Who We Are
The Peale is a 501©3 tax-exempt, non-profit corporation established to restore the historic Peale Museum building as a center to celebrate the unique history of Baltimore, its people and their buildings. The Peale began as “Friends of the Peale” in 2008. In June 2012, the Friends of the Peale and the Baltimore History Center at the Peale, a Maryland non-profit corporation formed by Judge John Carroll Byrnes, joined forces as The Peale Center for Baltimore History and Architecture.
Today, we are simply “The Peale,” and because of your support and the support of people going back to 2008, the effort to save the Peale building has been realized. In the first purpose-built museum in the nation, Baltimore’s storytellers at last have a showcase that honors the importance of their contributions to the heritage and cultural fabric of our city! We are building an archive of Baltimore stories, and the Peale is now dedicated to preserving Baltimore’s intangible cultural heritage: its stories, in the form of exhibitions, performances, talks, immersive experiences, and other creative media, and the community voices that share them.
Evolving Spaces
Radical Museum-ing
Stories, Not Objects
The Peale does not collect objects, but stories—memories, experiences, community recollections. We are not just defined by the unique history of this space but continue its legacy of adapting to the city’s needs by democratizing power and access to space, knowledge, and historical narrative. We are a space for local creators to take creative risks, connect with fellow collaborators, and contribute their stories to Baltimore’s cultural legacy.
No Story Left Behind
Everyone’s story matters to Baltimore’s cultural legacy. Baltimore is one of the oldest cities in the United States, but systematic erasure, rewriting, and falsification has resulted in an inaccurate historic record that does not represent the full diversity of Baltimoreans’ voices and experiences. We are a committed team of museum professionals and community organizers striving to make a broad range of Baltimore’s stories—and the medium of innovative storytelling—accessible to everyone.