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All the United States Maryland Boyds King Barn Dairy MOOseum
AO Edited

King Barn Dairy MOOseum

This heritage museum highlights the importance of the dairy cow as a vital part of rural Maryland's past, present, and future.

Boyds, Maryland

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Ian Hall
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Interior of the MOOseum, chock full of exhibits.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Interior of the MOOseum, chock full of exhibits.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Model milk wagon with milkman and bottles.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
“Comical Cow” waiting to be milked   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Model of the house built on the property by the King Family.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Robotic milking machine   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
King Barn Dairy MOOseum   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Cream separator.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Paclamar Astronaut   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Glass menagerie of bovines.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
A dairy-themed mosaic created by 2nd graders hangs in the craft room.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Play room for kids.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Located inside South Germantown Recreational Park, this museum boasts a broad and diverse collection of dairy farm-related memorabilia, interesting exhibits, and even interactive model milking cows to educate and entertain visitors.

Located on what was once a 350-acre farm, the King Barn Dairy MOOseum is housed in a cement block, 72-stanchion dairy barn that dates back to 1930. It was built by James and Macie King after 13 of the original buildings they had purchased in 1913 had been destroyed by a tragic fire in 1926. The King Family managed the barn for over 30 years. After James King died in 1958, Macie and their son ran the business for two more years before selling the family business.

The farm was purchased some years later by the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and with support from corporate and individual donors, the land was developed into the South Germantown Recreational Park and Maryland Soccerplex.

Though the barn had deteriorated over the years, it was preserved due to its solid construction and augmented with replicas of the original silos. The MOOseum welcomed its first visitors in June 2010, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and official opening on October 23, 2010.

The MOOseum includes exhibits that will interest visitors of all ages, including two model cows on which visitors can try out their milking technique. Other exhibits include various milk bottles, a collection of glass cow figurines, a database of all known dairy farms that have existed in Montgomery County, Maryland. There are also a craft room and play room to pique the interest of younger visitors.

The docents are extremely friendly and knowledgeable on all aspects of dairy farming, and can also point out one particularly old tree that has been around since before the King Family bought the farm.

Related Tags

Agriculture Farms Museums And Collections Cows Dairy

Know Before You Go

The MOOseum is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays, and on the fourth Sunday of each month from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. between May and October, and admission is free. There is a small gift shop called Macie's Attic inside the MOOseum.

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blimpcaptain

Published

September 29, 2023

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King Barn Dairy MOOseum
18028 Central Park Cir
Boyds, Maryland, 20841
United States
39.151566, -77.308188
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