Laurel: Railroad History, Fossils and a River Landscape

Laurel brings together railroad history and historic streetscapes with fossils and a river landscape along the Patuxent. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing activities by their focus and timing: a museum with set weekend hours, regular open-house days and seasonal programs each have different conditions. This lets you choose a day to visit based on your interests and plan your stay accordingly.

History and Downtown

Laurel Railroad Station is a single-story brick building built in the Queen Anne style in 1884. The station was later converted for use as Laurel Metro Station; it continues to serve as a local hub for rail transportation in Laurel.

Laurel’s Historic District comprises seven distinct yet interconnected districts. The Walking Tour of Historic Laurel offers an interactive map of historic sites, developed jointly by the City of Laurel and the Laurel Historical Society. Check before your trip whether the interactive map is available.

Laurel Mill Playhouse produces community-focused performances in a fully renovated, 100-year-old historic building in downtown Laurel. Downtown is also a destination in its own right, bringing together shopping, dining and entertainment. It is considered lively and easy to get around on foot, and is located in the heart of Prince George’s County.

Fossils and River Landscape

Riverfront Park stretches along the scenic Patuxent River. The fossils at Dinosaur Park date to the Early Cretaceous and are about 115 million years old. Laurel thus offers both a connection to the river landscape and a tangible glimpse into Earth’s history.

The National Wildlife Visitor Center is located at 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel, MD 20708. Dinosaur Park also offers different ways to explore fossils: on the first and third Saturdays of every month, the park holds free open-house days, with no reservation required. The schedule and access due to weather may change.

Separate from these are the seasonal, paid excavation programs. Participants carefully uncover buried fossils together with staff, using paleontological tools. Dates and registration vary. If you want to include this activity in your plans, check the available dates and registration requirements in advance.

Plan Your Visit and Hotel

Laurel Museum is open Friday through Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. Research services and special tours are available on weekdays by appointment. Check the opening hours before your visit. The different schedules make your planned visit day a useful starting point for planning your trip.

Laurel Main Street hosts a series of special events every year; check the specific dates before your trip. Laurel Park offers live horse racing and simulcasting. If you want to include a race in your stay, check the current racing calendar. If you’re looking for a hotel in Laurel, you can plan your stay around the days you want to visit: regular museum hours, activities by appointment and seasonal programs don’t all follow the same schedule.

Discover more destinations: Fort Washington, Hyattsville, Clinton, Lanham-Seabrook, Riverdale Park, Bladensburg, Morningside, Hillcrest Heights.

For the broader travel overview: Prince George's.