Explore Maryland’s Unusual Museums
Explore 10 of Maryland’s unusual museums focused on art, medicine, and technology. Although Maryland is the ninth-smallest state in the U.S., it is home to an incredible variety of museums. Maryland is famous for its historical sites and art museums (Fort McHenry, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and Glenstone, for example), but it’s also known for its many unusual and quirky museums. If you’re up for a nontraditional museum experience, Maryland’s art, science history, and technology museums will not disappoint.
Discover Eclectic Art Museums
Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum showcases self-taught artists’ creations, from a giant bird’s nest balcony sculpture to fabric art and everything beyond and between. Permanent and temporary exhibits present an amazing array of sculptures, mechanical devices, paintings, and 3-D art. This is Baltimore’s can’t-miss art museum, as any local will tell you.
The Havre de Grace Decoy Museum is dedicated to the fine art of decoy carving. Waterfowl hunters discovered early on that the easiest way to lure ducks and geese into hunting range was to float a carved wooden decoy on the water. The most effective decoys looked just like the live birds they were intended to attract, and a practical necessity became an art form. The Decoy Museum’s exhibits also feature gunning boats, waterfowl-hunting shotguns, decoy-carving techniques, and award-winning decoys from the past and present.
Families from all over Maryland flock to the Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center in Solomons to wander the sculpture garden’s boardwalk and pathways and to view the art on display. Younger children will enjoy looking in the garden for “tree pop” art and, during the spring and summer months, fairy homes. (Tips: The Women’s Walk includes some nude sculptures. Also, special event days fill up quickly — arrive early.)
Dive into Science History
While a museum dedicated to the history of dentistry and oral health might sound intimidating, the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry on Greene Street in Baltimore is quite family friendly. Children and their parents can learn about best practices in oral health and find out what it takes to become a dentist or oral hygienist. History buffs will discover the true story of George Washington’s dental woes as well as Japanese dental instruments and artisan-carved false teeth from the Edo Period (1603 – 1868).
Frederick’s National Museum of Civil War Medicine is not for the faint of heart, but for medical history buffs, it’s definitely a must-see. Military medicine changed completely — and for the better — during the Civil War. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine meticulously documents this story. Some exhibits are graphic, so this museum is a better choice for older children and adults.
The William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History, housed in the American Urologic Association’s headquarters building in Linthicum, focuses on the history of urology, making this museum a destination best suited for teens and adults. Detailed medical illustrations, medical instrument displays, and kidney stone exhibits will fascinate visitors who are interested in medical history, medical illustration, or urology. Touring the exhibits with a docent is highly recommended.
Track Technological Developments
Fort Meade’s National Cryptologic Museum, next to the National Security Agency’s campus, takes visitors on a journey from ancient codebreaking to modern-day supercomputers. Cryptology has had a significant impact on world history, and you’ll learn about momentous events through the experiences of the cryptologists who painstakingly analyzed and broke codes. At the museum, try out a World War II Enigma machine and discover how military and civilian cryptologists have created and used code-breaking technology over the years.
The National Capital Radio and Television Museum, located in an old Bowie farmhouse, celebrates the history of radios and televisions. This small museum is packed with fascinating TVs and radios. Ask a docent to show you around; the docents know the stories of each artifact and can show you the inner workings of many of them. You can listen to a variety of historic radios and learn how early televisions worked.
If you’re planning a weekday trip to Hunt Valley, consider contacting System Source’s Computer Museum to arrange a museum tour. The Computer Museum contains a dizzying array of computers and computer-related artifacts. Adults will enjoy a trip down Memory Lane as they view computers from the early days of personal computing. Children will be astonished to learn that the tiny hand-held computers they are used to were once just a computer scientist’s dream. The pop-up Bloop Museum, which is all about electronic entertainment, is based here, too.
Even better, the National Electronics Museum will soon be opening at the Computer Museum’s location in Hunt Valley. The National Electronics Museum’s huge collection chronicles the history of electronic systems, including telegraphy, radio, sonar technology, radar, and satellites. Hands-on exhibits abound, and the museum features a working ham radio station. Follow the museum on Facebook or Instagram so you can plan to visit when it reopens.
Tips If You Go
Double-check each museum’s opening hours. Many of these museums are only open a few days each week.
Comfortable walking shoes are a must, even in smaller museums.
If you arrive when your chosen museum opens, you are less likely to encounter crowds. (Tip: Spring weekdays are school field trip days in Maryland. Call the museum to find out if a field trip is scheduled for the day you plan to visit.)
