Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, Archaeological museum and cultural center in Leonardtown, United States.
Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum is a cultural institution with an archaeological museum in Leonardtown that spreads across 560 acres along the Patuxent River. The site includes hiking trails, exhibition galleries, and research facilities where scientists study artifacts from across Maryland.
Mary Marvin Patterson donated the land to Maryland in 1983 to create a center for preserving regional archaeological discoveries. It has since become a major repository for millions of artifacts recovered from excavations throughout the state.
The reconstructed village displays how Woodland Indians lived, with rebuilt wigwams and gardens showing their daily practices. Visitors can observe the structures and spaces where people once carried out their daily tasks.
The grounds are walkable with marked paths through the park and to exhibition areas. Allow time to stroll between the galleries and the reconstructed village to see everything at a comfortable pace.
The laboratory preserves and catalogs nearly ten million artifacts from excavations throughout Maryland, making it one of the largest archaeological collections on the East Coast. These holdings span from prehistoric to colonial times.
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