Planning to watch the Oscars tonight? The Academy Awards are a perfect occasion to reflect on the best films of the year, and on the fascinating history of cinema leading to this point. #DidYouKnow moviegoers first experienced motion picture films predominantly outdoors at amusement parks and at church? Early indoor movie theaters had an unfortunate reputation for being smelly, dark, and dirty places that appealed more to children than adults. The first movie projections in Baltimore took place at Electric Park, an outdoor amusement park formerly located southwest of Pimlico Race Course, on June 16, 1896. Four short Vitascope films were screened that evening depicting dancing women, a blacksmith shop, and life on a New York street corner. Electric Park offered many other attractions in addition to movie screenings. Today, not a trace of the venue is left. Learn more about the history of moviegoing in Baltimore in our museum exhibition, “Flickering Treasures: Rediscovering Baltimor...