In 1784, 13-year-old Edward Warren lifted off from Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood in a hot air balloon. He was the first American to do so. His adventure marks the first manned flight in Maryland and the United States, and is the first of many records to be made in the story of regional aviation.
Consider
- In 1906, College Park Airport opened. Still in operation, it is the oldest running airport in the United States and is the site of many aviation firsts: first mile-high flight by a powered airplane, first female passenger, and the first controlled helicopter flight.
- In 1911, John Rodgers completed the first flight of a Naval aircraft from the Naval Academy’s Farragut field.
- In 1921, Logan Field became the first commercial flight center in the state.
- In 1937, the Navy opened Naval Air Station Patuxent River which, during the height of construction, employed 7,000 people. The base has grown over time to Naval Air Systems Command and more than 30 tenants, detachments, and squadrons. The base supports 22,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel.
- In 1940, Howard University was chosen as one of four schools for training African American pilots. The training school for the Civilian Pilot Training Program was located in the township of Croom in Prince George’s County, at the Columbia Air Center, an airport founded by black pilots who weren’t otherwise allowed to use other air facilities.
These records, history-making events, and accolades continued into the 20th century, cinching county- and state-based private, commercial, and military aviation as key drivers in the creation of jobs, revenue, and prestige for the Central Maryland region.
Birth of BWI
the Baltimore Aviation Commission completed a pioneering master plan to build an innovative and expansive international airport in Maryland. Anne Arundel County would host the 3,200-acre site, located nine miles south of Baltimore and 32 miles north of Washington, D.C. in the area of Friendship Church, a rural farming community. Service from Friendship International Airport began in July of 1950, a time marked by massively increasing numbers of commercial flights across the country and an innovative era for aircraft invention and operation.
Today, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) serves more than 27 million passengers each year and is an economic engine for the state of Maryland. A 2018 Maryland Department of Transportation Annual Attainment report indicated that BWI alone supported 97,000 jobs and generated more than $10 billion in business revenue annually from passengers and air cargo activities.
The airport is much more than an economic asset: For frequent business travelers, the airport is as intimately known as the office; for leisure travelers, the taking off and landing from BWI bookends memories and souvenirs.
But even these frequent users of BWI may not know all the secrets of the airport—the nooks and crannies, the quiet places to rest and relax, the behind-the-scenes efforts to make a trip to the airport as efficient and comfortable as possible.
Jonathan Dean is the director of communications for the airport. An employee at BWI for more than 15 years, Dean remains passionate about the airport as a whole, but most especially about helping to progress the many ways staff and volunteers make traveling through BWI a pleasant experience. We caught up with him for a tour of the 3,200 acres that define the airport’s boundaries. Here’s are some of the unusual, downright quirky, and unexpected traveler conveniences we found.
What You Might Not Know
Travel Safe
In the days following September 11, 2001, BWI became the ground zero testing location for innovative airport security technologies. The Transportation Security Administration worked closely with airport authorities to establish new checkpoint screening procedures, test and advance new security technologies, and implement vital training programs. BWI was the first airport in the country to have a dedicated, full team of federal security personnel. Today, the airport is secured by Maryland Department of Transportation police, Transportation Security Administration officers, and Department of Homeland Security Air Marshalls.
The Largest USO Installation in the World
The USO International Gateway Lounge near baggage claim 14 is a $1.1 million, 5,000-square-foot facility serving 99 percent of the U.S. Armed Forces traveling to and from duty stations in Europe, Southwest Asia, and the United States. The USO Lounge serves as a “home away from home” to military personnel traveling through BWI Marshall Airport. Access is privileged to active duty personnel, National Guard, reservists, and their dependents. Military ID is required. Inside, visitors will find amenities like a secure baggage storage area, a free snack bar, a small business center, wireless phones for domestic and international calls sponsored by Verizon, a Technology Room sponsored by Microsoft, a sleeping room, and a family room with cribs, toys, and a movie library.
Rest in Peace
Did you know there is a three-acre cemetery just off the main runway at BWI? Friendship Cemetery, established in 1907, before the airport was built, is still in use. Prominent Anne Arundel County families such as Phelps and Disney, many with family members born in the mid-1800s, are laid to rest here.
No Excuses
BWI has the country’s only dedicated outdoor recreation trail. At about 12 miles long, the BWI Trail is a paved path that encircles the airport as it travels through pine forests, over marshes, and past active runways. The BWI Trail connects to the B & A Trail, a 22-mile trail that extends from the airport to Annapolis.
Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and…Bikes?
Yes, BWI offers bicycles, too! If you want to bike the BWI Trail, you can rent one of 10 Zagster bicycles outside the airport’s international terminal, near the BWI Marshall Airport Light Rail stop. Rentals are $2 per hour or travellers can opt to purchase an annual membership for $20. Riders can sign up to rent the bicycles by downloading the Zagster Mobile App, available for iPhone and Android.
Honor Flights
BWI hosts around 200 honor flights each year, more than Dulles and Reagan airports combined. The airport fire department greets each honor flight with a water cannon salute, airlines are amenable to moving flights to gates that make getting to and from the plane more comfortable for less mobile veterans, and a cadre of volunteers help coordinate visits to Washington, D.C. war memorials.
MDOT Loves Art
The airport boasts several professional and amateur art galleries. Outside the parking garages and terminals, inside the rental car facility and scattered around the interior of the airport are fine art, sculpture, and mixed media from Anne Arundel County and Maryland students, artists, and craftspeople.
Local and Loving It
BWI works with Baltimore and Anne Arundel County service providers, retailers, and restaurateurs to source as many local products and brands as possible. Next time you are at the airport, stop by DuClaw Brewery, Flying Dog Tap House, Obrycki’s, The Greene Turtle, Silver Diner, Charm City Candy, or White House, Black Market.
Fun Fact: Did you know that BWI Marshall Airport has street pricing in all of their dining establishments? The airport doesn’t allow premium pricing at any of their restaurants, something definitely not seen at other airports across the country. This makes the choice of grabbing a bite to eat at the airport before you get here much easier and more affordable.
Terminal A
“Callinectes Douglassi” is the world’s largest stained-glass sculpture, weighing in at about 500 pounds. Crafted by Jackie Letherbury Douglass of Shady Side, and commissioned by Anne Arundel County Economic Development, the art is located on the mezzanine level at the end of Terminal A, above Southwest Airlines ticketing.
Concourse C
A short corridor near the elevator going up to the Observation Deck is dedicated to Judge Thurgood Marshall, for whom the airport is named. A bust of the judge sits in the center of the dedicated space, where a recording of his speeches can be heard. On each side of the statue are photos of Judge Marshall, including his youth in Baltimore, his years at Howard University, and his ascent to the Supreme Court.
Concourse C also features a wall exhibit entitled “On This Site,” which showcases the historical use of the land where the airport is located. Featuring artifacts loaned to the airport from Anne Arrundell Historical Society and the Lost Towns Project, this gallery tells the story of native land use, colonization, industrialization, and farming that occurred in the area.
The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County exhibit provides a wonderful opportunity for local artists to showcase their talents to thousands of travelers. Exhibits rotate every four months, each with a new theme.
Concourse D
The D Concourse Gallery (moving walkway; post-security) artwork celebrates natural and intellectual resources, regional flavor, and the wonders of exploration and aviation.
The International Gallery (Concourse D, before security) features artwork from artists from diverse ethnicities. These pieces rotate every six months.
The Maryland Art Education Association Youth Art Exhibit (Observation Gallery; pre-security) showcases artwork from students (K–12) across the state of Maryland and is sponsored through a partnership with the Maryland Art Education Association (MAEA). Here, you might find art from students who study art through the Bates Middle School or Annapolis High School Visual Arts Magnet programs.
Meditate Before You Levitate
Did you know BWI Marshall Airport offers a meditation room? It is in a very public area, but remains in a relatively little-known and quiet corner of the airport. You can find this hidden gem in the hallway behind the Delta ticket counter on the side closest to the D/E Security Checkpoint. Access the room by calling BWI Landside Operations at 410-859-7736.
Room Rentals
BWI will rent space for corporate events, nonprofit fundraisers, and private parties through their concessions contractor. Spaces like the Observation Deck are beautiful, interesting, and memorable locations for any get together.
Conveniences
Planes & Trains
In 1980, BWI became the first airport in the United States to have a rail station on airport grounds. Today, the Light Rail train from Baltimore arrives right to the Departures terminal. Amtrak and regional MARC trains from Washington, D.C. arrive a short distance away. In October 2019, a $4.7 million upgrade to the BWI Rail Station was unveiled. A bright and welcoming exterior, spacious waiting room, more seating, a concessions area, new ticketing booths, and bathrooms were included in the renovation. Parking is available at the rail station and a free, upgraded shuttle bus takes passengers to and from the airport every 10 minutes.
