The Maryland Museum of Natural Sciences is Maryland’s officially designated natural sciences museum, a private nonprofit dedicated to conserving the state’s natural heritage and educating its citizens since 1929.
We are a volunteer‑powered organization supported by a small part‑time staff. From our museum in Baltimore County, we offer programs, lectures, workshops, and courses across the natural sciences. Our lower level houses more than 200,000 natural history specimens and artifacts, representing minerals, fossils, flora, fauna, and cultural materials from Maryland and the mid‑Atlantic region.
As Maryland’s state natural sciences museum, we serve as a central home for collections conservation, research, public education, and community connection. We also provide a trusted place for unwanted private and public collections—ensuring they remain preserved, accessible, and useful for future generations.
We are committed to building a welcoming community where everyone has the opportunity to learn about the natural world and grow as naturalists and stewards of our fragile planet. Please join us in our adventure!
Our Mission
To foster stewardship of Maryland’s natural heritage by conserving its natural history collections, educating its citizenry, and inspiring youth to pursue careers in the natural sciences.
Our History
Founded on Maryland Day, March 25, 1929, the organization began as the Natural History Society of Maryland, formed by members of the Maryland Academy of Sciences. For nearly a century, the Society advanced natural history education, research, and collections care across the state.
From early public exhibits at Druid Hill Park to decades of lectures, publications, and field programs, the organization built a legacy of community science engagement. In 2006, we purchased our current 9,000‑square‑foot building at 6908 Belair Road, beginning a new chapter of growth.
In 2026, the State of Maryland formally designated the organization as the Maryland Museum of Natural Sciences, recognizing its statewide role in collections stewardship, research, and public education.
Our Present
Since establishing our Overlea campus, volunteers have transformed the museum into an exciting, welcoming place to explore Maryland’s natural world. Our public spaces host programs, workshops, lectures, and meetings surrounded by natural history displays—only a small fraction of the collections housed below.
Sustainability improvements completed in 2015 capture stormwater runoff and support native plantings. State bond support and private funding have enabled ongoing upgrades to exhibits, collections facilities, and public spaces.
Our Future
As Maryland’s official natural sciences museum, we are building a statewide center for collections conservation, research, collaboration, and education. Maryland’s ecosystems—from coastal barrier islands to Appalachian ridges—hold extraordinary natural history resources. Our role is to preserve them, interpret them, and make them accessible to all Marylanders.
We aim to inspire curiosity, support scientific discovery, and connect people and communities through nature.
Museums for All & BlueStar Museum
NHSM is a proud member of Museums for All, a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits. The program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits visiting NHSM with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Museums for All is part of the NHSM’s broad commitment to seek, include, and welcome all audiences. Museums for All helps expand access to museums and also raise public awareness about how museums in the U.S. are reaching their entire communities. More than 500 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums, and more. Similar free and reduced admission is available to eligible members of the public at more than 500 museums across the country. Participating museums are located nationwide, representing 48 states.
Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America offering free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve.
