Great Falls Tavern

Great Falls Tavern is a house museum in Potomac that explores the history of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The structure displays how locks operated and shows the layout of life for people who worked and stayed along the waterway.

The structure was built in the early 1800s as a rest point for travelers using the canal. It later transformed into a National Park Service center after the canal ceased commercial operations.

The building served as a meeting place and rest stop for people traveling the canal, reflecting the social life of 19th century travelers and workers. Visitors experience how the space brought together different communities along the waterway.

The museum sits along MacArthur Boulevard with parking available near the main entrance. Walking shoes are helpful since the site includes pathways along the canal and natural areas.

The museum preserves original tools that lock keepers used daily to maintain the complex lock machinery. These objects reveal the hard physical labor required to keep the canal running smoothly.

Location: Montgomery County

Inception: 1828

Elevation above the sea: 51 m

Address: 11710 MacArthur Blvd, Potomac, MD 20854

Phone: +13017673714

Website: https://nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/greatfallstavernvisitorcenter.htm

GPS coordinates: 39.00028,-77.24814

Latest update: December 13, 2025 11:46