Hagerstown is a quiet town in Maryland with fine museums and art galleries for adults, but kids will not be disappointed with the range of activities available. Parents and kids will find a range of attractions from national parks with opportunities for mountain-biking to interactive museums.
At Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Park in Hagerstown children can do fun things like join a park ranger and discover what he does. Children can take a trip down history with a mule-drawn boat rides. Another popular activity for children is to meet the mules. In winter months, children can ice skate in certain areas of the park and go sledding and cross-country skiing.
For a day trip or a longer vacation the Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park and Camp-Resort provides a range of fun activities for children such as having their photograph taken with Yogi Bear. Other entertainment for children includes a Cindy Bear Arts & Craft Center where kids can paint ceramics or make their own Yogi bear. The park has its own theater that plays Yogi bear cartoons and other movies at sunset.
Hagerstown has an ice and sports complex that offers public skating sessions. There are lots of opportunities for bowling too, such as at the Turner Lane bowling alleys. The Rainbow Connection Playground has a large outdoor swimming pool for kids who enjoy getting wet. Kids who like the great outdoors and enjoy mountain-biking should go to the Greenbrier State Park. For children who just want some rides, Playland is an amusement park and waterpark.
Museums are not always stuffy.The Discovery Station in Hagerstown provides a real interactive experience where kids can learn about science, technology and local history in a hands-on environment. For young children up to age five, the Betty Clapper Early Childhood Gallery provides a fun play area for building. One exhibit aimed specifically at kids is the full-scale model of a dinosaur's skull. At the Interactive Gallery children can learn about animals, the body and earth sciences among other subjects.
