Sculptures, sealife and more in Baltimore museums

It’s the beginning of March, and with March comes relatively warmer days, clearer skies and (eventually), the beginning of spring. Interspersed between random sunny days though are the weekends of grey and rain, when all there is to do is to sit on D-Level and ponder Orgo and Macro problem sets.

Before you give up hope and resign yourself to a weekend of Chemistry and Economics, you might want to take a look at all the museums that Baltimore has to offer.

There’s the Baltimore Museum of Art right down the street on Art Museum Drive, where admission is free for everyone every day. They feature 90,000 individual pieces of art, from European paintings to objects of Africa and Asia.

Or if you’ve already been to the BMA too many times, there’s the Walters Art Museum at 600 N. Charles St. open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday.

There is no fee to see collections of world art, which include Roman sarcophagi and Art Deco jewelry. The Walters also hosts a series of special events that can keep anyone occupied for a few hours on a rainy day.

Not a fan of art? No problem. The Maryland Science Center at 601 Light Street is not only a place for kids, but for those of you who enjoy planetariums and IMAX. They also run events geared towards adults, like stargazing in the observatory and “Beer-ology 101.”

This museum is only closed on Mondays and costs anywhere from about $15 to $19 depending on if you want to see an IMAX film while you’re there.

Finally, of course, there’s the National Aquarium located at the Inner Harbor. This is a must-see at least once during your four years here. Although it’s a bit pricier ($25 for admission and $30 for admission with the 4-D theatre and dolphin show), this aquarium is worth the price.

It is filled with over 660 species and 16,500 specimens of not only sea life, but birds and amphibians as well. Now is your chance to see an Empire Gudgeon.

So as you can see, there’s a lot to do indoors as well as outdoors in Baltimore while you’re waiting for the rain to disappear and the sunny days to come back. Venture beyond campus and take a look at what the city has to offer. From art galleries to aquariums to railroad museums, there’s something just right for you if you just take the time to explore.