain date is May 7. Go to https://www.mdvets.cc.

St. Mary’s

The Old Jail Museum, St. Clement’s Island Museum & Piney Point Lighthouse Museum will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through October 31. The Old Jail Museum will also be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the first Friday of each month for Leonardtown’s First Fridays. Call 240- 925-3427 or go to Facebook.com/TheOldJailMuseumGo to www.Museums.StMarysMD.com.

Historic Sotterley will host a symposium titled “Common Ground: Passage to Strength and Change” 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30. The event will feature a roundtable with some of Sotterley’s diverse descendants, a living history performance, a study of genealogy and the Executive Vice-President of Content from Maryland Public Television telling his own journey using previews of the yet-to-be released films “Becoming Frederick Douglas” and “Harriet Tubman Visions of Freedom.” Free, but space is limited and registration is required. Go to www.sotterley.org/events.

The Drayden African American Schoolhouse will hold a free open house 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7, in Drayden. Learn more about one of the nation’s best-preserved one-room African American schoolhouses and its history and importance to education in St. Mary’s County. Call 301-994-1471 or go to www. Facebook.com/DraydenSchool.

Calvert

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center will hold its Adorned: Inspired by Fabric and Fashion exhibit through Sunday, May 8. Admission is suggested $5 donation. Go to www.annmariegarden.org.

Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum will host a free exhibit titled “Southern Maryland History: Through Ebony Eyes” daily through Thursday, June 30. The exhibit embraces the heritage and culture of the region’s past. For an interactive story map, go to https://arcg.is/15588po.

The Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum is open 1 to 4 p.m. daily.The museum is located at 4155 Mears Ave. In Chesapeake Beach. Call 410-257-3892 or go to www. chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com.

Calvert Marine Museum will host a performance by Bob Zentz 7 p.m. Friday, April 29. The singer/songwriter plays dozens of instruments and spans folk, traditional, Celtic and maritime music. The concert is part of the museum’s 12th annual Maritime Performance Series. Doors open 6 p.m. Beer and wine will be available for purchase, Tickets are $25, $20 in advance. Go to bit.ly/MaritimeConcerts.

Calvert Marine Museum will hold a Fossil Field Experience 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 30. Explore the fossils at Cove Point and where to find them, how to identify them, and what they can tell us about the past. For ages 8 and older accompanied by an adult. Registration required at least two business days before the program. The cost is $15 per person.