Yesterday my kids were off from school for a teacher professional day so my daughter’s Girl Scout Troop scheduled a trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Sometimes the crowds at attractions like the aquarium keep me away. But yesterday was a different story. There were surprisingly few people there and we could see every exhibit. It made all the difference in the world.
During lunch in the nearly empty cafeteria, we debated the lack of crowds and hit on the reason — private schools were on spring break and public schools had the MSA test.
I made a mental note of this for next year. It’s not a big help for parents of public school kids, but for those with toddlers, preschoolers and home schooled kids — it’s a great time to visit not only the aquarium, but also the Maryland Science Center, Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Port Discovery Children’s Museum or any other normally crowded attraction.
In a similar vain, I’ve found that the fall is the best time to visit the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Zoo field trips are usually scheduled in the spring, which leaves the place nearly empty on a beautiful fall weekday. A friend of mine always hit’s the Maryland Science Center the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, again because no school schedules a field trip that day.
Does anyone out there have any other tips for visiting Baltimore’s popular attractions? If you do, we’d love to hear about it!