Whether you are visiting Frederick County for the first time or have multi-generational roots here, Heritage Frederick's Museum of Frederick County History is your home for discovering the significant and diverse history of our community.
In 2025, the museum is offering a range of topics and stories to explore in seven exhibitions.
Music lovers will enjoy exploring Frederick County’s unique musical past the new exhibition Melodic Memories: Composing, Performing, and Enjoying Music in Frederick County.
Internationally known musicians like Patsy Cline and Lester Bowie have connections to Frederick County, which are explored in this exhibit alongside some of the earliest surviving instruments and musical composition with local origins. A special feature on community bands with historic instruments, uniforms, and photographs can also be seen in Melodic Memories.
Another new exhibit in 2025 is Two of a Kind: Joseph D. Baker and Emory L. Coblentz, examining the lives and legacies of two transformational community leaders from Frederick County’s history.
Both men share similar origins and career paths, but their place in Frederick’s public memory reflects their individual impacts. Yet, as Two of a Kind reveals, their legacies include institutions that continue to play a part in Frederick County residents’ lives today. Personal items from Baker and Coblentz are exhibited in this gallery along with numerous historical photographs from Frederick County’s past.
Relating to the Two of a Kind exhibit which features the stories of two bankers from Frederick County history, From Bartering to Banking is a new exhibit in 2025 which explores the history of money in a local context. Discover the evolution of money from trading natural resources to printing national currency and see examples of local script spanning more than a century.
Another new exhibit is Timeless Toys, a treasure room of toys spanning more than 140 years and all connected to Frederick County families. Visitors can explore a variety of toys and games that have been a part of leisure time for Frederick Countians.
From dolls and toy soldiers, to board games like Monopoly, this selection of local artifacts will reawaken the child inside all of us. Above displays of hundreds of historic toys and games, visitors can view photographs of the children who played with many of the items on display.
Three long-term exhibits in the Museum of Frederick County History also include new artifacts on view. In 24 East Church Street, see a gallery wall of objects from the collection of Heritage Frederick and discover stories of some of the girls who grew up in the Loats Female Orphan Home (which is now the Museum of Frederick County History) as revealed through new research.
Another long-term exhibit, Frederick County Decorative Arts, offers a chance to see a recently acquired album quilt from Emmitsburg. There is always something new to see at the Museum of Frederick County History!
When you visit the Museum of Frederick County History, be sure to view the Heritage Garden, located just behind the museum. This peaceful, secluded garden features a variety of native plantings, sculptures, historic artifacts, and spaces to sit or enjoy lunch. The Heritage Garden is also a rental space, available for weddings or small gatherings.
Founded in 1892, Heritage Frederick preserves material culture, artifacts, documents, photographs, and other ephemera from local families and communities reaching back to the founding of the county in 1748. Discover this rich and varied heritage at the Museum of Frederick County History, located at 24 East Church Street in historic Downtown Frederick. Learn more by visiting our website at www.frederickhistory.org.
Discover events at the Museum of Frederick County History
Civil War Walking Tour
Explore what it was like to live in Frederick during the Civil War. Stories include the last Confederate invasion…
