Dive into Adventure: 5 Reasons Port Discovery Children’s Museum Is a Hit Among Families
If you have never been to Port discovery in Baltimore, you need to plan a trip there if you have kids. It is a fantastic destination for families with children.
My kids absolutely love Port Discovery, and it grabs your attention from the moment you walk into the building with the amazing color patterns on the walls. It is so easy to spend hours here.
It is located in the heart of downtown Baltimore and is renowned for its interactive exhibits and educational programs designed specifically for children. There are a ton of fun exhibits for all your kids no matter what ages.
In this post, I’ll share some of my family’s favorite reasons to visit Port Discovery plus some great exhibits to explore when you go!
Port Discovery is forever one of our top places to take kids for some indoor fun.
1. Three floors of fun exhibits
There are 3 floors of exhibits for all kids.
Sky Climber
The huge slide is only for those 36inches and up and typically only ages 5 through 12. I think this was my favorite thing here lol.
It is a huge slide that goes all the way from the bottom of the building to the top and the only way to get up is through the nets and then they slide all the way down or climb the nets back down.
It was definitely an energy activity. My daughter loved this especially the thrill of the slide that has lots of twists.
Wonders of Water
Another favorite because it has to do with water and my kids always love water. We saved this as the last thing to do here because I knew they would get wet. It has a section to test if items will float or sink.
Another area here was to use a pulley to lift things here and there although in this case it was to lift soap and air and it was cool to see huge bubbles form.
The kids loved playing with the middle section that had water and toys to play with which is why they got wet haha. However, there is a nice body dryer where you push a red button, and it blows air out of different tubes to get you dry, absolutely amazing!
Chessie’s Grotto – Toddler play Area
Here my kids loved the bubble tubes and loved watching the colors and bubbles. We hung out here while waiting for my daughter to explore the skyclimber so it was a nice balance. There were even rubber duckies to play with.
Kick it Up!
This is a fun section especially if your kid loves soccer or sports that have to do with balls.
BGE Studio Workshop
This is perfect for art loving kids! They had lots of creative art projects for the kids to do and the space was so inspiring to just be in. I always love that they have so many items to help with creativity and getting messy.
Royal Farms Convenience Store & Fill’er Up Station
This was the first thing they played with once we got in and it was a hit. The kids grabbed their shopping bags and pretended to be at the grocery store purchasing items and restocking them. There are even pretend refrigerators, and a gas station with a car.
The Playhouse at Port Discovery
This is a theatre space where your kids can pretend to be different things and that is one of my kids’ favorite things to do so this is always a hit for us.
The Oasis
This is a sensory friendly space for little kids especially those just learning to read and there are tons of great books and spaces to relax. I also love how colorful the space is with lots of great artwork in the center.
There were also some magna-tiles and other toys to play with.
Adventure Expeditions
We have never actually gone into the Adventure Expeditions completely, and we honestly should because I heard it’s a great space to explore the pharaoh’s lost tomb and the history of the Egyptian civilization while solving some puzzles etc.
Tot Trails
I love the toddler room. It was a great space for our twins when they had just started walking and we were able to feel safe with them being in there with other little kids. They had little toys to play with and structures to keep them entertained.
They were in there for about an hour. There was also a sand dune area where they played with the sand and acted like they were at the beach.
The Overlook
My daughter went in here and it’s a netted area with ropes for kids to pull while trying to climb plus the area is also bouncy, so it made it fun and challenging.
The Port
My daughter loved playing with the Port where she pretended to be in control as the captain. she also did some stacking of containers and played in the engine room.
Tiny’s Diner
When it comes to imaginative play, my kids always love anything that has to do with food. They got right to work at the Tiny’s diner where they made sandwiches using more ingredients that I would eat in reality lol. Then they pretended to serve their customers, then cleared up the dishes and pretended to wash them for the next use.
2. Fun programs and events
There are typically events and programs happening at Port Discovery throughout the year for kids of all ages. For homeschool moms, they even have days for homeschoolers to come in and explore.
Be sure to check their calendar to see available events.
3. Certified Sensory Inclusive Facility
They are an inclusive space with special events such as sensory friendly mornings and more. Port discovery is also certified and has staff that are trained on how to recognize guests with sensory needs and how to help individuals experiencing sensory overload.
4. Helpful staff
The staff are very helpful and always willing to answer questions you may have or show you where to find things or the best features for each age group.
5. Location
It is in the heart of Baltimore and such a great location with access to lots of other fun things to do in the inner Harbor. You can even make a day trip out of it if you have time.
Close to Port Discovery is the National Aquarium, Inner Harbor waterfront and Maryland Science Center. The National Aquarium is one of our favorites so far and for good reason. Check out our National Aquarium experience.
Things to know before visiting Port Discovery
Address: 35 Market Place, Baltimore, MD 21202
Price: For non-members its $23.95
- *Kids under 1 free admission
- *Military-Active, Retired or Veteran-FREE with ID
Hours: Monday – CLOSED
Tuesday – FIELD TRIP GROUPS ONLY
Wednesday and Thursday – 10 AM – 3 PM
Friday and Saturday- 10 AM – 5 PM
Sunday – 11 AM – 5 PM
When you purchase a ticket, you get a discount at Philips Seafood 2 blocks away which was amazing.
Strollers can be brought into Port Discovery
Conclusion on 5 Reasons to Love Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore
If you are trying to decide if you should visit Port Discovery, here is your sign! Your kids will thank you after, just plan to spend a long time here in order to truly enjoy the space.
