Baltimore Museum of Industry
Baltimore, MD
Housed within a historic former oyster cannery, the Baltimore Museum of Industry is dedicated to the city's industrial history (and to the workers who powered that history). Featuring an array of permanent and temporary exhibitions—as well as weekend demonstrations of forges, Linotype machines, and other tools—the museum offers an interactive experience for visitors of all ages.
The basics
Baltimore has been an innovator for centuries—it was home to the first passenger railway, the first telegraph message, and the first traffic light—and this museum offers an in-depth introduction to its world-changing industries, especially to the workers who ran them. Its immersive exhibitions are a great place to begin: The museum features restored and recreated environments from a machine shop and forgery to a pharmacy, a print shop to a garment loft. Other galleries explore topics ranging from the automotive age to the rise and fall of Bethlehem Steel (once the world’s largest steel mill).
The Baltimore Museum of Industry is easy to explore independently, with audio guides available to accompany visitors. Free, docent-led tours are also held on Saturdays and Sundays.
Things to know before you go
- Tickets to the museum can be purchased online in advance for lower rates; students, seniors, and children receive discounted entry.
- The museum is accessible to wheelchair users and disabled visitors.
- To pick up a special souvenir, head to the on-site gift shop, which stocks a range of mementos and works by local artists.
How to get there
The Baltimore Museum of Industry is located at 1415 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 21230, in the city’s Riverside District. Several local bus lines serve the area, including the 71, 94, and the Banner Route of the Charm City Circulator. If you plan to drive, free on-site parking is also available to all museum visitors, while taxis and rideshare services offer another way to get there.
When to get there
The Baltimore Museum of Industry is open every day except Monday, from morning until late afternoon. It also offers extended, late-night opening hours one day a month and a range of events and temporary exhibitions; consult its online calendar for more. The museum is closed annually on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
B&O Railroad Museum
The B&O Railroad Museum is a fitting complement to the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Housed in a 19th-century roundhouse and containing a collection of artifacts related to early American railroads (including the largest collection of 19th-century locomotives in the country), it’s another popular and immersive Baltimore museum that celebrates the city’s industrial heritage.
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