Thomas Stone National Historic Site
In 1776, Thomas Stone and 55 others signed the Declaration of Independence. In doing so, Stone risked his home, his family's security, and even his life to support the Declaration of Independence's promise of freedom.
About under an hour from Washington, 1.5 hours from Baltimore and 2 hours from Richmond by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
There is no entrance fee at Thomas Stone National Historic Site.
Hours
| Park Grounds Operating Hours | Varies by day ▾
|
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 24, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 8, 2026 to Apr 25, 2027Winter Closure | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
| Jul 4, 2027Independence Day | 10:00AM - 4:00PM |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Thomas Stone Visitor CenterPassport stamp
The Visitor Center at Thomas Stone National Historic Site is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the summer season, generally mid-April through December. It is closed along with the rest of the park during the winter.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- Tour the Thomas Stone House30-45 Minutes
Join a ranger for a 30 minute guided tour of the Thomas Stone House to explore Thomas Stone's life as a planter, a lawyer, a politician, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Opens on the Park Service site - Short Loop: Stone Mansion30-60 Minutes
Take a short walk to get to the Stone Mansion, the home of Thomas Stone.
Opens on the Park Service site - Long Loop: Stone Mansion50-90 Minutes
Hike along a more moderate trail to get to the Stone Mansion. Experience more of the natural world on the way to the Mansion.
Opens on the Park Service site - Farm Outbuildings Loop90-120 Minutes
Explore the outbuildings of Haberdeventure, the plantation of Thomas Stone.
Opens on the Park Service site - Long Loop: Stone Family Cemetery60-90 Minutes
Looking for a longer, scenic stroll to the Stone family cemetery? This is a longer segment of a larger nature trail system.
Opens on the Park Service site - Short Loop: Stone Family Cemetery10-15 Minutes
Take a stroll to the Stone family cemetery. This is a segment of a larger nature trail system at Thomas Stone National Historic Site.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 8Hide
- Bicycle Port Tobacco to Smallwood State Park
Port Tobacco Historic District and Smallwood State Park provide a contrast in landscape diversity, and travel between them is a fine bicycle ride. This route is part of the Adventure Cycling Association Tidewater Potomac Heritage Bicycling Route.
Opens on the Park Service site - Bicycle Colton's Point to Port Tobacco
For those seeking to explore Southern Maryland or to travel the extent of the Potomac Heritage NST corridor, bicycling and paddling, combined with some short hikes, are the best self-powered ways to experience the area.
Opens on the Park Service site
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the Mid-Atlantic
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBald Eagle 10× · Red Fox 2× · Belted Kingfisher 1× · Osprey 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 112 birds, 14 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican kestrel · Cooper's hawk · Sharp-shinned hawk · bald eagle · barred owl · black vulture · great horned owl · merlin · red-shouldered hawk · red-tailed hawk · turkey vulture
Waterfowl & wadersCanada goose · great blue heron · hooded merganser · tundra swan · wood duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican woodcock · herring gull · killdeer · laughing gull · ring-billed gull
Gamebirds & dovesmourning dove · northern bobwhite · rock dove · wild turkey
Woodpeckersdowny woodpecker · hairy woodpecker · northern flicker · pileated woodpecker · red-bellied woodpecker · yellow-bellied sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftschimney swift · ruby-throated hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian flycatcher · American crow · American goldfinch · American redstart · American robin · Cape May warbler · Carolina chickadee · Carolina wren · European starling · Kentucky warbler · Louisiana waterthrush · Swainson's thrush · barn swallow · bay-breasted warbler · belted kingfisher · black-and-white warbler · black-throated blue warbler · black-throated green warbler · blackpoll warbler · blue grosbeak · blue jay · blue-gray gnatcatcher · blue-winged warbler · brown creeper · brown thrasher · brown-headed cowbird · cedar waxwing · chestnut-sided warbler · chipping sparrow · common grackle · common yellowthroat · dark-eyed junco · eastern bluebird · eastern kingbird · eastern meadowlark · eastern phoebe · eastern towhee · eastern wood-pewee · field sparrow · fish crow · golden-crowned kinglet · gray catbird · great crested flycatcher · hermit thrush · hooded warbler · horned lark · house finch · house wren · indigo bunting · magnolia warbler · mallard · northern cardinal · northern mockingbird · northern parula · orchard oriole · ovenbird · palm warbler · pine warbler · prairie warbler · purple martin · red-breasted nuthatch · red-eyed vireo · red-winged blackbird · ruby-crowned kinglet · scarlet tanager · song sparrow · summer tanager · swamp sparrow · tufted titmouse · whip-poor-will · white-breasted nuthatch · white-eyed vireo · white-throated sparrow · winter wren · wood thrush · yellow-billed cuckoo · yellow-breasted chat · yellow-rumped warbler · yellow-throated vireo
Small mammalseastern cottontail · eastern mole · gray squirrel · meadow vole · northern short-tailed shrew · southeastern shrew · white-footed mouse
Predatorsraccoon · red fox
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
Also on the checklistdomestic dog (feral) · house cat · virginia opossum · woodchuck
Activities
Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Thomas Stone National Historic Site experiences all four seasons. Temperatures can be very warm and humid in the summer months and wet and rainy in the winter months.
Questions people ask
Does Thomas Stone charge an entrance fee?
No. Thomas Stone is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Thomas Stone?
Standard hours are 10:00AM - 4:00PM on Sunday and Saturday, and it is closed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Thomas Stone?
4,910 recreation visits in 2025, number 369 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Thomas Stone?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for Verizon and T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
