Baltimore World Trade Center’s ‘Top of the World’ to close as public observation deck in May

Come the end of May, the 360-degree view of Baltimore from the observation level of the Baltimore World Trade Center will be closed to the public.

The closure was announced Thursday by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, which has overseen the Top of the World Observation Level since 2005.

Robyn Murphy, interim CEO and interim chair of BOPA, said the lease with the State of Maryland is due to expire at the end of May and state officials decided not to renew it.

“Unfortunately, at the end of the lease, the state wants the space back and we are in the process of terminating the lease,” she told BOPA’s board Thursday.

Located on the 27th floor of the Baltimore Trade Center, the observation deck offers visitors a panoramic view of the city and surrounding region and the ability to see up to 30 miles on a clear day, according to a news release.

Tickets cost $8 for adults; $6 for seniors and members of the military and $5 for children aged 3 to 12; admission is free for children under 3.

The space is home to Gallery in the Sky; the Peak Artist Series; and the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland, a permanent exhibit that honors Marylanders who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks by showcasing artifacts from the Twin Towers, Pentagon, and Flight 93 National Memorial.

The observation level has served as the venue for numerous exhibitions, receptions, artist and author talks, delegation visits, workshops, picnics, panel discussions, and other events organized by BOPA. It has also hosted school groups, summer camps, and visiting tours from around the world.

BOPA plans to offer special discounts and pop-up events over the next few months as the organization winds down the space’s operations as an observation deck open to the public.

“We’re going to go out with a bang,” Murphy said. “We’d like to get as many visitors as possible.”

The Baltimore World Trade Center building is among the city’s tallest buildings, and is the world’s tallest regular pentagonal building (meaning a pentagon with equal sides and angles).