Montpelier Mansion

A fine example of Georgian architecture, popular in Maryland in the late 1700's, Montpelier Mansion sits on approximately 70 acres of beautiful parkland. Architectural and building construction details, as well as historical research, suggest that the house was constructed between 1781 and 1785. Major Thomas Snowden and his wife Anne, original owners of Montpelier Mansion, welcomed many distinguished guests into their home, including George Washington and Abigail Adams.

Montpelier Mansion, a National Historic Landmark, is operated as a house museum and rental facility. Select rooms have been researched and furnished as they would have appeared from the end of the 18th century until 1830. A boxwood-lined pathway runs through the garden to the original 18th century summer house.

In conjunction with the Friends of Montpelier volunteer organization, staff offer tours, concerts, festivals, reenactments, exhibits, lectures, and seminars. In addition, teas are offered periodically. Montpelier Mansion is available for weddings, receptions, luncheons, and meetings.

• Calendar of Events
• Doing Research at Montpelier Mansion
• Rental Details

History

Ann Ridgely and "Major" Thomas Snowden, each a member of prominent Maryland families, married in 1774. In 1781, the couple commissioned the building of Montpelier, a five-part Georgian home near present-day Laurel in Prince George's County, Maryland. Situated upon a high knoll above the Patuxent River, the site commanded an unequaled view. Two firebacks in the house are inscribed "TSA 1783" indicating the owners and probable completion year of the mansion.

Seventy acres and the house remain of what was once a 9,000-acre plantation containing an array of outbuildings, including tobacco barns, stables, and slave quarters. Although limited documentation is available about the daily operations, enslaved Africans and indentured servants provided the labor as field hands and skilled craftsmen at the plantation and the nearby Patuxent Ironworks.

The Snowdens' reputation for genteel hospitality and the proximity of their home to the main road to northern cities, such as Philadelphia and New York, made Montpelier host to many influential people. George Washington visited several times, most notably on his way to and from the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Abigail Adams also stayed at Montpelier and described the estate as a "Large, Handsome, Elegant House, where I was received with what we might term true English Hospitality."

Montpelier remained in the Snowden family until 1890. Throughout the years following 1890, the estate changed ownership several times and new facilities were constructed. In the early 1900's, the kitchen and servants' quarter's extension off the south wing were added, as was the seven-stall garage, known as the carriage house. The house was restored in the 1980s to reflect the occupation of Nicholas Snowden who inherited the house from his father and owned it until his death in 1831.

Montpelier Mansion, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the finest examples of 18th century Georgian architecture in the state. Large trees and boxwood grace the landscape which features a rare surviving 18th century summer house.

Tour Information

Montpelier Mansion is open to the public for tours and shopping opportunities. Montpelier Mansion is available for weddings, receptions, luncheons, and meetings.

Mansion Tours

Self-guided tours: Year round, Thurs. - Tues., any time between 11 am and 3 pm
Guided Tours: March-Nov. only, on Sundays at noon, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm

*Please note that sometimes our docents have to cancel. If there is no docent available for our Sunday guided tours, visitors can take a self-guided tour at not cost.

Admission for Mansion Tours:

Office Hours

The Montpelier Mansion Gift Shop Hours

Group Tour Information

We offer tours for all different age groups, from preschool to senior citizens. Some tours include a variety of hands-on activities, from old-fashioned crafts to 18th century social dances. The price per person depends on the type of tour. For more information, call 301-377-7817.

School Programs

Outreach: We come to you
Field Trips: You come to us

Our history programs for schools include lots of fun, hands-on learning experiences, and meet many of the Maryland State Curriculum Standards in math, and Voluntary Curriculum Standards in reading and social studies (see below). Our offerings can be customized to fit the needs of the homeschooler’s curriculum, and for multi-age groups.  For details, please call 301-377-7817, or email montpeliermansion@pgparks.com .

Reading Standards—Comprehension of Literary & Informational Texts; Listening and Speaking

Social Studies Standards—History; Geography; Peoples of the Nation and World; Skills and Processes

Math—Patterns and Functions; Geometry

Grades pre-K –12: Hands-On History Tour
On these tours, students engage in several age appropriate hands-on activities to learn about life in 18th and 19th century Maryland.

Grades pre-K – 8: Hands-On Architectural Tour
Students will tour the mansion to discover the practical design elements of 18th century Georgian architecture, get an introduction to the profession of architecture, and do hands-on activities and experiments.

Grades 3-5: Listening to the Past
Students will hear stories of children living in 18th and 19th century America, examine primary documents, do hands-on activities as they were done in the past, and write about their experiences.

