c&o canal national historical park and visitors museum

Fantastic place to walk,run or bike. Pretty, quiet and access to bathroom at certain intervals. It does get muddy after snow or rain.

Had a great visit here in December 2014. The gentleman working the desk was a wealth of information and helped me plan my next few days of historic stops. The museum itself covers the C&O Canal history but you can also learn a lot about the local Civil War and French and Indian War history. I was wanting info on the French and Indian War and I got lots of it here. The man at the desk knew A LOT about this subject and he suggested going to Fort Necessity and to Fort Pitt in Pittsburgh, which I did. I would definitely suggest spending some time here to enhance your learning of all the fascinating history in the area.

Though this attraction lists a Maryland address, this review is actually of the part of this long, thin National Historical Park that lies in Georgetown. The towpath along this old canal now makes a great place for a walk in a particularly historic part of Georgetown, and there is even a tour boat that can give you a feeling of what voyaging on this aquatic highway from the Potomac into the interior of the continent was like (on the days it happens to be operating). When you are in Georgetown, take a quick detour a block or so south of M Street to see this.

The museum tells the story of the C&O Canal. The staff there was quite helpful and suggested some other local places to visit.The museum is free and really well done. It's a nice way to spend an hour or so.

Great stop to spend an hour or so getting educated on part of Cumberland's history. Lots of things to see including a small gift shop that had very reasonably priced items. Definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area.

I'm a history nut, but had read a few books. Since we biked both the GAP and the C & O Canal Trail we particularly liked the signage where the two trails met and the "zero" marker in the ground.

C & O Canal Museum was very nice. We hadn't been here since the 90's and this visitors museum was very nice; interactive hands-on activities and very informative displays. We also walked around the park and the tow path area. The gift shops were in the older building which had a lot of stairs. National Park Service has helpful staff and even staff dressed in the period clothing with tons of maps and brochures. Since we were on a bus tour, we had an hour and a hlaf to see this area which was plenty of time. I would like to bring our adult children and grandchildren here.

Even though I was at the end of my 184.5 and had stopped at most of the Visitors Centers this one was different. I liked the model of the canal boat that you can walk through. I like history so seeing a bill of laden for 22 cents a ton was very interesting! Go explore the museum and they have a shop with souvenirs as well.

Friendly staff, very good presentation of the C&O canal history and Cumberland, MD, housed in a former railroad depot. A National Park Service facility, and free.

We just stopped in Cumberland for the day and really didn't know what to expect here and was really surprised. The museum is really informative and the park was extremely helpful with information that could help us make the most of our day. We went on a Sunday and parking was free.

Had never heard of the C&O Canal until we happened to stop in Cumberland, Maryland, on our way home from our vacation in Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. We weren't expecting to find a National Historical Park there either! It was very well done and explained, small and the Park Rangers as always are very friendly

It's a small museum, and only takes 30 minutes to an hour, but it is excellently done. It's free of charge. A few videos, some old photos, a lot of explanations, and hands-on displays. Good for all ages. I was surprised at how nice it was. Very clean, very interesting, and I was the only visitor there.

I am aware of the canal history in the USA but have never had a chance to see information on it first hand. The museaum is small but very informative. The entire canal park is huge so you will have to travel along the historic C&O canal to visit other sites like the mule stables and canal boat ride. The mules and boat ride should make it great for kids.

Guide was very friendly. Displays are very well presented, and there is a lot for younger guests to see also. Amazing history.

This was a surprise. I only went down here for some photos but came away with a history lesson. The person behind the desk was very knowledgeable for a youngster. There were some great photo ops too.