One of Baltimore’s smallest museums tells its biggest story: how immigrants transformed the city over the centuries. The Baltimore Immigration Museum, which opened its doors in Locust Point in 2016, commemorates the hundreds of thousands of people who chose Baltimore to begin a new life in the United States.

The museum location at 1308 Beason Street has a unique tie to the immigration story: from 1904 to 1914, immigrants who needed temporary housing before moving on to their final destinations used the building for shelter. A German church located in Locust Point built the structure, which is one of the last immigrant houses in Baltimore still standing.

The renovated Baltimore Immigration Museum's front entryway (steps and iron railing) provides an important safety improvement for visitors.

The museum’s front steps and porch railing were in need of repair. The historic granite entry steps unevenly settled, and the railing began to rust after years in the elements. In late 2017, the museum applied for and was awarded a BNHA Small Capital Grant for $1,500 to make the repairs and minimize any hazards for museum visitors.

“Although the repair project appears small, it has a big impact on our museum,” said Brigitte Fessenden, the museum’s president. “BNHA’s Small Capital Grant program is a tremendous benefit to the city’s small museums and historic sites.”

The Baltimore Immigration Museum is open weekends from 1 pm to 4 pm; admission is free, but donations are warmly welcomed. Plan a trip to the Baltimore Immigration Museum and discover more about this important and fascinating part of the city’s history. You’ll see firsthand how BNHA’s Small Capital grants make a difference in sharing Baltimore’s history.

The next grant cycle for the heritage area’s Small Capital Grants will open in September 2018. Visit our grants page for more information on this grant program as well as our Heritage Investment and Maryland Heritage Areas Authority grants.