Laurel Historical Society

10/29/2026

Stop by the Laurel Museum this weekend to pick up goodie bags with fun activities and treats for your trick-or-treaters! These goodie bags are free and first come, first served, so we encourage you to stop by early during our regular hours, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

10/27/2026

Join us November 19, during National Native American Heritage Month, for a special virtual presentation on the history of the Navajo Code Talkers with Jennifer Robertson, Director of Education at the National Cryptologic Museum (NCM)!

Thursday, November 19 | 5:00 to 6:00 PM
Cost: FREE (advanced registration required)
Location: Zoom
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speaker-series-talking-in-code-tickets-2002759575804?aff=oddtdtcreator

The The Navajo Code Talkers are famous for using their language to protect U.S. Marine Corps radio messages during World War II. But they weren’t the only, or even the first, Native Americans to do so. Learn how the U.S. military took advantage of the unique languages of Native Americans to secure voice communications in both world wars.

Image: A photograph of the 29 original Navajo code talkers after completing Marine Corps basic training in San Diego, California, 1942. Photo courtesy of the National Cryptologic Museum

10/22/2026

This September, the Laurel Historical Society launched an American Sign Language (ASL) tour of our current exhibition, Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel's Freedom Celebrations. This tour was created through a special partnership with the Communication Arts Department at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) and the Johns Hopkins Museum Studies program.

We invite you to stop by the Laurel Museum to access these videos with an ASL interpreter via QR codes that guide visitors and provide background information on both the museum and its current exhibit.

We want to thank Shawn Clements-Ahava, a graduate student in Johns Hopkins Museum Studies program for helping create the tour, CCBC professors Dr. Rebecca Minor and Stephen Kennedy for their direction, and of course the CCBC students who assisted with the project to help make the Laurel Museum and its exhibit more accessible.

10/20/2026

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for the Laurel Historical Society's inaugural Heritage on Tap: A Laurel Oktoberfest last Saturday! We had a ton of fun enjoying the food and festivities, and appreciate everyone who came out to support LHS in raising mission critical funding.

We hope to see you at our next event!

Images: Guests enjoy roulette, a b**r stein holding competition, b**r tasting, and blackjack. Credit: Cristian Lopez, 2026.

10/16/2026

The Laurel Museum will be CLOSED this Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 for our Heritage on Tap event.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to seeing you again on our next business day, Friday, October 23!

10/14/2026

Time is running out to get your Heritage on Tap tickets and there will be NO day-of ticket sales. Purchase TODAY to make sure you get to enjoy the Oktoberfest-inspired fare and festivities, all while helping to raise critical funds to support LHS’s mission!

Ticket sale will close on Thursday, October 15 at 5 PM!

Date: Saturday, October 17 | 4 to 8 PM
Where: Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center (7120 Contee Road, Laurel, MD 20707)
Purchase your tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/heritage-on-tap-a-laurel-oktoberfest

For more information, visit our website: https://www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org/heritage-on-tap.html

10/09/2026

The Laurel Historical Society will be at the 5th Annual Laurel Pride Celebration at Granville Gude Park on October 10!

Drop by to see us and share what having a local pride day means to you while enjoying a day full of music, dancing, vendors, food and amazing performances.

Did you know? The Laurel Pride Celebration takes place in October during LGBTQ+ History Month to extend the celebration beyond Pride Month in June and reinforce that recognition and inclusion should be year round.

10/08/2026

It's hard to believe that Heritage on Tap is just around the corner! Thank you to our generous corporate sponsors for supporting this new event. We are delighted to have two of Laurel's legacy businesses as Barrel Sponsors, Fred Frederick Laurel and H.J. Poist Gas Company, who have served Laurel for 67 and 89 years, respectively. And we're also thrilled to welcome Freestate Electric Companies as a new Stein Sponsor. We look forward to toasting Laurel's rich history with you all on October 17th!

Get your tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/heritage-on-tap-a-laurel-oktoberfest

10/06/2026

How much do you know about how Laurel has celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month?

The City of Laurel held its first official Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on October 19, 2024. This free, bilingual event honored the histories, cultures, and contributions of the Hispanic and Latino communities in Laurel through music, art, dance, and conversation. The celebration marked an important step in recognizing the cultural, culinary, and artistic contributions of a community that makes up more than 20% of the population of Laurel.

Interested in learning more about how Hispanic Heritage Month relates to celebrating independence? Stop by the Laurel Museum to explore our current exhibition "Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel's Freedom Celebrations" Friday - Sunday from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

10/01/2026

Heritage on Tap: A Laurel Oktoberfest is this month on October 17! This festive fall event will feature local craft b**rs, Oktoberfest-inspired fare, German wines, casino games, friendly competitions, and more all while raising critical funds to support LHS’s mission to preserve Laurel’s past for the future.

Date: Saturday, October 17 | 4 to 8 PM
Where: Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center (7120 Contee Road, Laurel, MD 20707)
Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/heritage-on-tap-a-laurel-oktoberfest

Please note that there will be no day-of ticket sales.
All guests must be 21+ years of age.

For more information, visit our website: https://www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org/heritage-on-tap.html

Raise a glass to Laurel’s past at “Heritage on Tap: A Laurel Oktoberfest.” Enjoy locally crafted brews 🍺, festive Oktoberfest foods, music, conversation,…