Brunswick Visitor Center for Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Brunswick Visitor Center shares the building with the Brunswick Heritage Museum. The National Park Service portion consists of exhibits about the canal, plus you can pick up a park brochure and ask questions of the person on duty. The desk is staffed by a Brunswick Heritage Museum employee, not a National Park Service Ranger.
The Brunswick Heritage Museum offers additional exhibits, including a collection of model trains, plus a gift store. There is no fee to enter, but donations are appreciated.
LOCATION AND PHONE
40 West Potomac Street
Brunswick, MD 21716
Telephone: (301) 834-7100
OPERATING HOURS
- Spring through Fall
- Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM
- Sundays from 1 PM to 4 PM
- Closed the rest of the week
Times can always change, so be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
EXHIBITS AND FILMS
The exhibits at the Brunswick Visitor Center cover the history of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the eventual transition to railroad and motor vehicle transportation. There is a slight lean towards canal and railroad history in the Brunswick area.
Canal and railroad history exhibits in the Brunswick Visitor Center at Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Most of the exhibits are information panels populated with historical photographs and illustration, but there are a few artifacts and canal boat models on display as well.
Canal and railroad history exhibits at the Brunswick Visitor Center at Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
There are two short films shown on a small TV that start with the press of a bottom. One is a 4-minute segment of the old Charles Kuralt show, On the Road, that discusses the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The other is a 9-minute silent film called Down the Old Potomac. Shot in 1917, the film follows a canal boat as it travels down the canal.
Probably more interesting than the C & O canal exhibits is the model railroad on the upper floor of the Brunswick Heritage Museum. It has nothing to do with the canal, but if you stopped by, might as well see it.
Model railroad exhibit at the Brunswick Heritage Museum in Brunswick, Maryland
Model railroad exhibit at the Brunswick Heritage Museum in Brunswick, Maryland
SCHEDULING YOUR TIME
While there are a lot of information panels in the National Park Service section of the building, there isn’t much text on most of them, so you can read everything in about 20 minutes. Add another 20 minutes for the films and the model railroad exhibit. The Brunswick Heritage Museum has its own history exhibits (in addition to the model railroad), but I did not take the time to see them.
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Last updated on July 1, 2026
