National Pinball Museum
608 Water Street
Moving from its Georgetown location to Power Plant this month, the National Pinball Museum features 900 pinball machines, from an original French one to a Star Wars-themed game, one of 15 ever made. Must see: There are two floors of pay-to-play machines, with themes ranging from Jurassic Park to The Twilight Zone.
Geppi's Entertainment Museum
301 West Camden Street, 410-625-7060
Geppi's Entertainment Museum—owned by Baltimore magazine publisher Steve Geppi—takes a chronological look at pop culture with an extensive collection of entertainment memorabila. Must see: The Baltimore Heroes exhibit is new a wing that honors the city's unique personalties, like Bea Gaddy, John Waters, and Cab Calloway.
National Museum of Dentistry
31 South Greene Street, 410-706-0600
This museum fascinates with George Washington's dentures, the evolution of toothbrushes, old toothpaste commercials, and antique dentist chairs. Must see: The instruments of Queen Victoria used by her dentist, who was the first to be knighted.
The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum
1601-03 East North Avenue, 410-563-3404
View more than 100 wax figures and scenes from African-American history in this 30,000-square-foot complex. Exhibits such as a full model slave ship and wax figures of President Obama give visitors a 400-year history lesson. Must see: While many of the wax figures are realistic, the depiction of Malcolm X is uncanny. Even his sweat looks real.
Antique Toy Museum
222 West Read Street, 410-230-0580
This three-story building in Mt. Vernon has a collection of more than 40 antique dollhouses, pictured below, kitchens, shops, theaters, and castles. There are also puppets, Victorian dolls, and antique games—all dating from 1800-1950. Must see: A five-foot dollhouse from 1870 that features detailed furnishings and decorations from the Victorian period.
Museum of Baltimore Legal History
111 North Calvert Street, 410-962-2820
Located in the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse, this museum archives unique, law-related items. There are old documents, mahogany benches, and green, cloth bags that lawyers used to use as suitcases. Must see: As recently as 1970, and before the advent of computerized systems, clerks used to select jurors out of copper drums—one of which is displayed here.
The Baltimore Tattoo Museum
1534 Eastern Avenue, 410-522-5800
What other museum can say it's also a fully functioning tattoo studio? Before you get ink, though, you can learn about the history of tattooing—from the most influential artists to the antiquated tools. Must See: The exhibit about carneys, where you can learn how sideshow stars helped tattoos actually become more mainstream.
National Electronics Museum
1745 West Nursery Road, Linthicum, 410-765-0230
What was a display for Westinghouse products is now a museum dedicated to defense electronics. The museum has the largest collection of radars (like one from Pearl Harbor) to educate visitors about electronic warfare. Must see: The lunar TV camera used on Apollo 11, which brought the moon landing to every living room.
