Free Admission Now Offered to Visitors Under 18 BALTIMORE, Md. (July 21, 2022) – Children, youth, and students can now visit the Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) in Baltimore at no cost. Beginning this month, admission is now free for all visitors under 18 and students with ID. MCHC stewards the largest collection of Maryland history and material culture in the world at its history campus located in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon cultural district. Formerly known as the Maryland Historical Society, MCHC rebranded in 2020 to renew its commitment to serving as a community center of discovery and inspiration for diverse audiences across Maryland and beyond. “At a time when history education is declining in the classroom, one of our goals at the Maryland Center for History and Culture is to make learning about Maryland and U.S. history accessible and engaging for young people. Offering free admission for our youngest visitors helps remove barriers to achieving this goal,” said Mark Letzer, MCHC President & CEO. “Our institution has been collecting and preserving Maryland history for 178 years and we invite families and students to visit and find their story within the many stories that live inside our collections.” In addition to its Museum and Library, MCHC serves as a leading center for educators, providing onsite experiences and virtual resources for young learners. Two recently opened exhibitions—Passion and Purpose: Voices of Maryland’s Civil Rights Activists, and The Unfinished Revolution: Maryland in the Wars for Independence—were developed as joint collaborations between the Museum and Education departments at MCHC to specifically serve as teaching tools. Further bolstering its commitment as an educational center, MCHC will open a new Learning Lab, community gallery, and flexible learning spaces in 2023 that will empower families and children to discover Maryland history through hands-on inquiry. MCHC’s vast collections and resources helps fill gaps in history education, which has been in decline across Maryland. According to a survey done by the Maryland State Department of Education in 2019, just 17% of teachers reported that history or social studies was a daily part of their instruction—down from 54% in 2017. MCHC’s Museum and H. Furlong Baldwin Library are currently open Wednesday-Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm and the Museum is open 12 to 5 pm on Sunday. The cost for adults/seniors is $9/$7. Free admission is offered to everyone on the First Thursday and Second Sunday of the month (Second Sundays begin in September 2022). ABOUT THE MARYLAND CENTER FOR HISTORY AND CULTURE The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) collects, preserves, and interprets the history, art, and culture of Maryland. Originally founded as the Maryland Historical Society in 1844, MCHC inspires critical thinking, creativity, and community by exploring multiple perspectives and sharing national stories through the lens of Maryland. As the oldest operating nonprofit cultural institution in the state, MCHC houses a collection of 7 million books, documents, manuscripts, and photographs, and 350,000 objects in its Museum and Library located in Baltimore. MCHC also serves as a leading center of Maryland history education through its onsite school tours, student research center, Virtual Field Trips, Traveling Trunks, online digital learning resources, and professional development opportunities for teachers. MEDIA CONTACT Jennifer MichaelDirector of Communications & Marketingjmichael@mdhistory.org
