Review of Port Discovery Children's Museum in Baltimore

While we were on vacation MacTroll and I decided that while our niece and nephews were in school and MacTroll's brother and SIL were working we'd take X-man to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. He's been "Under-the-Sea" crazy for a while now, but we decided against the National Aquarium (one of our favorite aquariums) because adult tickets are $30 each and children are $25. Instead, we went to the Port Discovery Children's Museum just down the street. We figured there'd be more for X-man to climb and play on, and we could each get in there for $13... which meant we could have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory afterwards (See where our priorities are?). If you have a reciprocal membership through your local children's museum, Port Discovery qualifies as an Association of Children's Museums Member (which makes it free for you).

Anyway, as far as Children's Museum's go Port Discovery was a nice change. We caught the end of their Curious George exhibit, got to see a new remodeled pretend play "Diner" area and X-man thought their mini soccer field (similar to the mini hockey rink at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto) was pretty fun.

They had similar exhibits to other museums like a car you can gas up and pretend to put air in the tires. There was a play grocery store, and, of course, the obligatory climber and a Water Room. The thing I liked about this water room was that rather than the little smocks, they had actual children's raincoats. And since the water was a floor to ceiling kind of experience, they had Crocs available for kids to wear... which is nice, but even though the sign said they're cleaned all the time, I still got the willies from the idea (and I'm NOT a germaphobe).

The museum had a little kid/nursing mothers area, but there are no food sales inside the museum. No food or drink is allowed except for the small room with tables that school groups use for brown bag lunches when they're there. But the lovely part about the inner harbor is that food is plentiful just outside the door.