Maryland Science Center: Newsroom: Press Releases: Maryland Science Center Celebrates 30th Anniversary

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Todd Scott - Himmelrich, Inc.
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Maryland Science Center Celebrates 30th Anniversary
A week of activities mark 30 years at the Inner Harbor

Before there was Harborplace...before there was a National Aquarium or luxury hotels...before Baltimore's Inner Harbor was a tourist destination...there was the Maryland Science Center.

The Maryland Science Center was the first attraction to be built on the waterfront as part of Baltimore's famed renaissance, and opened to the public in June 1976. To celebrate its 30th anniversary at the Inner Harbor, the museum will host a week of activities. On Tuesday, June 20, Dr. Paul Fofonoff of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center will offer a lecture on invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay. On Friday, June 23, families can enjoy a free outdoor film screening on the Inner Harbor promenade. Saturday, June 24 is Happy Birthday MSC – a celebration with music, activities, cake, and free admission for visitors born in 1976. The festivities culminate Saturday, June 24, with Solstice '06: The Science of Summer, the museum's annual fundraising party.

The Maryland Science Center's original 104,000 square foot building was designed by internationally renowned Edward Durell Stone. Its early success as a destination for local families and visitors made it a catalyst for development along the waterfront. Within five years, several more museums and attractions were established at the Inner Harbor.

"The initial success of the Maryland Science Center showed other institutions and developers that the waterfront could be a destination," said Maryland Science Center President and CEO Van Reiner. "And it showed residents and visitors that the Inner Harbor was an exciting and engaging place to visit."

The success of the Maryland Science Center led to the museum's first expansion in 1986. New hands-on exhibits and a glass facade overlooking the harbor were added. Just one year later, the five-story IMAX Theater was added.

In 2004, the Maryland Science Center expanded once again with the opening of its $36 million renovation, adding an additional 40,000 square feet of exhibit space, a soaring three story atrium, a national touring exhibit hall, and innovative permanent exhibits including Dino Mysteries, Your Body: The Inside Story, and Newton's Alley.

Today, the Maryland Science Center draws over 500,000 visitors a year and hosts tens of thousands more through camp-ins, classes, educational programs, and private events.

The Maryland Science Center is located at 601 Light Street at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. For information and tickets, visit www.marylandsciencecenter.org or call the 24-Hour Information Line at 410-685-5225, TDD: 410-962-0223.

The Maryland Science Center at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is visited by more than 550,000 people each year. Popular exhibits include: Dinosaur Mysteries which features more than a dozen full-size dinosaurs and interactive paleontology activities, an exploration of the day in the life of the human body in Your Body: The Inside Story, and add... dozens of interactive experiments in Newton’s Alley. Other popular attractions in the museum include the Kids Room, the five-story St. John Properties IMAX Theater, and the world-famous Davis Planetarium.