2 Best Sights in Prince George's County, Maryland

Built in the mid-1700s as a country retreat for provincial Maryland governor Samuel Ogle, the Georgian-style Belair Mansion was subsequently owned in the early 1900s by James Woodward. Ogle was instrumental during Colonial times in importing horses that improved the American Thoroughbred. The house displays British and Early American paintings, silver, and furniture. In 1908 Woodward built additions to the house, including the Belair Stable, which began the modern legacy of the Belair Stud, the line responsible for Omaha and his sire Gallant Fox, each of whom won the Triple Crown in the 1930s. One-hour self-guided tours of the mansion and stable emphasize the contributions of the families and their horses to racing history.

On 70 acres of parkland, Montpelier Mansion is a masterpiece of Georgian architecture that George Washington used as a guesthouse on the way to and from the Constitutional Convention. It was built and owned by the Snowdens, who earned their wealth through farming and an iron foundry. Interesting features include a 35- by 16-foot reproduction of a hand-painted canvas floor cloth and an offset central hall staircase. Also on the property is an 18th-century summerhouse where ladies took their tea, boxwood gardens, an herb-and-flower garden with plants grown in the 1800s, and a cultural arts center with three galleries and artists' studios.