The family-focused Maryland Science Center, or MSC, really encourages its visitors to get involved. There are three floors of exhibits, experiments that you can observe or take part in, a planetarium, an IMAX theatre and an observatory. The MSC promises to take you on a journey to the edges of the universe, to the prehistoric dinosaur age and deep inside the human body.
Maryland Academy of Science and Literature which founded MSC is one of the oldest societies of its kind in America. It was founded as a private scientific society in 1797, but much of its collection was destroyed by a fire. Having re-established its collection, the interactive centre joined with the Davis Planetarium and opened up to the public in 1976. The IMAX theatre was added ten years later.
MSC’s aim was to give children a better understanding of nature and technology, and it continues to do this in an exciting and interactive way. Children visiting the field labs of Dinosaur Mysteries, for example, can touch a real triceratops skull. There is also an investigation into human organs for them to discover at the Bodylink exhibit, and they can see what DNA looks like in the Wet Lab. For younger children under 8, there is the Kids Room where they can splash around in water, and for toddlers, a room called Room to Grow full of soft toys. A series of live experiments carried out on the Demo Stage deal with optical illusions and chemical reactions and are aimed at teenagers and adults.
There is a huge screen in the IMAX theatre where you can watch an informative and entertaining nature film. In the evening, weather permitting, head up to the observatory with its free telescopes and take some time to study the stars and the universe.
Maryland Science Center is located in Harborplace and is open every day except Monday. It makes for a great family day out with an educational focus. On-street metered parking nearby is limited. MSC is also accessible by the Charm City Circulator, a free shuttle bus.
