Company Profile
Port Discovery Children's Museum
Company Overview
As the premier children’s museum in the mid-Atlantic, Port Discovery Children’s Museum educates children and inspires life-long curiosity. We:
•Have a positive influence on academic success and success in life
•Provide a safe, smart place to engage in child-driven playful learning
•Extend our impact by taking our programs community/state wide
•Are an innovative thought leader, bringing best practices to our children and families in Maryland and beyond
Our play-to-learn philosophy opens the door for children to discover and explore the world around them and to lead smarter, healthier, more engaged lives.
Our Vision:
A World where the value of learning through play is recognized and respected.
We believe in the power of play to transform the lives of children.
For an increasing number of children, we will expand the ways they learn through innovative, fresh, interactive, playful and engaging experiences.
Company History
The original Baltimore Children’s Museum was a Baltimore City agency founded in 1976 and was originally housed in the Cloisters, a beautiful historic property located in Baltimore County. The property and structure were generously donated to the City and the Museum operated out of this location for nearly 20 years.
In 1990, the Baltimore Children’s Museum formed its own 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and merged with the Maryland Children’s Museum. The merged entity’s Board of Directors, with the support and encouragement of Baltimore’s Mayor Kurt Schmoke, decided that an Inner Harbor presence was necessary to reach the broadest possible audience of children and families in the Baltimore region, the state of Maryland and the United States.
A 35-million dollar capital campaign, led by the Board of Directors, resulted in the renovation of Downtown’s historic Fish Market building, which became the new home to Port Discovery Children’s Museum in December 1998. The 80,000 square foot facility served as the anchor for the redevelopment efforts of the City in the eastern basin of the Inner Harbor.
In its short history, Port Discovery Children’s Museum has served over 4 million visitors to date and was ranked one of the Top 12 Children’s Museums in the United States by Forbes in 2012.