Port Discovery Children’s Museum events and exhibits

Port Discovery Children’s Museum celebrated their grand opening of a $10.5 million transformation this summer. This marks the Museum’s first major makeover since opening in December 1998. The museum features a new four-story SkyClimber and life-sized cargo ship celebrating The Port of Baltimore! Below you will find out about fun events happening through the end of the year as well as some hands-on exhibits you won’t want to miss. You can make a weekend out of your trip to Baltimore or easily hit the museum in a day.

October 2019

Monsters, Mystery & Magic 
Friday, October 18 – Thursday, October 31

Calling all ghouls, goblins and princesses! Don your spookiest (or sparkliest!) Halloween costume and head to Port Discovery for a spook-tastic celebration during Monsters, Mystery & Magic! Enjoy fang-tastic family entertainment, and not-so-scary Halloween celebrations. Make Halloween-themed creations in Dr. Frankenstein’s Monster Factory. Enjoy the magic of the season during special theater performances on Port Discovery’s Magic Stage.  Dress up and celebrate together during Monster Parades. Enjoy events and activities that are fun for the whole family – and that will get everyone into the Halloween spirit – during this not-so-scary event!

October Deal Days*
Weekday Afternoons in October. Valid Tuesday – Friday after 1 PM in October 2019.

Play, learn, and save! What could be better? Explore Port Discovery Children’s Museum on weekday afternoons in October – and take advantage of a great deal. Join Tuesday – Friday after 1 PM – and play, learn and make magical memories together for just $10 per person. That’s almost $8 off the normal admission price – so act now and save big!

*This offer cannot be applied to previous purchases or used for online purchases. Offer cannot be combined with other coupons or offers. Valid after 1 PM on weekdays in October 2019 only.

November 2019

Salute the Troops
November 11, 2019 – January 1, 2020 
Free admission for active duty, veterans and retired military*

From November 1, 2018 through January 1, 2019 active duty, veterans and retired military receive free admission to Port Discovery Children’s Museum. Guests of service members will receive $2.00 off general admission. Simply present valid military or veterans ID to take advantage of this offer.*
*Present valid Military ID, Veterans ID, State Driver’s License with Veterans Designation or Discharge Papers (photocopies acceptable) to redeem offer. One free admission per transaction. No other discounts, offers or passes may be applied within the same transaction. Tickets while using this discount must be purchased at the Box Office and cannot be applied to past purchases or online orders.

Exploring Light & Science
November 1 – 10, 2019
Admission is free with museum entry, which is $17.95 for individuals one and up. Members and children younger than one are admitted for free.

Light: It’s dazzling, it’s electrifying, and it’s all around you! Help us celebrate Light City and the Maryland STEM Festival as you explore and experiment with lights and science at Port Discovery. Take part in circle times, scavenger hunts, and hands-on science activities- plus enjoy special science shows. You’ll learn all sorts of fun trivia – like why the moon doesn’t actually glow, that UV Light doesn’t come just from the sun, and more!

Hops & Vines – Adults Only Playdate at Port Discovery
Saturday, November 23, 7:30pm – 11:00pm

Adult night out!  Join us for Hops & Vines – an adults-only play date – and PLAY in the redesigned Museum while you sip beer and wine provided by Baltimore’s best breweries and wineries. Explore Port Discovery’s new four-story SkyClimber – and super tall, super spiral, and super-fast slide! Race your friends to stack cargo in The Port. Play in Tiny’s Diner, make giant bubbles in Wonders of Water, solve the mysteries in Adventure Expeditions, and more! Light fare will be provided. Hops & Vines raises funds for Port Discovery’s access programs, which provide free or reduced admission for families and schools in economically challenged communities, children with special needs and military families. This is a 21 and over event.

American Indian Heritage Weekend
Friday, November 29, Saturday, November 30 & Sunday, December 1

Learn about the traditions and heritage of local American Indian tribes throughout American Indian Heritage Weekend! Explore the American Indian heritage and culture up close and personal from the Baltimore American Indian Center, enjoy an intertribal dancing performance, plus take part in hands-on activities celebrating American Indian Heritage! This event is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council.

December 2019

Gingerbricks presented with McCormick
Saturday December 7 & Saturday December 14, 10am-5pm
Admission is free with museum entry, which is $17.95 for individuals one and up. Members and children younger than one are admitted for free.

Gingerbread houses, gum drops, icing…WAHOO! Join Port Discovery and the wonderful chefs from McCormick to decorate gingerbricks with tasty treats (we won’t tell if you eat one or two…or ten)! Watch as your creating becomes part of a GIANT gingerbread house that will be on display throughout the holiday season. Add to your holiday tradition with other fun and play inside the Museum. Not only will you be enjoying a new, fun holiday tradition, you’ll also experience the learning that takes place when children have the chance to create, design and are part of a larger project!

Dollar (or Less) Day
Sunday, December 8
Explore three floors of interactive, hands-on exhibits designed especially for kids for just $1 on Sunday, December 9! Explore BIG new exhibits, The Port and the SkyClimber, join in educational and fun drop-in programs including interactive story times, Mother Goose on the Loose®, music and movement in Tiny Tots Music Time and more! *Please prepare for long entry lines and crowds for this event. 

Winter Break Fun
Saturday, December 21 – Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Admission is free with museum entry, which is $17.95 for individuals one and up. Members and children younger than one are admitted for free.

Celebrate family traditions, holidays and winter break with hands-on learning and fun! Join while kids are out of school for a memorable day of play and learning that the whole family will enjoy.

Check out the winter break fun schedule of activities on their website for details on activities taking place each day!

Noon Time New Year: When You Wish Upon a Star
Tuesday, December 31, 10am-5pm
Admission is free with museum entry, which is $17.95 for individuals one and up. Members and children younger than one are admitted for free.

Countdown to New Years at Noon at this family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration! Countdown to 2020 with a celebration including a magical noontime countdown, a juice and cookie toast, festive tunes, and more. This year, they’ll celebrate the wishes everyone has for the year ahead while making magical memories together. *Please prepare for long entry lines and crowds for this event. 

Happening Monthly

Explore New Exhibits – The SkyClimber (socks required!)
Open daily. Admission is free with museum entry, which is $17.95 for individuals one and up. Members and children younger than one are admitted for free.

Encourage your children to build confidence, learn problem solving skills, build motor skills, and have fun as they try their hand at climbing The SkyClimber! Children (and kids at heart) will be inspired to dream and to test their courage as they climb their way up and around the four-story SkyClimber up into the clouds. Then either slide down an ultra-fun (and ultra-swirly!) four-story slide, or climb down towards the ground.

Explore New Exhibits – The Port
Open daily. Admission is free with museum entry, which is $17.95 for individuals one and up. Members and children younger than one are admitted for free.

Become the captain of an imaginative adventure on a life-sized cargo ship in The Port! Sail, navigate and be a ship engineer as you explore the seas and discover how products make their way around the world. Work together to move, stack and explore what’s inside of shipping containers. Try your hand at operating a gantry crane, explore an engine room and try your hand at navigating a ship, plus learn about the Port of Baltimore – and the many jobs and products that make up one of the world’s most active ports!

Here We Grow!
Open daily. Admission is free with museum entry, which is $17.95 for individuals one and up. Members and children younger than one are admitted for free.

Here We Grow! is an interactive exhibit that introduces children and their caregivers to farm processes, products and people through the themes of science and technology, history, local ecology, global economics and art. Through words, ideas, sounds and interactive elements the exhibit will help visitors develop an appreciation for the importance of agriculture in their everyday lives and teach concepts of agricultural conservation and sustainability.