Maryland Science Center
2 Andrew Pl, Baltimore, MD
Baltimore, MD
Three floors of hands-on discovery, a dome full of stars, and a hall of dinosaurs, all perched on the edge of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
The Maryland Science Center is one of the oldest science museums in the United States, tracing its roots to a scientific academy founded in Baltimore in the early nineteenth century. Today it fills three floors on the edge of the Inner Harbor with hands-on exhibits on physics, the human body, the Chesapeake Bay, outer space, and more, the kind of place where you learn by touching, building, and experimenting.
Alongside the interactive galleries it holds a hall of dinosaur skeletons, a planetarium with a full dome of projected stars, and a giant-screen theater. Its waterfront setting makes it a natural stop on any visit to Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and its mix of serious science and genuine fun makes it a favorite with families and curious travelers alike.
What Guests Love
- Hands-on experiments and exhibits that let children and adults tinker, build, and test ideas
- The dinosaur hall with life-size skeletons and fossils to explore
- The planetarium dome and its immersive star and space shows
- A giant-screen theater and a spot right on the Inner Harbor waterfront
Worth Knowing
- It is one of the oldest science centers in the country, refreshed with modern hands-on exhibits
- Planetarium and giant-screen shows run on a set schedule, so plan around show times
- The center sits on the busy Inner Harbor, easy to pair with the aquarium and waterfront
- It is designed for families, but the exhibits reward curious adults just as much
Details
Baltimore, MD
Learn about Maryland Science Center
A long scientific history
The Maryland Science Center grew out of the Maryland Academy of Sciences, a scholarly society founded in Baltimore in 1797, which makes the institution behind it one of the oldest of its kind in the country. For most of its life the academy was a learned organization; the public science center on the Inner Harbor opened its doors in the 1970s as part of the city's ambitious waterfront revival.
That long lineage gives the museum an unusual pedigree, connecting today's hands-on exhibits to more than two centuries of scientific curiosity in Baltimore. The building has been updated and expanded over the years, but its mission has stayed constant: to make science approachable and exciting for everyone who walks in.
Hands-on floors
The heart of the center is its interactive exhibits, spread across several floors and covering a wide range of subjects. Visitors can experiment with light, sound, and motion, explore the workings of the human body, learn about the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem just outside the windows, and test scientific principles through play. The emphasis is always on doing rather than just looking.
Younger children have their own dedicated spaces designed for the earliest years of discovery, while older kids and adults can dig into more demanding exhibits. The result is a museum that works for a whole family at once, with something to engage every age and level of curiosity.
Dinosaurs, stars, and the big screen
One of the center's most popular draws is its dinosaur hall, where life-size skeletons and casts, along with real fossils, tell the story of prehistoric life and how scientists read the evidence in the rocks. It is a perennial favorite with young visitors and a fine introduction to paleontology.
Overhead, the planetarium projects the night sky onto a great dome, running shows on the planets, stars, and the frontiers of space exploration. A giant-screen theater rounds out the experience with immersive films on science and nature, giving the center a full day's worth of things to see beyond the exhibit floors.
On the Inner Harbor
The Science Center's setting is part of its appeal. It anchors the southwest corner of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, the waterfront that transformed the city's image when its old industrial docks were reborn as a lively public space of promenades, parks, and attractions. Stepping outside, visitors find themselves in the middle of one of the East Coast's great harbor scenes.
The National Aquarium, historic ships open for touring, and the shops and restaurants that ring the harbor are all within an easy walk, making it simple to build a full day around the Science Center. The waterfront promenade offers views of the working port and the sailboats and tour boats that ply the harbor.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Travelers Rest Motel
Honorable Mention3701 Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourse, PA
59 miles away|Learn More ›
Things to Do Near Baltimore
National Aquarium
About a half mile
One of the country's premier aquariums, with a rainforest, a shark tank, and marine life from around the world, across the harbor.
Inner Harbor waterfront
At the center
Baltimore's revitalized harbor of promenades, historic ships, shops, and restaurants.
Federal Hill Park
About a half mile
A grassy hilltop park with a sweeping view over the harbor and downtown skyline.
Historic Ships in Baltimore
About a half mile
A fleet of preserved vessels, including a Civil War-era sloop and a Coast Guard cutter, open to tour along the harbor.