6-15-2026 8:04am

The Science Center

Maryland Science Center starts renovations on 50th anniversary

The Maryland Science Center celebrated its 50th birthday Saturday by kicking off renovations on its Harbor Plaza. The center is turning the hardscape between the Inner Harbor promenade and its entrance into a green space with a lawn, a shade canopy and a smattering of local plants. Construction will start in full in the fall. Baltimore's Mahan Rykiel Associates designed the renovations.

The $2 million project is being funded by a state capital improvement grant. The upgraded plaza is part of a broader project to revamp the Science Center with new exhibits and offer discounted admission to SNAP and WIC card holders and school groups. The attraction completed a $15.2 million fundraising campaign that closed this year to fuel the improvements.

The Maryland Science Center is more than a place to learn about science. We invite curiosity. We encourage you to explore, raise questions and discover because we know science isn’t a straight line. It’s big and messy. But it’s also finding order in the disorder. Discovering patterns, forming theories, exploring truths alongside people who are just as amazed as you.

For 50 years, the Maryland Science Center experience, and our Inner Harbor location, have been a powerful source of inspiration and ideas, awareness and affirmation, to millions of people—and we know that the best is yet to come. So, let’s celebrate.

All New Exhibits & Experiences

You’re going to start noticing some changes around here! We’re excited to announce that we’ll be opening, expanding, or renewing exhibit spaces throughout the year. Follow along for more exciting announcements.