Planning a Family Day at the Inner Harbor for the Non-Baltimorean

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by: Deneil Edwards

As a proud resident of the DMV area, I rarely come into the city of Baltimore except to attend in-person classes at the University of Baltimore or be present at a family-related function. I wanted to explore the city and make it a family-friendly exploration trip with three people close to my heart.

My family has explored DC and different cities within Maryland by attending museums, zoos, theme parks, farms, restaurants, paint nights, festivals, and so much more. These trips usually revolve around my nieces’ and nephews’ schedules and tastes. Their names are Jael, Jazel, and Jeriel. They are similar in their love of video games, movies, music, and reading. However, each child has different interests. Jael is thirteen and loves learning new sports, home-cooked meals, and Netflix. However, she has a strong dislike of boats. Jazel is ten and loves to paint and cook but hates darkness, enclosed spaces, and heights. Jeriel is six and a big ball of energy; nevertheless, he is a picky food eater. When I asked them “When was the last time you visited Baltimore?” most of their responses were, “I don’t know or remember.” At this point, I knew I needed some assistance from a professional. 

  • A child posing in the camera with her fist touching her shoulder
  • A young child has both hands in the air with two hands making the letter V facing the camera
  • A young child is lending against a door with a graduation cap on his head facing the camera

The Blackett Crew [left to right]: Jael, Jazel, Jeriel

With that, I decided to interview my sister, an elementary school teacher named Anneil Edwards. Why did I choose her? Simple. She has 18 years of teaching many children in and out of the school system. She has an undergrad in Child Psychology and a master’s in Education. From volunteering and chaperoning, I have seen how she prides herself on making any field trip an educational and fun experience for all who attend. For example, did you know that there is a local museum dedicated to the history of teeth in Baltimore, Maryland! Anneil taught a health unit on basic hygiene, and for a field trip, she found this museum called Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry. As one of the chaperones on her field trip, I witnessed how the students could connect what they learned from the health unit to what they saw in the museum. Their eyes were full of wonder and excited to discover the history of dentistry.

I aim to have Jael, Jazel, and Jeriel have a similar experience; Anneil advised me on the following when planning a local family-friendly trip.

  • It is more logical to visit three different places within one day instead of five. You need to think about traffic, transportation, and time when picking the number of locations you plan to visit within one day.
  • 10:00 a.m. is a good time to start exploring anywhere. Most museums and stores are generally open at 10:00 a.m.
  • Because of their age range, she recommended visiting the following places in Baltimore: Port Discovery (for Jazel), Baltimore Aquarium, Zoo, Maryland Science Center, Black Wax Museum (for Jael), and the B/O Railroad Museum (for Jeriel).

After speaking to the ‘field trip planner extraordinaire,’ I discovered half of the places on Anneil’s recommendation list were a part of Baltimore Inner Harbor. It is the perfect place to explore Baltimore because it eliminates unwanted car traffic, has a vast parking garage, and all the spots are within walking distance of each other. The agenda started with a dine-in breakfast at 9:00 a.m. in Chick-fil-A restaurant so kids could start with a simple meal before hitting Port Discovery Children’s Museum at 10:00 a.m. The next stop is picking up a quick lunch at Shake Shack in the Inner Harbor, then moving to the Maryland Science Center around 1:15 p.m. The last spot on our Exploration Day of the Inner Harbor is the National Aquarium. This place is only open late on Fridays, and ticket prices are half off after 5:00 p.m. To end the day, dinner will be the kids’ choice. We can eat at one of the three food dining areas within the Aquarium or outside, like the Hard Rock Cafe or the Cheesecake Factory.

Port Discovery Children’s Museum

  • large area with families walking around, two large set of stairs going up to a second level with slides going from a third level to the first level, a large front of a boat from the second to four level, glass ceilings, and a lot of metal decoration surround each level.
  • A large building with the words Port Discovery on the front and Children's Museum on the columns
  • A large boat with the words S.S. Friend Ship, a lot of metal decorations and rails
Floor Plan of the three levels of the Port Discovery
Port Discovery Floor Plan

Maryland Science Center

  • Kids playing on machine with a parent watching them
  • A fossil skeleton of a dinosaur that sketch from end of the picture to the other
  • A father and his two children using the interacted activity at the Dinosaur exhibit
Floor Plan of the three levels of the Science Center
Science Center Floor Plan

National Aquarium

  • A starfish on the coral reef in a tank
  • A jellyfish swimming, its tentacles spread cover majority of the picture
  • A red parrot hanging on a tree branch
Floor Plan of the three levels of the National Aquaruim
National Aquarium Guide Map

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