Baltimore Museum of Industry facts for kids
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| Established | 1977 |
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| Location | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Type | Industrial museum |
| Public transit access | Circulator: Banner Route |
The Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI) is a cool museum in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It's built inside an old factory where they used to can food! This museum shows you what it was like to work in factories and different industries in the early 1900s. You can even try out some of the old machines and tools yourself!
Contents
Exploring the Museum's Exhibits
The BMI has many interesting areas to explore. You can see what a food canning factory looked like. There's also a garment loft from the 1900s, where clothes were made. You can also visit a machine shop and a print shop from that time.
Discovering Old Inventions
One special exhibit is Dr. Bunting's Pharmacy. This is where the famous skin cream Noxzema was invented! The museum also has exhibits about Baltimore's food companies. These include well-known names like McCormick spices and Domino Sugar.
Baltimore's Milestone Wall
In the Decker Gallery, you'll find the Milestone Wall. This wall shows off amazing inventions and discoveries. All of these cool things were first created in Baltimore or elsewhere in Maryland. It's a great way to see how much Maryland has contributed!
Meet the Tugboat Baltimore
The museum is also home to a very special boat. It's the Baltimore, an old steam tugboat. This tugboat was built in 1906. It's the oldest steam tugboat still around and is a National Historic Landmark.
The Museum's Collections
The museum has a large library with over 5,000 old and rare books. It also has many collections of old papers. These papers tell stories about Baltimore's main industries. This includes canning, making clothes, building violins, and the steel industry. There are also more than 250,000 old photos. These pictures show what life and work were like long ago.
Fun Activities and Tours
The museum offers special guided tours. These tours include hands-on activities, which are perfect for kids!
Become a Worker for a Day
Students can pretend to be workers in a garment loft. They can also work in the Kids Cannery. This helps them learn what life was like for factory workers. It shows how people lived and worked in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Hosting Events at the Museum
The museum also rents out its galleries and a special pavilion by the water. People use these spaces for private events like parties.
A Look at the Museum's History
The Baltimore Museum of Industry started in 1977. The Mayor's office helped create it. Their goal was to save the history of Baltimore's factories and businesses.
Where to Find the Museum
The museum is located at 1415 Key Highway in Baltimore, MD 21230. It sits right on the North-west branch of the Patapsco River. This spot used to be the Platt Oyster Cannery. The museum also shares its docks with the Downtown Sailing Center. This is a local group that teaches people how to sail.
