Baltimore Childrens Museum Inc

The mission of Port Discovery is to help children 'Imagine! Play! Learn! Grow!' The museum's goal is to improve the lives of children and their families by providing innovative public exhibits and activities, facilitating program development with community organizations, and serving as an alternative educational resource for schools, educators, and young students. Post Discovery provides a safe, fun, and nurturing place where children and families learn together through play. The museum serves over 250,000 children and families each year (primarily from the Baltimore-Washington area) through structured school programs, early childhood literacy programs, after school and summer enrichment programs, and other community outreach events and activities. Port Discovery ranks in the top 5 of children's museums in the country and is one of the most visited family attractions in Baltimore.
Imagine! Play! Learn! Grow! These simple words capture the very essence of how children develop. They also define the mission of Port Discovery Children's Museum. In the past ten years there has been explosive growth in the body of knowledge on early childhood development that has resulted in a special emphasis on the need for play-to-learn opportunities for young children. Research clearly shows the essential value and critical need for children to have safe, organized, and directed play activities. Port Discovery Children's Museum is the ideal interactive setting for play to be structured and organized in a manner that fully transforms play into learning. It also serves as a catalyst for brining together the full range of children's social service providers to jointly address the most essential educational needs of a community. Founded in 1976 at The Cloisters in Baltimore County, Port Discovery relocated to the historic Fish Market Building near Baltimore City's Inner Harbor in 1998. The expansion and relocation to downtown Baltimore enabled the Museum to serve more visitors, especially those from underserved communities. Port Discovery celebrates its 10th birthday in 2008. The Museum has garnered national recognition for distinctive exhibits and innovative educational programs for children over the past decade. Port Discovery was recently voted a five-star 'lila pick' by parents in the lila guide -- Baltimore area, a guide to baby-friendly venues and activities in major metropolitan areas. A review of Port Discovery in The Washington Post stated, 'The museum merges fun with learning, which sounds like a clich