40 Best Sights in Frederick and Western Maryland, Maryland

Taney began his law career in Frederick, but is best known as the Chief Supreme Court Justice who wrote the controversial 1857 Dred Scott decision. Taney's opinion, which said that slaves were not citizens and therefore had no Constitutional rights, helped move the country toward Civil War. The brick Federal-style home turned museum offers insight into Taney's life (his wife was the sister of his law partner, Francis Scott Key), middle-class life in the late 1800s, and the slaves he owned. A bust of Taney stands at Frederick's City Hall Plaza, a few feet from a plaque explaining the Dred Scott ruling.

The home of Maryland's first governor, Thomas Johnson, the mansion has been reinvented as a children's museum. Costumed interpreters lead kids through the house and grounds, where they can dress up in period clothing, weave on a loom, and play with reproductions of toys from the 1700s and 1800s. Visitors can also explore a collection of carriages, a log cabin and blacksmith shop, herb gardens, and a smokehouse.

Believed to be the oldest house in Frederick, this unusual stone structure was built in 1756 by German immigrants. Spared from the wrecking ball two decades ago by preservation-minded citizens, the house-turned-museum is considered one of the finest examples of German architecture in Colonial America. The privately owned home is staffed by volunteers; open days and hours vary.

The history and craftsmanship of Upper Appalachia are exhibited at this rustic village where spinners, weavers, potters, stained-glass workers, wood sculptors, and bird carvers demonstrate their artistry and skills. The Winterberg House, a log stagecoach stop, is the last remaining log tavern along the Old National Pike. It's now used as a crafts store and restaurant.

At Swallow Falls State Park, paths wind along the Youghiogheny River, past shaded rocky gorges and rippling rapids, to a 53-foot waterfall. One of Maryland's hidden gems, the park is also known for its assemblage of 300-year-old hemlocks and for excellent camping, hiking, and fishing facilities.

This unique museum has more than 100 carriages amassed by James R. Thrasher, a local blacksmith's son who made a small fortune in business. The vehicles vary from those meant to carry royalty to ones typical of a fruit seller.

Shaded by trees near a placid lake at Hagerstown's City Park, the airy galleries of Washington County Museum of Fine Arts hold an eclectic mixture of American painting, from Whistler's moody La Mere Gerard to Norman Rockwell's folksy The Oculist. Portraits by members of the Peale family and Joshua Johnson, the famed African-American portrait artist, bring depth to the collection, which also includes European, Asian, and African paintings, sculptures, and prints.

In the mid- to late 19th century, Cumberland's railroad barons built homes in the Washington Street Historic District, which stretches along Washington Street from Wills Creek to Allegany Street and from Greene Street to Fayette Street. The six-block district, on the National Register of Historic Places, features an eclectic mix of Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, and Georgian Revival homes and is a dream come true for architecture lovers.

Puffing through dark stone tunnels and along majestic cliffs, this scenic rail excursion allows passengers to relive the glory days of trains in Cumberland and beyond. A 1916 Baldwin locomotive carries you uphill through the Narrows and scenic mountains as a narrator explains the region's history. The journey is 32 mi (3½-hours) round-trip to Frostburg. A 90-minute layover in Frostburg, a college town, allows time for lunch at one of the many restaurants on the city's main street, just up the hill. A diesel engine typically runs on weekdays, with the more popular steam engine saved for weekends. For a fun twist, try dinner and drinks on a murder-mystery train or take the kids on the North Pole Express at Christmastime.

The two biggest attractions in the area are Deep Creek Lake and Marsh Mountain, and the Wisp Resort takes advantage of both. Called "the Wisp" by locals, the mountain has a humble history: its eastern face was once a cow pasture. Today it's one of the area's most popular destinations. Not only does the resort boast Maryland's only alpine ski slopes, it's also a veritable amusement park with water and snow tubing, mountain biking, a mountain coaster, skate park, paintball course, climbing wall, paddleboarding, canopy tours, and waterskiing, to name a few activities. Instructors teach skiing and snowboarding to all ages and ability levels, and afterwards you can stop into one of several restaurants and bars to warm up and relax after a day on the slopes.