CAMPUS GUIDE
About the Region
The Anderson Pavillion at Brookside Gardens. Located in Montgomery County, Brookside Gardens is an award-winning, 50-acre public display garden whose mission is to foster appreciation for the art of gardening and the science of horticulture through plant collections and displays, learning opportunities and special events.
SUBURBAN MARYLAND
The Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., offer residents the choice of urban or rural environments with easy access to the cultural offerings of the city. For Janelia Farm scientists, the most convenient Maryland locations will be in Frederick and Montgomery Counties. Frederick County comprises historic towns set amongst wineries, Civil War battlefields, and scenic farmland, whereas Montgomery County is an eclectic conglomeration of communities ranging from those in its urban southern portion to the rolling farmland further west.
The southern portion of Montgomery County includes the cities of Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Chevy Chase (home to HHMI headquarters). Residents in these areas enjoy a little less traffic and more space than life in the city center without sacrificing cultural benefits such as excellent ethnic cuisine and art-house theaters. Washington's Metrorail system extends into these communities, making it easy to venture into downtown D.C. without traffic and parking hassles. Those who prefer more rural surroundings may enjoy the rolling hills and farmland of Frederick and Poolesville or the sprawling estates of Potomac. To avoid Washington's notorious Beltway traffic, commuters from these areas can reach Virginia by crossing the Potomac on the historic White's Ferry.
Montgomery County has an extensive 30,000-acre park system, providing plenty of green space for picnicking, tennis games, and youth and adult sports leagues. Walkers, joggers, cyclists, and equestrians can explore the system's 34 miles of trails. In the spring, Brookside Gardens, a 50-acre public display garden in the Wheaton area, is a marvelous place to view the region's spectacular blooms of cherry blossom and azaleas, and as the weather turns colder, two ice rinks provide lessons and open skating for all ages. The 26-acre Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo in Frederick County offers up-close encounters with bears, alligators, and tortoises; children and adults can also explore the interactive exhibits of the National Wildlife Visitor Center and search for beavers, bald eagles, and wild turkeys from the trails of the Patuxent Research Refuge in neighboring Prince George's County.
A popular hiking and biking trail, the C&O Canal Towpath passes through the area as it follows the route of the Potomac River for 184 miles, all the way from Cumberland, Maryland, to downtown Washington, D.C. A local highlight along the route is Great Falls National Park, where the river cascades through a breathtaking series of waterfalls, dropping 76 feet in less than one mile. Adventure seekers can kayak the falls or climb the cliffs, while those preferring to remain on solid ground can scramble over the Billy Goat Trail or explore the historic Patowmack Canal, whose construction began in 1785 under the direction of George Washington. The Catoctin Mountains are a recreational highlight in Frederick County, with opportunities for hiking, cross-country skiing, and fly-fishing, and nearby Sugarloaf Mountain is another popular destination for hiking, rock climbing, and mountain biking.
For those looking to express their artistic side, Glen Echo Park is a cultural, educational, and recreational center that hosts classes and performances for adults and children. The center's children's courses range from tie-dye to rock guitar, and its Adventure Theater presents fables, fairy tales, and musicals for children ages four and above. Adults can dabble in glassblowing and puppetry or attend the park's regular social dances. In Silver Spring, the American Film Institute's Silver Theater lets movie lovers view everything from Charlie Chaplin classics to modern foreign films in a refurbished historic auditorium.
Like the rest of the Washington area, suburban Maryland has a thriving research community. The largest research center in the area, with more than 18,000 employees, is located in Bethesda at the 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health. The National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world, is also located on the NIH campus. The Food and Drug Administration is headquartered just north of Bethesda in Rockville, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology is located in Gaithersburg. Gaithersburg and Rockville are also home to many large biotechnology firms, including EG and G Inc., Life Technologies Inc., and Celera Genomics Corporation. The Johns Hopkins University and the Carnegie Institution in Baltimore are also nearby.
GENERAL INFORMATION
SCHOOLS & TRANSIT
MEDICAL SERVICES
HOUSES OF WORSHIP
RECREATION & CULTURE
American Film Institute's Silver Theater and Cultural Center
