The Walters Art Museum
10 W. Centre St., Baltimore, MD 21201
Wed.-Sun., 10am-5pm; Thu., 10am-9pm; closed Mon.-Tue.
$
museums, indoor-activities
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A free museum in Baltimore with art, mummies and more!
The Walters is a free (yes, free!) museum in Baltimore that features a variety of art from ancient Egyptian artifacts to paintings by Claude Monet. One of our favorite rooms for kids is The Chamber of Wonders. There you can see suits of armor, a collection of bugs from around the world, and international treasures that might have graced a well-to-do gentleperson’s study in the 17th century.
Once you’ve finished exploring the collection, head to the lower level and check out the Family Art Center. Children can play dress-up, read books, or examine artifacts up close. The museum also uses the space to host drop-in art activities on weekends from 11am-4pm. If you feel like creating even more art, you’ll also find an art cart located in the sculpture garden on weekend afternoons.
The Walters recently expanded and now visitors have access to 1 West Mount Vernon Place – a 19th century mansion turned art gallery, which is home to yet another creative space with a variety of paper, tape, scissors, colored pencils, and glue. After you’re done, you can take your art with you or leave it hanging on the wall for others to enjoy.
The Walters does have a museum cafeteria if you get hungry, but ff you prefer to pack a lunch, you can dine on the outdoor plaza at the foot of Baltimore’s Washington Monument. (Turn left out of the main entrance and walk down West Centre Street until you reach Charles Street/Washington Place. You’ll see the plaza directly across the street.)
If you want to take advantage of the drop-in art activities, weekend afternoons are the best time to go. (Keep in mind that the museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.) There is some metered street parking around the museum and there is a paid, attended lot at Centre and Cathedral Streets. There is a convenient loading and unloading zone in front of the museum if you'd like to drop off passengers before finding a parking spot.
Overall, Walters is a great option for families looking for an opportunity to expose even the youngest kids to the arts.