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Olney grew up where two old roads meet, Georgia Avenue and Maryland Route 108, in upper Montgomery County. The crossroads village was once known as Mechanicsville and later took the name Olney from a local estate named after the English town linked with the poet William Cowper. Today it is a leafy, unincorporated community of about 35,000 people with a much richer cultural life than its size suggests.
The big draw is Olney Theatre Center, a professional stage that began in 1938 and is recognized as the State Summer Theatre of Maryland, with plays and musicals for much of the year. Next door, the Quaker community of Sandy Spring keeps its history alive at the Sandy Spring Museum, an early 1800s brick meeting house and Woodlawn Manor, where a forest trail retraces the routes of people escaping slavery.
Just north, tiny Brookeville sheltered President James Madison after the British burned Washington in 1814, earning it the title of capital for a day. Rachel Carson Conservation Park adds quiet meadow and river trails, and downtown Washington is about 20 miles to the south.
Founded in 1938 and recognized as the State Summer Theatre of Maryland, this professional company stages plays, musicals and family shows on several stages along Route 108. Productions run for much of the year, not only in summer. Book early for the holiday musical, which often sells out.
The main county park in Olney, set along Georgia Avenue, with ball fields, tennis courts, a skate park, playgrounds and walking paths. It is also home to the Olney Indoor Swim Center. Come on a weekday morning if you want the playgrounds and paths mostly to yourself, as weekends bring league games.
A Montgomery County aquatic center inside Olney Manor Recreational Park, with lap lanes for serious swimmers and a warmer shallow area for children. It is a useful rainy-day or winter option for families staying in the area. Check the county schedule for public swim hours before visiting, since lessons and teams take lanes.
A large natural park along the Hawlings River north of Olney, named for the Silent Spring author who lived in Montgomery County. Trails cross open meadows, hardwood forest and stream valleys, with good birding in spring. Wear waterproof shoes, as several trails ford small creeks and get muddy after rain.
A community museum in neighboring Sandy Spring, the Quaker settlement founded in the early 1700s. Exhibits cover local farm life, Quaker families and the area's African American history, and the museum hosts concerts, craft workshops and seasonal events. Check its calendar, as special programs change often.
A plain brick Quaker meeting house from the early 1800s, still used for worship by the Sandy Spring Friends. The simple building, old cemetery and surrounding trees capture the quiet spirit of the community that shaped this corner of Maryland. Visitors are welcome to view it from the grounds; respect services on Sundays.
A historic farm estate near Sandy Spring with an early 19th-century manor house and a large stone barn museum. Its Underground Railroad Experience Trail follows a forest path that recalls routes taken by freedom seekers, with seasonal guided hikes. Book a guided walk to get the full story along the way.
A tiny town just north of Olney where President James Madison found shelter in August 1814 after British troops burned Washington, making it the capital of the United States for a day. Its streets of 18th and 19th-century houses are best explored on foot. Park near the town hall and walk the short main street.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Photo: Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Photo: Ben Schumin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ben Schumin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ben Schumin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ben Schumin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Photo: John Brighenti from Rockville, MD, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: John Brighenti from Rockville, MD, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
