Create Baltimore Plans Top of the World Renovation

The 27th-floor observation level will get new galleries, interactive kiosks and an expanded gift shop after the operator reversed plans to close it.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Remote Work

Create Baltimore Plans Top of the World Renovation

Live Poll

Should city-run public attractions be modernized even if it costs taxpayers money?

Create Baltimore announced plans to renovate Top of the World, the observation level on the 27th floor of the Baltimore World Trade Center, after reaching an agreement with the state of Maryland in October 2025 to keep it operating. The renovation would add new art gallery walls, flooring, ceiling finishes, lighting, interactive digital kiosks about Baltimore neighborhoods, and an expanded gift shop.

Why it matters

The attraction had been slated to close in May 2025, and the reversal keeps a long-running Inner Harbor observation deck open for residents and visitors. Officials said the space looks dated and needs updating to remain relevant.

The renovation is estimated at under $5 million, and admission ranges from $5 to $8 depending on age. The current short-term operating agreement expires in January, while the proposed long-term lease would run 20 years, with the lease's final approval still pending.

The players

Create Baltimore

Create Baltimore is the organization that operates Top of the World and manages the observation level in the Baltimore World Trade Center.

State of Maryland

The State of Maryland owns the Baltimore World Trade Center and holds the lease arrangement that determines the attraction's future operations.

The details

Top of the World opened in 1979 and offers a 360-degree view from the 27th floor of the Baltimore World Trade Center. The planned updates include new art gallery walls, flooring, ceiling finishes, lighting, large touch-screen kiosks with headphones for supplemental audio about Baltimore neighborhoods, and a larger gift shop.

1979: Top of the World opens on the 27th floor of the Baltimore World Trade Center.
Early 2025: Create Baltimore announces the observation level will close.
May 2025: Original scheduled closure date.
October 2025: Create Baltimore reaches an agreement with the state to continue operating the attraction.
January 2027: Current short-term operating agreement expires.

Roadmap

The decision to keep Top of the World open extends the tourism-focused investment strategy that shaped Baltimore's Inner Harbor after the city's waterfront redevelopment in the 1980s and 1990s. Rather than letting an aging downtown attraction close, the operator is modernizing it to keep the district's visitor draw intact.

Visitors to Baltimore can keep visiting the 27th-floor observation level at $5 to $8 admission while the renovation adds galleries, interactive kiosks and a larger gift shop. The current agreement runs only until January, so the longer-term lease is what determines how long the attraction stays open.

The takeaway

Keeping downtown attractions open through modernization rather than closure can preserve visitor traffic in tourism districts. Residents and visitors should watch for the final lease approval, since the short-term agreement only runs until January.

What happens next

The long-term lease with the State of Maryland is expected to be approved soon, and the updated Top of the World is expected to debut in less than three years.