Built in 1852 as a middle-class plantation home, historic Surratt House also served as a tavern and hostelry, a post office, and polling place during the crucial decade before the Civil War. During the war, it was a safehouse for the Confederate underground which flourished in Southern Maryland. It was the country home of Mary Surratt, first woman to be executed by the United States government after being found guilty of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.

Restored in 1976 by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, today the museum presents a variety of programs and events, recapturing the history of mid-19th century life and focusing on the fascinating web of the Lincoln conspiracy.