Money, Money, Money
BWI has a close working relationship with Baltimore-based M&T Bank. A full-service bank is tucked under the stairs on the ticketing/arrivals level of the airport near Concourse A. Numerous ATM machines are located throughout all five terminals, both before and after security checkpoints.
Mailed It
The airport also hosts a full-service UPS mailing store with a stock of mailing and office supplies.
Airport Sherpa
Airport Sherpa is BWI’s version of DoorDash—travelers can shop or dine anywhere in the airport and have it delivered at the gate or to another location via the Airport Sherpa app. Although the app charges for delivery, it also offers first time users coupons for free service.
Nursing Moms
BWI is especially sensitive to the needs of children and families. The airport has installed Mamava nursing pods for privacy and quiet in each of the five terminals. There are no restrictions on nursing throughout the terminal; however, many mothers find these clean, private units very convenient while traveling.
Keep in Touch
If procrastination is your modus operandi, you won’t find room for excuses at BWI. From multiple areas to charge your devices and free basic Wi-Fi available throughout the property BWI helps you stay plugged in. Most gates now offer a number of charging stations, as well as wall and seat plugs.
Pet Relief
Like many airports around the country, BWI offers relief to our four-legged family members and service animals. Outside the hourly parking terminal, just across from Arrivals, is a small, clean, and gated pet relief park. Another relief station is located outside door number 19, near the international terminal and adjacent to the Light Rail station.
Inside, pets can access relief the beginning of Concourse C or in the connector between concourses D and E, just beyond the Concourse D/E security checkpoint.
Keep Fit?
BWI sports a marked indoor cardio trail that consists of two different loops in the main terminal. Both are designated American Heart Association Walking Paths. Each loop takes approximately 20 minutes to walk.
The Terminal Loop is a 1K round-trip walk along the public side of the terminal’s upper level (the area with white tile floor prior to security checkpoints). Start anywhere along the upper level of the terminal and walk to the end of Concourse A, circle back to the end of Concourse E, and return to your starting point.
The Concourse A/B Loop is a 1K round-trip walk inside the secured area of Concourse A and B. Start anywhere along either A or B Concourse. Walk to the end of Concourse A, circle back to the end of Concourse B, and return to your starting point.
Recently, the airport contracted with Roam Fitness to install a 1,175-square-foot, ADA accessible gym, located after the D/E security checkpoint. Roam provides travelers with access to cardio equipment, stretching space, free weights, medicine balls, stability balls, a TRX system, and yoga props for a daily, monthly, or annual fee. Roam is available to travellers and airport employees.
Valet
BWI opened valet parking, located on the fifth level of the hourly garage near Tower B. Valet parking, available at hourly and daily rates, includes:
- Express valet entrance and exit lane
- Convenient and close parking to the terminal
- Complimentary bottled water and newspaper
- Complimentary electric vehicle charging
- Complimentary window cleaning and interior vacuuming
- Luggage assistance
Fire and Rescue
BWI has a dedicated Airport Fire & Rescue Department. Firefighters and rescue personnel work out of a station located just off the main runway. The BWI Airport Fire & Rescue Department’s Fire Suppression Division provides firefighting and rescue services for aircraft and other equipment and for more than 100 buildings in the airport area. FAA regulations require that fire and rescue personnel can arrive and deploy flowing retardants from the firehouse to the midfield of the airport in less than three minutes, an impressive maneuver and a statistic the department is proud to claim.
The Fire & Rescue team is much admired for their training programs and for their work both on and off the field at BWI. In fact, the Fire & Rescue Department helps coordinate a large and complicated training session for local, state, and federal law enforcement each year, using a retired DC-10 that is parked on airport property. The training aircraft was decommissioned when it suffered a hard landing that cracked the fuselage. Today, the plane appears as a pock-holed and gutted ghost of its former self, but it actually plays a vital role in training and preparedness exercises.
Parks? At the Airport?
BWI offers several play areas for kids. The most unusual might be the outdoor playground located just off the runway at Friendship Park. Here, kids can walk on the BWI Trail, enjoy playground equipment, and watch planes land or take off on the nearby runway.
Inside, the Observation Gallery, located on a mezzanine level near the B/C security checkpoint, offers child friendly and aviation-themed play structures, a glimpse into a cockpit, comfortable rocking chairs, and views through huge, floor-to-ceiling picture windows to the gates and runway.
There is also a small playground in the D/E connector corridor.