Grades 7 and 8: Barriers & Gateways Tour
Barriers & Gateways is an exhibit that examines three major immigrant and forced migrant groups in Maryland, their daily struggles, how each group integrated into the American culture, and their long lasting legacies. The tour includes reading, discussion, and hands-on activities.

Scout Programs

Girl Scout Brownies Try-It Programs

• Etiquette - This program includes a tour and tea party, where girls will learn the proper way to behave in this delightful ritual.
• Listening to the Past - Brownies will step back in time and experience a day in the life of a colonial child.

Girl Scout Juniors Badge Programs

• Folk Art - Girls will study 18th and 19th century visual art, dance, music and literature.
• Toymakers - Girls will make their own toys, invent their own games, play with old-fashioned toys, and more.
• Architecture - Montpelier is one of the best examples of Georgian architecture in Maryland. Junior scouts will learn about this style by examining the house in many different ways.

Boy Scout TIGER CUBS

• Old Fashion Family Fun - Spend some family time, 18th century style. Scouts will take a tour of Montpelier Mansion to learn the history of the house and the region, and discover the clothes and pastimes of children in colonial times. Families will make a scrapbook to take home.

BOY SCOUT WOLVES

• Outdoor Fun, 18th Century Style - Take a walk and play some outdoors games on the grounds of Montpelier Mansion, then come inside to learn the history of the region by touring this 18th century home, and experiencing the fashion and fun of the times. Before heading home, scouts will make and fly a paper bag kite.

Boy Scout BEARS

• History Investigators - Experience history by investigating this 18th century Georgian mansion, the clothes, and the fun and games of the colonial times. Scouts will discover ways to uncover their own family’s past and make a journal to record their own history. With ink and quill, of course!

Schools and Home Schoolers please note: All Scout programs listed above can also be adapted for school groups and home school groups.

Featured Events

holiday candlelight tours
friday, december 9, 6-9 pm, saturday, december 10, 5-9 pm

Friday is Teacher Appreciation Night! Teachers get in free! Greenbelt Elementary School Choir performing!

Saturday is Public Safety Employee and Active Duty Military Appreciation Night! Police, fire, EMS and active duty military get in free! Greenbelt Brass Choir performing!
See the mansion decorated in traditional greens, and lit by candlelight. Local garden clubs decorate the rooms. There will be live music by area performers, and light refreshments. Kids can do holiday activities and crafts.
Admission Price: $3 adults, $1 children 6-17 (free for ages 5 and under). No reservations required.

Holiday story and craft time for kids
tuesday, december 27, 11am for preschool ages and 1 pm for elementary school ages

Come hear holiday and winter stories told by costumed interpreters. Do a craft, and enjoy some wintery treats.
Admission Price: $2 residents; $3 non-residents

A black history month hands-on history program
saturday, january 28, 1-3pm (no snow date)

a friendship tea saturday, february 11, 2:30 pm 

Bring your best friend, sweetheart, buddy or spouse for tea! fee includes a selection of fine finger sandwiches, scrumptious cakes and pastries, buttery scones and your choice of two loose leaf teas, all served in montpelier's elegant South Wing on elegant english china. $27.50 per person. Reservations and advance payment required. Call (301) 377-7817. We have volunteer openings for tour guides, office workers, gardeners, researchers, festival helpers, and more. Call 301-377-7817 for details.

George washington musicale with zephyrs and flora sunday, February 19, 2pm (snow date Sunday, february 26, 2pm)

Zephyrs and Flora is a recorder ensemble that also features other period instruments. They perform music from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras, as well as folk and religious music from around the world. $10 for Friends of MOntpelier members, $15 for non-members. Reservations and advance payment required. Call (301) 377-7817. Volunteer! Friends of Montpelier

The Friends of Montpelier, a volunteer organization, working with M-NCPPC staff, help furnish the mansion through donations, tour fees, and fundraisers. This group helps develop and present an array of programs and serve as docents. To find out about membership to the Friends of Montpelier, call 301-377-7817.

Location/Directions

Located in Laurel, Maryland, near the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

From the D.C. or Baltimore area, take the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Route 295) to Route 197 (Laurel-Bowie Road). Turn west onto Route 197. Turn left onto Muirkirk Road. Turn right into Montpelier grounds.

From Route 29, turn East onto Route 198. Cross I-95 & Route 1, turn right at the next intersection onto Route 197 (Laurel-Bowie Road). Proceed to Muirkirk Road and turn right. Turn right into the Montpelier Mansion grounds.

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