About Us
Inspiring curiosity & discovery through hands-on STEM experiences for our entire community.
About the Discovery Center at Water’s Edge
Inspiring curiosity & discovery through hands-on STEM experiences for our entire community.
The Discovery Center at Water’s Edge is a place where curiosity leads the way. Families, students, and lifelong learners come here to explore science, experiment with new ideas, and discover how technology shapes the world around us.
Our mission is to create engaging, hands-on experiences that make STEM learning exciting, accessible, and meaningful for everyone. Through interactive exhibits, creative programs, and community partnerships, we help visitors build confidence, explore new interests, and develop a lifelong love of discovery.
For more than a century, Northeastern Maryland has been a center of innovation closely connected to Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). Breakthroughs in engineering, communications, computing, and defense technologies have shaped both national security and global innovation. The Discovery Center celebrates this legacy while inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers.
A Place to Explore & Imagine
Hands-on experiences that turn curiosity into discovery
At the Discovery Center, learning happens through exploration. Our exhibits encourage visitors to touch, build, test, and experiment while discovering how science and technology shape the world around us.
Throughout the center, guests can explore ideas connected to computing and emerging technologies, energy and sustainability, agriculture and environmental science, robotics, 3D printing, maker technology, and immersive virtual experiences. Each area is designed to spark curiosity and show how innovation influences everyday life.
Students and families engage with STEM through interactive exhibits, creative maker activities, after-school programs, camps, and special events. These experiences invite visitors to ask questions, try new ideas, and learn by doing in a welcoming and engaging environment.
Our goal is simple: to spark curiosity, inspire innovation, and empower the next generation of explorers.
Growing in Phases
The Discovery Center is being developed in phases to ensure thoughtful growth & long-term impact for the community.
Phase I
Opened in 2023, the Preview Center at Water’s Edge in Belcamp, Maryland provides a first look at the future Discovery Center through early exhibits, programs, and community events.
Phase II
Planned for 2025, Phase II will introduce a 10,000-square-foot facility featuring 12–15 interactive exhibits, an IMAX auditorium, classrooms, flexible learning spaces, and a small retail area.
Phase III
The final phase will expand the Discovery Center into a 35,000-square-foot permanent facility, capable of welcoming more than 100,000 visitors each year and offering expanded exhibits, programs, and community experiences.
A Community-Driven Mission
The Discovery Center at Water’s Edge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by the APG Centennial Celebration Association.
Our mission extends beyond the walls of the center. We are committed to making STEM learning accessible to the entire community, including underserved students and families.
Through outreach programs, traveling exhibits, and signature events such as the Magic of Science Fair and the Family Festival, we bring hands-on learning experiences to schools, neighborhoods, and community gatherings across the region.
By working with educators, volunteers, and community partners, we continue to expand opportunities for discovery and inspiration.
Why It Matters
Continuing a legacy of innovation while inspiring the next generation of explorers.
When the Army Ordnance Museum closed in 2011, Harford County lost an important cultural and educational destination. The Discovery Center at Water’s Edge builds on that legacy while reimagining it for today’s learners and tomorrow’s innovators.
Our vision is to create a vibrant center for exploration that welcomes families, students, educators, and visitors from across the Mid-Atlantic. By combining hands-on learning with the region’s rich history of innovation, the Discovery Center will become a place where curiosity grows and ideas take shape.
Most importantly, we hope every visitor leaves with something new:
a question, an idea, or the inspiration to keep exploring.
