VisitMaryland spotlights Prince George’s County as a tourism destination

What VisitMaryland is really saying about Prince George’s

Prince George’s County reads differently once you strip away the generic tourism gloss. VisitMaryland’s Capital Region roundup places the county beside Montgomery and Frederick, then points readers to National Harbor, MGM National Harbor, College Park and Bladensburg, a mix that covers waterfront dining, entertainment, campus culture and river history. The only caveat is Six Flags America, which the roundup still names even though Six Flags says the park closed after the 2025 season, making the county’s working weekend options feel a lot more current than the old theme-park pitch.

National Harbor and MGM National Harbor

National Harbor is the county’s clearest waterfront draw, but it does not have to be an expensive one. VisitMaryland frames it around sunsets, dining and entertainment, while the county’s parking office says the site began operations in 2009 and now uses meters that charge $3 an hour with a two-hour maximum, payable by credit card or ParkMobile. MGM National Harbor adds a 5,000-space self-park garage and a dedicated public-transit area, with the NH1 and NH2 Metro buses and Prince George’s County Transit routes 35 and 35s all serving the resort, so residents can get there without treating parking as the main event.

The smartest low-cost move here is to keep the focus on the waterfront and the public spaces first, then spend only where it makes sense. National Harbor’s own directory points visitors to restaurants and gathering spots such as Portum Restaurant & Lounge, Rosa Mexicano, McLoone’s Pier House, Brother Jimmy’s Barbecue, Pienza Italian Market and Sauciety, businesses that benefit when people linger for a meal, a drink or an overnight stay. MGM National Harbor is the heavier lift on the spending side, but for Prince George’s County it is also one of the biggest hospitality magnets in the region, which means more foot traffic for the whole Oxon Hill waterfront corridor.

College Park works because it’s easy to use

College Park is the county stop that feels most built for a weekend instead of a special trip. VisitMaryland describes The Hotel at the University of Maryland as a College Park classic, and the hotel says it sits directly across from the campus entrance, offers complimentary shuttle service to campus attractions and is less than a mile from the College Park Metro station on the Green Line. The hotel’s neighborhood list also points to nearby dining and amenities such as Old Maryland Grill, Bagels ’n Grinds, Potomac Pizza and the spa on site, which keeps spending close to campus instead of scattering it elsewhere.

For families, the College Park Aviation Museum makes the whole area feel more like a day trip than a college errand. The museum sits at 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; it showcases aviation history through aircraft, hands-on exhibits and programs at the world’s oldest continuously operating airport, where Wilbur Wright trained the first military pilots. University parking resources say visitor spaces are available in several campus lots and garages, while Shuttle-UM and the Metro keep the trip workable for people who do not want to drive onto campus. The museum calendar also includes free, no-registration tours, which is exactly the kind of low-cost programming that helps a county destination feel open to ordinary families.

Bladensburg keeps the county’s river history open to everyone

Bladensburg is where the guide’s history promise becomes real. The Battle of Bladensburg Visitor Center and Waterfront Park interprets the War of 1812, sits on the Anacostia River and offers a riverside walk, a public fishing pier and access to canoe, kayak or rowboat outings. The park is also tied into the Anacostia Tributary Trail System and the Anacostia River Trail toward Washington, D.C., which makes it one of the county’s most practical car-light outings for a bike ride, a walk or a paddle.

That accessibility matters in a county where not every family wants, or can afford, a destination that starts with a ticket booth. Bladensburg Waterfront Park’s calendar shows free community events alongside low-cost guided paddles, fishing trips and boat tours, including family-friendly programming that keeps the riverfront in reach for residents who want fresh air and history without a premium price tag. In public-health terms, it is a useful local asset: movement, water access and outdoor learning in a place that is already woven into the county’s trail network.

How to plan a Prince George’s weekend

If you want the county version of a smart weekend, start with the places that make spending optional. VisitMaryland’s guide points to a county that can give you waterfront views at National Harbor, a campus-and-museum stop in College Park and riverfront history in Bladensburg, while the practical planning centers in Largo and College Park can hand you maps, directions and parking information before you ever park the car. That is what makes this guide useful for residents: it shows how Prince George’s can keep tourism dollars local while still leaving room for a free stroll, a cheap museum visit and a meal that benefits a neighborhood business instead of a far-off chain.