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Wheaton is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, just north of Silver Spring and about 10 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. It grew from a 19th-century crossroads on Georgia Avenue into a busy suburban hub after World War II, and today it is one of the most diverse places in the region.
The biggest draw is Wheaton Regional Park, a large wooded park that holds Brookside Gardens, a free 50-acre public garden with a conservatory and seasonal displays, plus the Brookside Nature Center, a miniature train, a carousel and an ice arena. In winter the Garden of Lights turns the gardens into a walk-through holiday light show.
Downtown Wheaton is known for its small, family-run restaurants serving food from Latin America, Asia and Africa, and the Wheaton Metro station has one of the longest escalators in the Western Hemisphere. Sligo Creek Trail starts nearby, and Silver Spring, Rock Creek Park and the sights of Washington are a short Metro ride away.
A public horse stable inside Wheaton Regional Park offering riding lessons, summer camps and pony rides for young children, with an indoor arena and paddocks. Kids can also watch the horses being worked from the fence. Pony ride days are limited, so check the schedule before you go.
A small train takes riders on a short loop through the woods of Wheaton Regional Park, and a vintage-style carousel spins nearby next to a large adventure playground. Both run seasonally, usually spring through fall, with low per-ride fares. Go on a weekday morning to avoid lines.
Each winter Brookside Gardens turns into a walk-through holiday show with hundreds of thousands of LED lights shaped into flowers, animals and other figures. The path takes about an hour at an easy pace. Tickets are sold for timed entry, and weekends and the weeks before Christmas sell out early.
A large wooded county park with playgrounds, picnic shelters, Pine Lake for fishing, sports fields, horse stables and miles of hiking and natural-surface trails. It also holds Brookside Gardens and the nature center, so it is easy to fill a whole day here. Parking is free in several lots.
A nature center in Wheaton Regional Park with live native animals such as turtles, snakes and birds, exhibits on local wildlife, a bird-watching window and trails through the surrounding woods and wetlands. Admission is free, and staff run programs for children. Check opening hours before you go.
A public indoor ice rink next to Wheaton Regional Park with year-round public skating sessions, skate rentals, lessons and hockey leagues. It is a good option on hot summer days or rainy afternoons. Public skate times vary by season and change around games, so check the schedule before you go.
The escalators at Wheaton station on the Metro Red Line rise about 230 feet, one of the longest single escalator runs in the Western Hemisphere. The ride up takes almost three minutes. It is a fun stop for transit fans and the easiest way to reach Wheaton from Washington without a car.
The blocks around Georgia Avenue and University Boulevard are packed with small family-run restaurants serving Salvadoran pupusas, Peruvian chicken, Thai, Vietnamese, Ethiopian and Chinese food. Prices are modest and portions generous. Park in the public garage near the Metro station and walk around.
A large regional shopping mall in the center of Wheaton with department stores, national chains, a food court, restaurants and a movie theater. It sits next to the Wheaton Metro station, so it is easy to reach without a car, and it is a handy rainy-day stop. Parking is free in the surface lots and garages.
A paved trail that follows Sligo Creek for about ten miles from the Wheaton area south through Silver Spring to Takoma Park. It runs through a wooded stream valley with bridges and playgrounds along the way. On some weekend days parts of the parkway beside it close to cars for walkers and cyclists.
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Photo: Bohemian Baltimore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
