Laurel Historical Society

Happy 4th of July from all of us at the Laurel Historical Society! We hope everyone has a fantastic day celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Just a reminder that the Laurel Museum will be closed today, Saturday, July 4th. But don't worry, we'll be back open with our normal hours on Sunday from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

Images:
1. July 4th 1976 Parade Float during the 200th celebration. Hoekstra Collection.
2. Maryland State Guard in the 1943 4th of July Parade. Robison Collection
3. A group of young people getting ready to go tubing and canoeing down a river during the 1979 4th of July celebration. Laurel Leader Collection.
4. Float in 1986 4th of July parade. Laurel Historical Society Collection.

Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States with a fun, freedom themed Children's Day! Join us for this FREE event at the Laurel Museum on July 11th to continue the celebration beyond the 4th with educational scavenger hunts, hands-on community crafts, and snacks.

Date: Saturday, July 11th from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: Laurel Museum (817 Main Street, Laurel, MD 20707)
Cost: Free but donations are accepted

Beat the heat this weekend and join us at the Laurel Museum for popsicles! This Friday, July 3rd and Sunday, July 5th, stop by the Laurel Museum from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm to grab a popsicle, enjoy the air conditioning, and explore our exhibit "Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel's Freedom Celebrations".

Image: Cover for "Frozen Sweets" by Mrs. S. T. Rorer, published 1880 - 1910. The book contains recipes for use in American Twin Freezer. Laurel Historical Society Collection.

It is the last day of Pride Month, so we are taking a look at how the City of Laurel has historically celebrated!

Since 2024, the City of Laurel has held an annual flag raising ceremony in honor of Pride Month. In this image, Pride Committee Members (PCM), Laurel City Council, and community members attend the flag raising in 2025 to honor World Pride. This was Pride’s second annual flag raising, and the tradition continued to grow this year.

Today may be the last day of Pride Month, but we are celebrating freedom for all, all year round! Stop by the Laurel Museum during our open hours to visit our exhibit "Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel's Freedom Celebrations" and learn more about Laurel's different celebrations of freedom, including Pride!

Image: From left to right, standing: Mayor Keith Sydnor, Josh Kole, Brandon McGuire, Onyx D. Pearl/Alvin Smith (PCM), Scarlett Bronson, Jennifer Bronson, Amy Knox (PCM), Jo Blair, Matty Nabinger, Dawn Turney, James Kole (Council and PCM), Jackie Jones, Amy Dunham (PCM), Frank Morgan, Kyla Clark (Council), Dan Moiser. From left to right, first row: Nicole Gore (PCM), Michelle Keating (PCM), Bozhy, and Kelvin Jackson. Image courtesy of Laurel Pride

Today we commemorate Juneteenth, the day in 1865 in which enslaved people in Galveston, Texas first heard they were official freed, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The first Juneteenth celebration, known as "Jubilee Day" took place in Texas in 1866.

The City of Laurel held its first Juneteenth ceremony in 2021, but it has since grown into an annual celebration. The Laurel Historical Society will be at the Juneteenth Celebration tomorrow, June 20th, at Emancipation Community Park from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Stop by to learn more about Juneteenth, how the City of Laurel celebrates it, and take part in a special craft.

If you are not able to visit us tomorrow at the Juneteenth Celebration, you can still learn more at our current exhibition "Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel's Freedom Celebrations"!

Images: Juneteenth Ceremony 2021 Program, Laurel Historical Society Collection.

Sunday is the LAST day to sign up for our annual Rube Goldberg Summer Camp next week, June 22nd through 26th! Sign up now to join us at the Laurel Museum for this FREE summer camp where rising 3rd to 5th graders can learn about the wonderful and fascinating world of science and create their own Rube Goldberg machine.

Time: 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM daily
Location: Laurel Community Pool Room & Laurel Museum (additional location information will be sent in the confirmation email)
Cost: FREE (advanced registration is required)
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laurel-historical-society-2026-rube-goldberg-summer-camp-tickets-1988922713376?aff=LHSWebsite

For more information, contact us at [email protected].

It's Pride Month and we are taking a look at how Laurel has celebrated Pride!

Did you know that the first Laurel Pride Celebration was held at Granville Gude Park on October 8, 2022? Laurel's family-friendly Pride celebration takes place during LGBTQ+ history month instead of Pride Month to extend the celebration beyond June, while reinforcing the fact that inclusion and recognition should be year-round.

You can learn more about Laurel Pride in our current exhibition "Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel's Freedom Celebrations"!

Image: The first Laurel Pride Celebration on October 8, 2022 at Granville Gude Park. Laurel Historical Society Collection.

We are closed today, June 14th, to give our team a well-deserved break and some extra time to recharge after our Laurel Garden Tour. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to seeing you at the museum on our next business day Friday, June 19!

The presale for the Laurel Garden Tour ends tomorrow! Purchase tickets by tomorrow, June 12, and save $5 per ticket with advance pricing, so don't wait to purchase yours. LHS members will receive an additional $5 discount and exclusive access to a special members-only "secret garden."

Learn more and purchase tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-garden-tour-5

We've included some cropped sneak peeks from gardens on the tour this year to add even more excitement! What are you looking forward to seeing on the tour?

This Laurel Garden Tour is a fundraiser for the Laurel Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Each and every ticket purchased helps support our mission to deepen the understanding of the past and cultural heritage of ​Laurel, Maryland, to connect and inspire, for today and the future.

🎉 GIVEAWAY! 🎉 Win TWO Tickets to the Laurel Garden Tour!

We’re excited to announce a special giveaway! We want to share the beauty of Old Town and West Laurel with you and a friend, so we have two Laurel Garden Tour tickets up for grabs. This year's tour includes TEN private gardens throughout Laurel with select gardens featuring games and giveaways for visitor enjoyment. Have you already been on the tour in the past? Don't worry, this year features all new gardens for you to explore.

How to enter:
To enter, **Like** this post and **Tag** the person you'd love to take with you in the comments below!

The winner will be announced the morning of Friday June 12th, so make sure to keep an eye out. Good luck!