What to do and see in Maryland, United States: The Best Specialty Museums

One of three remaining Liberty Ships, the S.S. John Brown is open for tours by advance reservation.

The National Capital Radio & Television Museum is the only museum devoted to broadcasting in the National Capital Region. Open to the public Friday 10-5 and Saturday/Sunday 1-5. Closed major holidays. The historic (1906) Harmel house serves as the Museum building. The first floor is accessible and there is a video about the exhibits on the second floor that can be played for those who cannot access the stairs.

The city's native son, the Great Bambino, is celebrated in the house he was born in, now a museum stocked with memorabilia like the catcher's mitt he used while learning baseball, the bat from his famed 1927 season and exhibits honoring the Orioles.

The B&O Railroad Museum, a full affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the birthplace of American Railroading, is home to the oldest, most comprehensive collection of railroad artifacts in the Western Hemisphere including an unparalleled roster of 19th and 20th century railroad equipment. You’ll enjoy exploring our expansive Museum campus, known as the Mount Clare Shops and Station and was the original railroading complex of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O). Founded in 1827, the B&O had a dramatic economic, social, and cultural impact on our society. Its nearly 200-year history is deeply intertwined with the story of America and helped shaped our nation through invention, innovation, and ingenuity. Experience two centuries of American railroading history throughout our campus of historic buildings, exhibitions, interactive displays, and our world-class collection of rolling stock —locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars, and maintenance vehicles. All Aboard!

Open May through September or by appointment, this museum of history contains Civil War relics, arrowheads, weapons, china, porcelain and pressed glass exhibits.

*Before visiting, please visit welcome.cbmm.org for updates on our reopening. Each time you experience the Chesapeake Bay with us, you’ll find something different. Be sure to talk to our Shipwrights and apprentices in our Shipyard for insight into their current work in progress. Additionally, CBMM offers changing exhibitions, educational programs, boat rides on the Miles River, small craft rentals, and annual festivals celebrating Chesapeake Bay culture, boats, seafood, and history. With a waterfront, park-like setting, including numerous outdoor and indoor exhibitions, a Museum Store (with an ATM machine), and a member’s marina, you’ll find us on the Miles River in the heart of the historic town of St. Michaels. With two-day general admission, we encourage you to take a harbor-side stroll over Honeymoon Bridge to enjoy unique shopping, delicious dining, and fabulous lodging experiences. And be sure to check out the local brewery, winery, and distillery, and other town-wide events.

Wax museum that focuses on African-American culture and history.

The Baltimore Museum of Industry celebrates the innovators, entrepreneurs and workers who propelled this port city into the industrial age and beyond. From garment making to airplane manufacturing, food canning to video game design, visitors to the museum will discover how Baltimore's pioneering spirit built the region's manufacturing might and continues to shape Maryland today. Located in an 1860s oyster cannery on a five-acre waterfront campus, the BMI offers dynamic exhibitions, live demonstrations, engaging tours and hands-on activities for guests of all ages.

The National Cryptologic Museum houses thousands of artifacts that collectively tell the history of the cryptologic profession. Here visitors catch a glimpse of some of the most dramatic moments in the history of American code making and code breaking: the people who devoted their lives to cryptology and national defense, the machines and devices they developed, the techniques they used, and the places where they worked. The museum library maintains a collection of unclassified and declassified books and documents relating to every aspect of cryptology.

The past becomes reality for thousands of visitors to this museum and library dedicated to teaching about the Jewish experience, and helping to keep the Jewish heritage alive. Enjoy 2 permanent exhibits and 1 rotating exhibit gallery, as well as tours of 2 historic synagogues. Come and see the newest, family friendly exhibit: The A-Mazing Mendes Cohen!