Kid Baltimore | Family Activities with Children in Baltimore, Maryland

Storyville at the Rosedale Library

I have library envy. Seriously. The Rosedale Library's new addition, costing $700,000 makes this library one of the most kid-friendly libraries around. Storyville is a 2,240 square foot wing that houses a mini-town. It includes a two-story house, garden, construction zone, grocery store and more — all pint sized. We checked in at the front desk. Only kids up to age 6 are allowed in with their caregivers. The library does have a limit on the number of people allowed in at one time, so if you arrive at peak hours (late morning) you may have a short wait. My kids were climbing through hollow tree trunks and catching magnetic fish in the "Toddler Bay" before I could even blink. I think my daughter's favorite part was the grocery store, and my son definitely preferred the full kitchen in the 2-story house. Do you think I have future gourmet chefs in the making?

My favorite parts? Maybe the thoughtful inclusion of a family bathroom nearby, or the "Sanitize Me" bin at the front desk for dirty toys. Actually though, my favorite parts were all the details. The well stocked grocery store has pretend everything: mussels, eggplants, peppers, croissants, eggs, milk. And the construction zone comes complete with architectural plans for kids to design their own house while they learn about shapes and colors. Not to mention, the living room has some really cool chairs. If it weren't for the fact that I am way too tall for the kitchen, I think I could live here.

410-887-0512

Storyville at the Rosedale Library
6105 Kenwood Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21237-2097

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Aquarium Depot

Guess who we ran into at the Aquarium Depot. Nemo! I probably would have breezed right by him without even noticing, but my kids sure didn't miss him. Disney's power is far-reaching, eh?

There are rows and rows of beautiful tanks here (most with non-Disney characters). The big display tanks are real works of art and have lots of creatures hiding among the rocks for kids to try and find. I like to think of this place as my own mini-National Aquarium without the lines or price of admission.

Of course, it's also a great place to buy your kid's first pet goldfish. Maybe we will name him Nemo.

410-521-4529

The Aquarium Depot
3689 Offutt Road
Randallstown, MD 21133

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Baltimore Streetcar Museum

Despite the fact that our studio is just a stone's throw away from the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, I had never stopped by. But streetcars are a wonderful part of Baltimore history and this museum, staffed by a dedicated group of volunteers, has worked hard to preserve a part of the past. Volunteers man the ticket booth, restore the streetcars and even maintain the tracks here. The Streetcar Museum is open Sundays only, most of the year. In the summer, they expand their hours to include Saturdays as well.

We showed up just as the gates were opening. I would recommend arriving just a little bit later so they have time to check the tracks and get the streetcars operating. The museum itself has various miniature streetcars and displays, but the real draw here is the streetcar rides. For the price of admission, you can ride authentic streetcars as many times as you like down the track. These streetcars date from the late 1800's to the1940's, although some were in service until the 1960's. The conductors stop at the turnaround and give a brief history and then drive you back to the museum. Back and forth. Back and forth. We could do this all day long...

410-547-0264

Baltimore Streetcar Museum
1901 Falls Road
Baltimore, MD 21211

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