We visited the Baltimore Museum of Industry on one of those random days off for the school kids in February.
The 1865 building is a former oyster cannery, making it a good location for an industry museum. The Inner Harbor of Baltimore had plenty of businesses like this. Having your own pier with access to a major body of water makes it very easy to ship your goods to other areas.
We arrived just before the opening time of 10:00 a.m., so we wandered around the exterior, which has some interesting features and sculptures, as well as the aforementioned pier. The pier was gated off, so we couldn't wander out over the water.
The truck above is literally half-in the museum. We tried to open the driver's door on the outside. It was locked. No free entry for us! By this point we had spent enough time wandering that we could go inside the normal way. The exhibits include various gear from various industries.
The second thing we saw inside was an electrical station.
"Video Game Wizards Transforming Science and Art into Games" is a temporary exhibit where we learned all about how video games are made. Different stations explain the roles of programmers, sound editors, user interface designers, and play testers. Each station has a video interview with a worker and a touch screen where visitors design a video game. The screens are linked and visitors enter a name, so they can slowly refine their game as they go from station to station. It was very interesting and had the kids ready for new careers.
Just outside the exhibit is a 1914 autocar used by the Davidson Transfer and Storage Company as a moving truck. The company started in 1896 with a horse and wagon but slowly built up to an inter-city shipping company, delivering to Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. The company is still around today!
A permanent exhibit shows what shops were like back in the early 1900s, including a deli and a bakery.
Further on, we saw a lot of the cannery equipment that probably came with the building. We also saw an important warning sign.
"Fueling the Automobile Age" is a newer exhibit that shows various vehicles. My kids had the chance to sit behind the wheel and to pump the gas, which were separate jobs once upon a time.
This electric car from the 1970s was inspired by the Apollo lunar rover and was used by Baltimorean Bill Spicer in his filmmaking business.
Other car-related companies and technologies are on display, like for a local rubber company that made car tires.
Another display shows how the combustion engine works and lets patrons use their muscles to crank the engine. The engine doesn't actually start, sadly.
More from the museum in the next post!
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| The Baltimore Museum of Industry |
The 1865 building is a former oyster cannery, making it a good location for an industry museum. The Inner Harbor of Baltimore had plenty of businesses like this. Having your own pier with access to a major body of water makes it very easy to ship your goods to other areas.
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| Diagram of the original area |
We arrived just before the opening time of 10:00 a.m., so we wandered around the exterior, which has some interesting features and sculptures, as well as the aforementioned pier. The pier was gated off, so we couldn't wander out over the water.
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| Industrial detritus |
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| Detritus with crane and museum sign in the background |
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| An odd parking spot |
The truck above is literally half-in the museum. We tried to open the driver's door on the outside. It was locked. No free entry for us! By this point we had spent enough time wandering that we could go inside the normal way. The exhibits include various gear from various industries.
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| Various gears |
The second thing we saw inside was an electrical station.
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| Examining the equipment |
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| He got a charge out of that! |
"Video Game Wizards Transforming Science and Art into Games" is a temporary exhibit where we learned all about how video games are made. Different stations explain the roles of programmers, sound editors, user interface designers, and play testers. Each station has a video interview with a worker and a touch screen where visitors design a video game. The screens are linked and visitors enter a name, so they can slowly refine their game as they go from station to station. It was very interesting and had the kids ready for new careers.
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| Video Game Wizards exhibit |
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| The entrance |
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| Designing a game |
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| Testing a game |
Just outside the exhibit is a 1914 autocar used by the Davidson Transfer and Storage Company as a moving truck. The company started in 1896 with a horse and wagon but slowly built up to an inter-city shipping company, delivering to Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. The company is still around today!
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| Moving in style! |
A permanent exhibit shows what shops were like back in the early 1900s, including a deli and a bakery.
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| Deli counter |
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| If only they were real! |
Further on, we saw a lot of the cannery equipment that probably came with the building. We also saw an important warning sign.
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| A great warning sign |
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| Filling cans |
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| Cooking cans? |
"Fueling the Automobile Age" is a newer exhibit that shows various vehicles. My kids had the chance to sit behind the wheel and to pump the gas, which were separate jobs once upon a time.
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| Ready for her license |
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| Old fashioned steering wheel |
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| An even younger driver |
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| Filling her up! |
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| An old pickup |
This electric car from the 1970s was inspired by the Apollo lunar rover and was used by Baltimorean Bill Spicer in his filmmaking business.
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| Comuta-Car from 1979 |
Other car-related companies and technologies are on display, like for a local rubber company that made car tires.
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| A local tire company |
Another display shows how the combustion engine works and lets patrons use their muscles to crank the engine. The engine doesn't actually start, sadly.
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| Cranking the engine to see the pistons go up and down |
More from the museum in the next post!
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