Port Discovery (museum) facts for kids
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| Established | 1998 |
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| Location | 35 Market Place Baltimore, Maryland, USA |
| Public transit access |  at Shot TowerBaltimoreLink routes Blue, Orange, Brown, Purple, 63, 65, 150 Charm City Circulator Green Route |
Port Discovery Children's Museum is a super fun place in Baltimore, Maryland. It's a non-profit museum, which means it's not just about making money. It's located in an old building called the Fish Market, right by Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
This museum is huge! It has three floors packed with exciting exhibits and activities. Everything there is designed to be hands-on and help you learn. Over 265,000 people visit every year. It's mainly for kids from babies up to 10 years old, and their families. You can easily get there by taking the subway to the Shot Tower/Market Place station.
Museum History
The museum started as the Baltimore Children's Museum in 1976. It was first located in a historic place called The Cloisters. This was in Baltimore County.
In 1990, the museum became its own non-profit group. It joined with the Maryland Children's Museum. The leaders decided to move the museum downtown. They wanted more people to be able to visit.
A big fundraising effort collected $35 million. This money helped change the old Fish Market building. In December 1998, the building opened as the new Port Discovery Children's Museum.
Recent Updates
The museum got a major makeover in 2019. They added many new exhibits. They also built a lunchroom and more restrooms. This big update cost $10.5 million.
In February 2022, the museum helped the community. It was used as a place for children to get COVID-19 vaccines.
Exciting Exhibits
Port Discovery Children's Museum has many cool exhibits to explore. Here are some of them:
- SkyClimber
- The Port
- Art Showcase - a place for changing art displays
- BGE Studio Workshop
- PD Presents
- Tangram Wall
- Chessie's Grotto
- Kick It Up!
- Royal Farms Convenience Store and Fill’er Up Station
- Adventure Expeditions
- The Oasis
- Tot Trails
- Over/Under Weaving Wall
- Wonder Widgets
- The Overlook
- Previews, Pop-Ups & Prototypes
- Sensory Wall
- Tiny's Diner
- Wonders of Water (WoW!)
- Harvey M. Meyerhoff Gallery
Awards and Recognition
Port Discovery has welcomed over 2.5 million visitors. It is known as one of the best children's museums in the U.S. Parents Magazine and Forbes magazine both recognized it in 2015 and 2012.
In 2009, the museum won an award. It was for their work with PACT: Helping Children with Special Needs. This award came from the MetLife Foundation and the Association of Children's Museums.
In January 2011, Port Discovery was called a "Good to Grow Museum." This means it helps families learn about healthy living. It was one of only six children's museums in the world to get this special title. This recognition also came from the Association of Children's Museums.
