The University of Maryland is a large public research university located between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, in the city of College Park, Maryland. Maryland’s beautiful campus is home to an undergraduate enrollment just under 29,000 with 12 colleges and more than 90 majors for students to explore. UMD is a social campus, where Greek life and sports are huge. Downtown D.C is a half hour MARC train ride away with all the resources a big city has to offer, offering an ideal combination of campus life and nearby big-city experiences. The Maryland Terrapins compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference. 

Visitor Information: Tour Maryland

Transportation: The University of Maryland is served by three major airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National, Baltimore Washington International, and Washington Dulles International Airport. Traveling by Amtrak? The closest stations to UMD are Union Station in DC or New Carrollton in MD. 

Mascot: UMD’s mascot is Testudo, a Diamondback terrapin, and the official state reptile. One of several Testudo statues on campus is in front of McKeldin Library, and rubbing its nose is thought to bring good luck, before exams. One student states: “My daily ritual for tests was to grab a coffee in the library, review my materials, and then walk out and rub Testudo’s nose for good luck! Student surveys done on campus show that it is true, those who rub the gold-statue turtle’s nose before tests performed better, so I always thought why not!" 

Stay: New on the scene, and directly across the street from the main entrance of UMD, The Hotel offers stylish accommodations, top-notch service and four restaurants, a game changer for UMD families when it opened in September 2017. On the University of Maryland campus is the College Park Marriott Hotel, another convenient and popular choice. Other hotels close by include the Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn and the Best Western. 

Coffee: On campus, join students at The Coffee Bar in the Stamp Student Union. Off-campus you’ll find students frequent Starbucks or The Bagel Place. With over 600 board games and unbeatable cappuccino, everyone loves the Board and Brew.

Breakfast: If you are staying at The Hotel meander downstairs to Bagels ‘N Grinds, an upscale coffee and New York style bagel emporium serving breakfast all day. (It’s worth going to even if you’re staying elsewhere.) Enjoy the school’s namesake bagel, The Terrapin at The Bagel Place. Though, the Bagel Place is usually quick during the week, be prepared for a wait on weekends. The Silver Diner is just a 6-minute drive away - we hear the blueberry pancakes are off the charts!

Lunch: On campus, The Stamp Student Union is home to an array of fast food options such as Chick-fil-A, Sbarro’s and Panda Express. Options are endless - pasta bar, sandwich and wrap bar, salad bar, pizza, burgers, and daily specials (soups, chicken or steak entrees, and more). Pizza lovers will be happy at Blaze Pizza. Route 1 has many chain restaurants such as Noodles&Co. and Chipotle. A student favorite is Jason’s Deli known for its salad bar, soups, and sandwiches.  Open for lunch or dinner; The Jerk Pit is a fun choice for Caribbean food.

Dinner

Casual: Students head to Sardi’s Beltsville for traditional Peruvian dishes, especially the charcoal rotisserie chicken dressed up with delicious sides such as plantains, rice and beans, or fried yucca. Students also rave about the chicken at Nando's. If you like sushi, head to Hanami or Wasabi. In The Hotel unwind with pizza, lasagna and other Italian specialties at Potomac Pizza. Looney’s Pub, Bentley's and Cornerstone are other top choices. 

A Step Up: Franklins Brewery in nearby Hyattsville is a bi-level restaurant and a quirky general store where students love to bring their parents when they are in town to fill up on steaks and other classic American dishes. From the same team as Franklin’s, the Old Maryland Grill in The Hotel has already garnered rave reviews and is now firmly a dining destination for both locals and visiting families. The eclectic New American menu has something for everyone in your group at Busboys and Poets.

Local Attractions:

On campus visit, The Art Gallery, catch a game at Capital One Field or see a performance at the Clarice Smith Performing Art Center. Explore UMD on wheels or foot on the popular hiker-biker trail that runs right through campus and past Lake Artemesia, a great spot for a picnic. Just a Metro ride away is all the sights, and dynamic food scene of Washington, D.C. Wander the cobblestoned streets of Georgetown, or stroll down the National Mall and visit one of the 11 Smithsonian Museums and art galleries. UMD is also only a half-hour MARC train ride from Baltimore and Annapolis, where you can enjoy the Inner Harbor, catch an Orioles game at Camden Yards or, eat Maryland blue crabs on the Chesapeake Bay. Visit the Glenstone Museum, one of our country’s private art museums, fresh off a recent groundbreaking expansion. The museum is open Thursday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. with visits scheduled on the half hour until 3:00 p.m. Admission to Glenstone is free.