If you’re like me, you enjoy finding cheap or free activities and entertainment. And museums, while educational and interesting, can be cost-prohibitive if you’re on a tight budget, especially if you have a family. However, First Free Friday at the Calvert Marine Museum gives you a chance to enjoy the various exhibits, meander through the marsh walk, and listen to live music once a month at no charge. Oh, and you get cookies. Who doesn’t love free cookies?
First Free Friday is the first Friday of every month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with the exception of December, when it’s held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday as part of the Solomons Christmas Walk festivities. (Note that it’s sometimes cancelled if the first Friday of the month happens to coincide with a concert at the PNC Waterside Pavilion.)
It’s a popular event, so get there early if you want to get parking at the museum (otherwise, you have to park across the street). Getting there early also increases your chances of participating in the special activities, like touring the Drum Point Lighthouse or taking a cruise on the Wm. B. Tennison, without waiting in a long line. Plus, the river otters go to bed around 6 p.m., so you’ll want to check them out, too. During the summer months, you are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and a picnic, since performances are held outdoors.
Docents are available throughout the museum to answer any questions and provide information about the different exhibits. Though, sadly, when I was there, nobody was around to explain Megatooth. And believe me when I say that seeing is NOT believing.