13470 Dowell Rd.
Solomons, MD 20688
Admission: suggested donation of $5 per person
We have been wanting to visit Annmarie Gardens for some time, but have been hesitant because it’s just over an hour and my girls aren’t great on longer car rides. We finally decided to make it happen and it FAR exceeded our expectations and was 10000% worth the drive. This place was magical! I cannot say enough good things about it!
We arrived about 10:30 on a Friday and met our friends who also have twin girls. There is an outdoor information/welcome booth that was super helpful. They operate on a donation system and suggest $5 per person – there is a box for cash or you can scan with your phone to donate online.
We started out in the Fairy Lolly play area. This is a natural playspace and the nicest one we have been to! There is a large sandbox, several play houses, stepping stones, a teepee, painted picnic tables, a covered pavilion, a grassy hill with a tunnel through it and bridge over top, and more! There were 2 families here when we arrived but they left soon after and we had the place mostly to ourselves for almost an hour! Even when other families did arrive, there was plenty of room to spread out. We saw kids and adults of all ages enjoying the playspace so there really is something for everyone! Even my 1 y/o had fun crawling around the tunnel and grassy hill! I love how everything is painted with bright pops of color in such a natural setting. This place truly has such a whimsical, magical feel.
Afterwards we explored their displays of fairy and gnome houses. We visited just days before their annual fairy and gnome festival and the fairy gardens were such an impressive set up! There is a main area where they have several on display and then many more tucked along the paved trail. The girls loved finding all the little houses and admiring all the details – and so did I!
The sculpture trail is .25 miles and is fully paved. One area of the path had different paintings encouraging kids to “fly like a bee” or “scurry like the squirrel” – we LOVED this part, so cute!
We spent about 3 hours here before we had to get home but we definitely could have stayed much longer and we were bummed we had to get back.
If you visit, be sure to check out their website ahead of time. They have great resources available including a scavenger hunt for kids and a detailed map of the gardens that describe all the art features.
Thank you @annmariearts for making such a wonderful place to visit. We are already planning our next trip back!
🚽 Bathrooms 🚽: yes! Open and clean
👩👧👦Solo w/ kids?👩👧👦: yes
🛒 Stroller friendly?🛒: yes
🦠Covid-safe🦠: not busy at all on a weekday and plenty of room to spread out. Masks required.
🅿️Parking🅿️: parking lot
🧺 Picnic tables: several!
⏰Timing⏰: 4+ hours
Maryland Kid Adventures 