Explore Montgomery County Museums with MCDOT Ride On Bus Service

For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 15, 2024

Still too chilly to spend time outside? Take advantage of these last days of winter by exploring one of Montgomery County's many museums. When you take a Ride On bus to a local museum, you can beat the hassle of fighting traffic and finding a parking spot. With County bus fare of just $1, the bus is hassle free and saves money otherwise spent on parking fees and gas.

Read on for our guide to some local museums within Montgomery County, and which Ride On bus routes will get you there. 

• Josiah Henson Museum and Park:
  (North Bethesda) Celebrate Black history month learning about Reverend Josiah Henson. Visit the former plantation property of Isaac Riley where Reverend Josiah Henson was enslaved. This park is a historic resource of local, state, national and international significance because of its association with Reverend Henson, whose 1849 autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s landmark novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The Park contains the historic Riley/Bolten House (ca. 1800-1815) and its attached log kitchen (ca.1850-51). Ongoing archaeological excavations seek to find where Josiah Henson may have lived on the site. Take Ride On route 26 to get there.
  
  
• National Capital Trolley Museum:
  (Colesville) Experience for yourself the transit systems that built and served communities across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia for a century (1862-1962). Enjoy exhibits and presentations at the Visitor Center, then come aboard their living collection of historic street cars for a ride down one mile of woodland track in beautiful Northwest Branch Park. Take Ride On route 39 to get to this charming piece of transit history.
  
  
• Glenstone Museum:
  (Potomac) Glenstone is a place that seamlessly integrates art, architecture and nature into a serene and contemplative environment. Glenstone assembles post-World War II artworks presented in a series of refined indoor and outdoor spaces designed to facilitate meaningful encounters for visitors. Passengers who arrive at Glenstone on Ride On route 301 are offered guaranteed entry during operating hours; this bus drops visitors off directly in front of the Arrival Hall. 
  
  
• Clara Barton National Historic Site:
  (Glen Echo) The Clara Barton National Historic Site, situated next to the historic Glen Echo Park, was established in 1974 to honor the life and work of Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. This historic gem includes nine acres of land and Ms. Barton’s own 38-room residence, which served as an early headquarters of the American Red Cross. To get there, take Ride On route 29.
  
  
• Kid Museum:
  (Bethesda) Looking for something hands on for the younger members of your family? KID Museum is our region’s pioneering experiential museum and educational makerspace. They foster the 'Mind of a Maker' in kids and youth, empowering the next generation with the skills to invent the future. To get there, take Ride On routes 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, 47 or 70. 
  
  
• National Museum of Health and Medicine:
  (Bethesda) The National Museum of Health and Medicine was established during the Civil War as the Army Medical Museum, a center for the collection of specimens and artifacts for research related to trauma and pathology. The museum's mission to preserve and explore the impact of military medicine spans more than 150 years and includes each major U.S. armed conflict. To get there, take Ride On routes 4 or 5.
  

Ride On bus fare is only $1 and monthly passes are $22.50 using SmarTrip, cash, or tokens. Seniors age 65 or older,  persons with disabilities and youth ages 18 and under all ride free using specialized SmarTrip cards.

The Ride On Trip Planner app is a free regional public transportation planner that will find your fastest route.

For the most up-to-date service information, riders should follow @RideOnMCT on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. In addition, information is available at rideonbus.com, by subscribing to receive email alerts, or by texting MONTGOMERY RIDEON to 468311 to receive text alerts. 

For information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on X, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.  

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Release ID: 24-020
Media Contact: Emily DeTitta, 240-372-2282