One of the oldest commercial ports in America, the Inner Harbor of Baltimore began business as a major seaport in the 1700s and then underwent a cultural redevelopment in the late 1960s. Now the Inner Harbor area includes residential, social and cultural facilities as well as restaurants, hotels and offices.
The Maryland Science Center includes many hands-on exhibits for adults and children, such as "Your Body: The Inside Story" and "Dinosaur Mysteries." The children's area offers a water play area, pneumatic messaging system and undersea world, as well as activities in engineering, construction and experimenting for kids up to 8 years old. The IMAX Theatre shows movies such as "Ring of Fire," "The Human Body," and "Africa the Serengeti," while the Davis Planetarium has programs on the night sky, the sun and one that stars the cast of "Sesame Street." Admission passes for the Maryland Science Center can include the exhibit hall, planetarium and demonstration stage at $14.95 for adults and $11.95 for children ages 3 to 12, or they can include the exhibit hall, planetarium, demonstration hall and one classic IMAX film at $19.95 for adults and $15.95 for children, as of 2011.
The Urban Pirates offer interactive pirate experiences on their Family Adventure Cruises in the waters of the Inner Harbor. Passengers are dressed in pirate costumes including facial hair and fake tattoos, then taken sailing for one hour where they learn to sing, dance, talk and tie ropes like pirates. They also participate in sea battles with working water cannons and work to protect treasure. Passengers age 3 years and older cost $20, while younger children are $10, as of 2011. Urban Pirates also does interactive events such as birthday parties and dinner cruises.
Transporting passengers around the Inner Harbor to more than 30 different attractions in the area, the Baltimore Water Taxi has multiple embarkation platforms where you can get on and off throughout the day. Drivers give brief histories of the area during your ride and point out spots of interest. Passengers only have to pay once to use the water taxi service for the whole day, no matter how many times they choose to get on or off. Destinations include the Aquarium, Science Center, Fort McHenry and Harbor East. Tickets for passengers ages 11 years and up cost $10, while children are $5, as of 2011.
There are hundreds of exhibits as well as more than 16,000 animals to see at the National Aquarium, including amphibians, birds, fish, octopus, dolphins, marmosets, and reptiles. The 4-D Immersion Theater combines 3-D films with sensory effects such as mist and wind, and live dolphins educate as well as entertain. Changing exhibits throughout the year have included Australian animals and jellyfish invasions. Admission prices to the Aquarium start at $24.95 for adults and $19.95 for children to 11 years old for just the aquarium, while admission to the aquarium, 4-D Immersion Theater, and Dolphin Show costs $29.95 for adults and $24.95 for children, as of 2011.
