The Museum of Dentistry?
I figured I was going to see some quirky little row home stuffed with old dentistry tools, but nothing could be further from the truth. (I'm going to make a point here of avoiding all tooth related puns. I'm so tempted though). The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is actually 7,000 square feet of beautiful museum space. It is affiliated with the Smithsonian and houses an amazing collection of dental ephemera, from George Washington's not-so-wooden denture to a life-sized model of Penny Wilson performing her "iron-jaw" act.
I felt a little guilty walking around this great big space, practically all by ourselves. We stopped by for story time (Wednesdays through the summer) and then practiced brushing my daughter's favorite set of chompers – appropriately named Giant Mr. Gross MouthTM (Yes, there is really a TM on that). There is so much to see here, even with little ones, including a mini-dentist's office complete with lab coats and dentist chair; vintage TV shows and films; and our favorite – old stone lithograph dental posters. Now what toddler wouldn't love those? Okay, maybe that last part was for me.
410-706-0600
National Museum of Dentistry
University of Maryland
31 South Greene Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-1504
