Education

Our outdoor space hosts a variety of educational programming geared towards toddlers, school aged children, families, and adults.

  • Children’s Story Time (Monthly, May through October)
  • Loats Little Library Box
  • Medicinal “Physic Garden,” a quaint, enclosed garden representative of what Dr. Baltzell may have used in the mid-1800s
  • Slice of History – a preserved cross section of our historic ash tree
  • Loats Female Orphan Home – learn how the outdoor spaces would have been used during the 70+ years when our museum served as an orphanage
  • Perennial beds and gardens – stroll through a Bay-Wise Certified garden

Children’s Story Time in the Heritage Garden

Tucked away under the shade of a mature Southern Magnolia tree, our Story Time Garden is a welcoming space  designed with young patrons in mind.  Children can explore and enjoy the numerous garden and nature themed books in the custom built Loats Little Library Box or get creative with the miniature garden play area.  Children should not be left unattended. Prior to leaving, please be sure to return books to the Library Box for others to enjoy.


Loat’s Little Library Box

We are very excited to invite you into the garden to enjoy a book from the Loats Little Library Box, named after John Loats (1814-1879), who resided here. Mr. Loats was a prominent Frederick businessman whose many philanthropic contributions benefitted children. We’d like to think he spent time reading on the rear porch or in his garden and would be pleased to be honored in this way. The book selections were chosen by the Heritage Garden Committee and were generously funded by the Mary Gregg Cornish Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Frederick County and through private donations. Please contact us if you are interested in donating a book from our wish list.

We kindly ask that you return all materials to the library box before leaving the garden.