City: Baltimore, MD

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (410) 396-5565

Address: 751 Eastern Ave.

Description: When you want to know where your tax dollars are going, then head to the Public Works Museum. It was being renovated for most of 2009 and as great as it was before, it’s even better now. Below the city streets lies a maze of pipes and drains moving our water and waste. Opened in 1982 in the historic Eastern Avenue Pumping Station at the east end of the Inner Harbor, this one-of-a-kind museum features the history of public works and the development of urban infrastructure. While it is a museum, it remains a working pumping station, with 30 million gallons of wastewater passing through here every day (OK, that might be too much information). One highlight of the museum is the outdoor Streetscape, a model where guests can walk through the maze of pipes and drains that exist belowground. Children love the changing exhibits, with names like “What’s Beneath the Streets?” and “The Rotten Truth About Garbage.” There is also a computer room where games bring city works to life. The gift shop, though tiny, has some interesting items, all recycled. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and $2.50 for seniors and children age 6 through 17.