From the moment you walk through the bright orange double doors at 35 Market Place, it’s easy to see there’s a lot of fun going on at Baltimore’s Port Discovery Children’s Museum.

Conveniently located in Baltimore’s downtown historic Fish Market in the eastern basin of the Inner Harbor, Port Discovery draws children in with three stories of interactive activities, exhibits and special events.

Probably the most notable of the permanent exhibits is the massive structure that rises up through the middle of the building known as the Urban Tree house — a three-story tall collection of rope bridges, zip lines, tunnels, slides and other structures that kids can climb, jump, crawl or slide through to get around the museum.

“My kids were drawn in here like magnets,” said one mother of two active boys, ages 4 and 7, who traveled from the D.C. area to spend an afternoon at the museum. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get them out.”

Due to its sheer size, the museum may seem overwhelming at first glance. However, museum coordinator Celia Lourens says the facility is designed with ease in mind.

“That’s why we have color-coded lighted paths throughout the tree house so you can choose which level or exhibit you want to come out on,” she explained. For those parents who don’t want to navigate through a narrow rope bridge or climb a rock wall, the stairs surrounding the structure lead to each level as well. Furthermore, most of the structure is see-through, so it’s fairly easy to keep an eye on where your child ends up, though it may be harder to keep track on a busy day. For security, an attendant checks to make sure each child’s bracelet corresponds to the adult they are with before they can leave the building.

While just about anybody of any age can find something to enjoy here, Port Discovery is ideal for children between the ages of 2 and 10. This is an especially good time to visit because the museum is celebrating its 10th anniversary and has 10 special events planned throughout the year.

The first of those events was the January opening and dedication of Port Discovery’s newest permanent exhibit called “Wonders of Water.” The $400,000 aquatic playground located on the third level gives children a chance to pump, squirt or float objects through a maze of streams, waterfalls and dams that can be rebuilt along the way. It also has a way to make music with water and an area to search for lost treasures at sea. To help kids stay dry, rain coats and Crocs are provided, though regulars bring a change of clothes just in case.

“Robots: An Interactive Exhibit,” which runs May 23–Sept. 2, will give children a chance to build and play with large and small robots. On Aug. 10, guests will get a discounted $10 admission rate, with a larger 10-Year Birthday Gala planned for October.

If you can’t make it to one of the special birthday events, however, there are plenty of exhibits and activities to keep you and your family occupied on any day of the week. Younger visitors may enjoy “The Diner,” a 1950s style restaurant completely equipped with play food, cooking accessories, tables and a serving counter.

Children also will like the “Fill ‘er Up Station,” where they can check the tire pressure on a car and “fill it up” with gas, or the “Farm Area” where they can pick fruits and vegetables or milk a life-like cow. In the “R&D DreamLab,” kids can discover the engineering side of themselves. Currently, “Paper Tube Building,” inspired by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, gives children a chance to build their own paper tube structures.

Children ages 7 and up may want to explore the “Adventure Expedition” where they travel back in time to the land of Egypt to search for a lost pharaoh’s burial tomb.

On the lighter side, Miss Perception’s Mystery House introduces children to the Baffeld family where it is up to kids to discover the whereabouts of Eube and Constance Lee Baffeld. But beware … you may have to crawl through a slimy tub drain or disappear in a magic mirror to get the necessary clues.

Infants and toddlers also have a special spot at the museum in the Oasis and Sensation Station. The museum sponsors interactive circle times as well as special programs with animals and costumed storybook characters. However, it’s a good idea to check the website before your visit because these activities are run on select days during the month.

One of the most surprising aspects of Port Discovery is that as you walk from one fun exhibit to another, there always seems to be something along the way that can capture your interest. From the inside of a grand piano in the hallway on the third floor to a wall of rearrangeable magnetic words down on the first floor, there are plenty of ways to stimulate creativity and imagination.

But the best part of all, according to one young visitor, “You can slide really fast down the longest slide ever before you go home.” Lourens made sure to point out that it is “the longest indoor slide in Maryland.”

Port Discovery sponsors birthday parties, field trips and overnight adventures for school or other service groups. Because there is no café at the museum, parents may want to bring a bagged lunch to eat in the designated lunch room or step just outside the museum doors to restaurant row.

Port Discovery is easily accessible by car from I-83 or I-95 with a parking garage located next door to the museum. If you’re staying in Baltimore and would rather not drive to the museum, you can travel by MTA bus, light rail or the metro subway, which drops visitors off within a block of the museum.

For information, visit www.portdiscovery.org.