Baltimore Museum of Industry

Housed in a former oyster-packing house on the harbor's southern bank, this museum gives visitors a look at the industries that made Baltimore a manufacturing capital in the 1880s -- canning, printing, and garment-making. It's geared toward children, with exhibits set up so kids can get their hands on the oyster-shucking stations, antique irons, and movable type. Tour guides are sensitive to kids' attention spans and adjust their talks for the younger visitors. You can wander around on your own, but the exhibits aren't as interesting without the guides' stories. Wall-size pictures recall the days before child labor laws, and other displays include a collection of antique delivery trucks and one of only two working steam tugboats in the country. The museum is a few blocks from Fort McHenry; a visit to both -- with a picnic on the fort's lawn -- could make a great day.

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