This weekend, What to Do & Where to Go goes Behind the Scenes at Heritage Days, a two-day, county-wide festival offers featuring 33 historic, cultural and green sites in Montgomery County. All events and activities are presented free of charge.

With all the office buildings and strip malls sprouting up, many of us forget that Montgomery County was settled in the 1750s. But, dig around and you’ll find layers of local history under all that shiny newness. Here’s a taste of what you can find at Heritage Days:

Silver Spring

Historic Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station—You might have passed this historic building once or twice during your drive down Georgia Avenue. This time, make a turn and discover the restored 1945 National Register B&O station! Model railroads, model kit-building demonstrations and the station’s “Switcher” module will wow your kids—AND they’ll learn about railroad safety from the station staff.

Sandy Springs

Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art Gallery—Step back in time and tour the cross-section of slave clipper ship and a slave log cabin. At noon on Saturday, the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices will perform traditional African American and Civil War songs. Interact with historical character Anna Maria Weems, an enslaved girl from Rockville who escaped to freedom using the Underground Railroad. Food will be for sale.

Oakley Cabin African-American Museum & Park—Music on the Rise will be performing string band folk music throughout the day on Saturday. Built as one of three cabins housing African-American tenants during the 1800s, Oakley Cabin became part of a large African-American roadside community. Tour the cabin and experience demonstrations of 19th-century crafts.

Rockville

American Latvian Museum—Explore Latvian culture through exhibits featuring costumes, hand-woven textiles and wooden steins. Kids can enjoy hands-on activities, including silversmithing and decorating Easter eggs, a Latvian art form.

Hyattstown

Hyattstown Mill Arts Project—View the multi-media art exhibit in the Mill gallery. Hike the surrounding parkland. Hands-on leaf-printing activity for children, and music both days featuring Shortbread and The Trio. Saturday night Song Circle from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.

This weekend, take a journey down the street, across the county, back in time or over an ocean with Heritage Days. Click here to see the full brochure of all sites and activities. Check out these Patch stories about Heritage Days events in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Bethesda and Potomac.