“Crane Day” at the Peale


Today was “Crane Day” at the Peale as the old cooling tower was removed at the crack of dawn this morning. A new eco-friendly HVAC system is being installed as part of the Peale’s renovations, funded in part by a grant from the Maryland Energy Administration.

The new HVAC system will be not only more reliable and energy-efficient, it will also be discretely installed in the Peale’s attic so that the Peale’s award-winning roof, which was replaced in 2017 by Baltimore City’s Department of General Services, can be enjoyed in its full glory by passing birds, helicopters, drones, and dirigibles.

Big thanks to our neighbors at Zion Church for letting the crane team into their parking lot behind the Peale at such an early hour! Staff are relieved there will be no more trips onto the roof to kick the cooling system back into operation during a hot summer’s performance. We are grateful to all the donors to our capital campaign who made this day possible!

Author: The Peale

The Peale is based in the first museum to be purpose-built in the United States, designed by architect Robert Cary Long Sr. and opened by artist Rembrandt Peale in 1814. It is a building of many firsts, and today in the creative spirit of its founder is relaunching as an innovative Center to celebrate the unique history of Baltimore, its people and their buildings through the authentic stories of the City. Currently under renovation, the Peale is open for occasional hardhat tours, and all of its programs are available online with live captioning and ASL interpretation.