For Children
Raising a Family in Mount Vernon
The Children's Park
Raising a Family in Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is one of the most child-friendly communities in Baltimore. With great recreational facilities, cultural opportunities, schools, and restaurants, it is also a true “neighborhood” where families know one another and children quickly form lasting friendships.
The pièce de résistance for kids in Mount Vernon is the wonderful Mount Vernon Children's Park. Like nothing else in the region, this spectacular new playground was built by the community with contributions received from local foundations, businesses, residents, institutions and city agencies. The park, located at Calvert and Madison Streets, features a water spray park, a huge sand box, creative equipment and a traditional hedge maze. It also has comfortable seating for parents and caregivers. The Children's Park is a gift to the families of the city as well as all families who might be visiting the Mount Vernon neighborhood.
Practically everything great for kids and families in Baltimore is just a walk, a short bus ride or a car ride away. Right in our community, the Central Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library (www.epfl.net/kids/events/this_branch.cfm) has the best children's programs in the country – that's right, the best in the country. The ground-breaking pre-literacy program “Mother Goose on the Loose” is a regular feature of the libraries programs, which also have innovative and creative activities for older children as well. The Children's Garden is a wonderland of learning opportunities including games, puzzles, computer activities, a fish pond and even a room with a sky full of twinkling stars – this is all in addition to their enormous collection of first class children's literature and research resources.
The cultural institutions of Mount Vernon also offer rich and varied programs for children. The Walters Art Museum (www.thewalters.org) has been named the Best Museum for Children in Baltimore, featuring family programming almost every Saturday, as well as an outstanding summer camp program. The Peabody Institute (www.peabody.jhu.edu) offers a variety of dance and music classes for kids, and the Maryland Historical Society (www.mdhs.org) and Eubie Blake Center (www.eubieblake.org) consistently feature fun children's activities.
Center Stage (www.centerstage.org), one of the nation's leading professional theaters, welcomes children into a regular program of creative and fun childcare activities during some of its Saturday matinee performances. For a nominal fee, the theater's own Education Coordinator engages the children in activities related to the play the parents are attending. Those who have participated in these programs rave about them!
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (www.baltimoresymphony.org) is a leader in children's concerts – musical experiences the entire family can appreciate for their quality and innovation. Concerts are held on Saturday mornings, and vary in programming from Peter and the Wolf, to Beethoven's Wig, to a ballet of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, all featuring the wit of Maestro Andrew Constantine, conducting one of the best symphony orchestras in the world.
Children's shows are also frequently featured at Lyric Opera House (www.lyricoperahouse.com/schedule), including touring productions of such programs as the Bear in the Big Blue House.
And, a hidden jewel of the Mount Vernon neighborhood is the Antique Toy Museum at 224 West Read Street. This is an enchanting collection of old doll houses, toys and collectibles that will amaze adults and kids alike.
Walk your kids to school! Mount Vernon is home to Grace and St. Peters School (www.graceandstpetersschool.org) located at 707 Park Avenue, which is one of the top private elementary schools in the city. Many families also enjoy the outstanding Downtown Daycare Center (www.dbcckids.org) at 806 Park Avenue, behind the Presbyterian Church. For teens with talent, the Baltimore School for the Arts (www.bsfa.org) is located in Mount Vernon and accepts academically qualified students who show superior talent in performing and visual arts. This high school is ranked as one of the top five performing arts high schools in the country.
And if after all of these activities and studies, the kids are hungry, Mount Vernon restaurants also offers fabulous and fun food for children and their families – from pancakes and grilled cheese to sushi, pizza, Indian dishes, Bar-B-Que, and Italian dishes. It is all here for families to enjoy in Mount Vernon!
With a child-activated water spray park, innovative and creative equipment, a huge sandbox, traditional hedge maze and spectacular pavilion by renowned artist David Hess, there is no playground anywhere else like the Mount Vernon Children's Park. Designed for children under the age of 10, kids will enjoy a wide variety of activities as parents and caregivers relax from the bustle of the city in comfortable chairs in the shade of grand old trees. Families are welcome to have a lunch or dinner picnic in the park. The park also features a bulletin board highlighting events and services for families in the neighborhood.
The Mount Vernon Children's Park, the first recreation area for families in the history of Mount Vernon, was a community-led effort culminating in the opening of the park in 2006. The community led the design and construction of the Children's Park with support and contributions from neighborhood residents and businesses as well as foundations, cultural institutions and city agencies.
The park is open 7 days a week from 9 AM – 8 PM and locked every evening.