Celebrating 75 Years of Taking You There!
75 Years of Taking You There
A Heritage of Travel, Development, and Networking at BWI.
BWI Airport has influenced the experience of travelling in Baltimore and beyond in more than 75 years. This is a heritage of development, innovation and community affiliation. Photographic history of airports portrays achievements that changed the face of aviation in the region. Sounds of Maryland features the local culture in the form of live performances. Achievement is celebrated, whereas time capsule projects retain important times. The cell phone lot is an embodiment of contemporary convenience that was influenced by the needs of the traveler. All these descriptions make a story of improvement, trustworthiness, and distribution. This history remains the direction of how BWI serves the travelers, commemorates history, and cements the role of Baltimore in aviation.
What is Special about Our Legacy Experience?
Celebrating the Past and Powering Modern Travel.
The “75 Years of Taking You There” declares BWI Airport dedication towards continuity, innovation, and community pride. All the historical factors illustrate the importance of planning of dependable airport operations that serve Baltimore. Since the early levels of aviation to the modern aviation facilities, development is not without purpose but is people oriented.
Aviation accomplishment and local development is saved in historical photo collections. Live Maryland shows increase cultural connections and boost the experience of the travelers. Programs of celebration identify milestones that determine trust and longevity. Time capsule initiatives ensure that narratives linking generations are preserved. Even the current amenities such as the cell phone lot were developed based on traveler requirements.
This legacy makes sure that development of the airports is based on the service, safety and community connectivity. With the celebration of its history, BWI has been able to create a reliable travelling experience which sustains the future of Baltimore with a sense of intention and stability.
Airport History
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (commonly called BWI Marshall Airport) is a major international airport located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — about 9 miles south of downtown Baltimore and 32 miles northeast of Washington, D.C. It is the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington region, handling over 27 million passengers annually and connecting travelers to more than 90 domestic and international destinations.
Journey of Discovering BWI through Visual Storytelling.
BWI Airport captures decades of Baltimore aviation milestones in its Airport History in Photos. Tourists have access to historical photographs of terminal extensions, runway work, and historic occurrences. Baltimore passengers obtain a clear realization of how BWI developed according to the increasing travel demands without neglecting its heritage. The exhibition emphasizes historical events, technological progress, and the importance of the airport in the unification of communities, which is both educational and entertaining to people and aviation lovers in general.
Tour of the history of the airports:
Discover the Heritage and Aviation Milestones of BWI.
Airport History in Photos also lets the travelers of Baltimore associate themselves with the history of the airport by viewing exhibits of the old airport that have been curated. Both pictures narrate a tale of development, change and creativity throughout the decades.
Exhibits feature how terminals and runways were developed, milestones in operations that have been achieved that have defined BWI. Old photographs give one the understanding of the early aviation and the growing local significance of the airport.
This service encourages the understanding of the development of BWI since it has contributed to the economy of Baltimore and its transportation network as well as the Baltimore culture. Exploring the central air hub of Baltimore, travelers can get an understanding of how airports are planned, how they can involve communities in the process, and what the history of aviation is.
History & Key Milestones:
Origins and Early Years
Planning & Construction (1947–1950): The airport was built on land named after an old church and nearby community called “Friendship.” Construction began in 1947, and the site was selected to serve as a regional airport between Baltimore and Washington.
Official Opening: President Harry S. Truman officially dedicated the airport on June 24, 1950, praising its potential to support future growth. This date marks the official opening of what was then named Friendship International Airport.
Growth & Expansion
1960s–1970s: The airport expanded as commercial air travel grew, adding runways and enlarging terminal facilities, becoming a key gateway for the region.
1972: The State of Maryland purchased the airport from Baltimore City, and the State Aviation Administration (now the Maryland Aviation Administration) took over operations.
1973: The airport was renamed “Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)” to reflect its regional role.
1980: The Amtrak rail station opened, making BWI one of the first U.S. airports with a major railroad connection on site.
1989: Annual passenger traffic topped 10 million passengers for the first time.
Modern Era
1993: Southwest Airlines began service, which would later grow to become the airport’s largest carrier.
1997: A new rail station connected the airport to Amtrak and regional transit, greatly improving access.
2000s: BWI continued expanding concourses, service routes, and amenities.
Renaming in Honor of Thurgood Marshall
October 1, 2005: The airport was officially renamed “Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport” to honor Thurgood Marshall, a Baltimore native and the first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
Today’s BWI Airport
Major Hub: BWI serves as a key gateway for the region and is a major hub for Southwest Airlines, which accounts for a large portion of flights.
Passenger & Flight Numbers: In 2024, the airport served around 27 million passengers with approximately 300 daily nonstop departures.
Economic Impact: BWI Marshall Airport is a significant economic engine for Maryland, generating over $11 billion in economic impact and supporting more than 100,000 jobs regionally.
Modern Infrastructure: Recent and ongoing projects include major expansions such as a Terminal A/B connector and updated baggage system, some of the largest capital improvements in the airport’s history.
Interesting Facts
Original Name: BWI was originally named after the Friendship Methodist Church and community near the original site, giving rise to its first name.
Early Jet Airport: It was one of the earliest airports dedicated to handling large commercial jets in the mid-20th century before Washington Dulles opened.
Today’s Layout: Today it features 5 concourses and 73 gates, serving a mix of domestic and international flights.
Celebrate with Us
Participate in Milestone Events and Community Activities of BWI.
Celebrate with Us at BWI Airport is a festivity that encourages passengers and the local community to attend special occasions to mark such milestones as 75 Years of Taking You There and local programs as Sounds of Maryland: Live at BWI. The program emphasizes the history of the airport, music, and interaction with the community, among other things, including anniversary festive events. There are festivals and live shows, exhibitions that help the visitor become one with the Baltimore aviation history and that the BWI has brought to the region throughout the decades.
Why Become a member of our Celebrate with Us Program?
Experience the History and Local Culture of BWI.
“The Celebrate with Us” is an opportunity where Baltimore business and leisure travelers and residents can come to enjoy interactive events in the BWI Airport. These festivals unite traditions, live shows and informational displays and provide attendees with an unforgettable experience to ordinary travel habits.
Events are connected to such initiatives as the 75 Years of Taking You There that are devoted to historical achievements and development, and 75 Years of the Local Music is devoted to the local music talent. This historical and cultural blend guarantees the guests the presence of interesting activities as they learn the influence of the airport in the development of Baltimore.
Through their involvement, the travelers will undergo exceptional programming, engage with the community, and get access to immersive events that will emphasize the past and current contributions of BWI Airport. Celebrate with Us makes any ordinary visit to a certain airport an enriching, entertaining and learning process to all.
Maryland Sound Live: Sound at BWI.
Explore Local Music and Culture at BWI.
Sounds of Maryland: Live at BWI will introduce live local music performances to the travelers in Baltimore. Through this program, Maryland is able to display bright and promising artists and this program makes the airport terminal friendliest and vibrant. Passengers have the opportunity to listen to music when they are waiting in line to board a flight, identifying with the culture and history of Baltimore. The program gives a boost to the local musicians, improves traveling experience and underlines the intentions of the airport to work with the local community and entertain its passengers all over Maryland.
What Is Our Sounds of Maryland Program?
Adventure Travel: Enjoy Cultural Musicians.
Sounds of Maryland program in BWI Airport exposes the traveler to the real Maryland culture by performing live. Baltimore customers have the advantage of exotic and unforgettable airport experience that goes beyond ordinary traveling.
The performances will be made in high-traffic terminal areas so that they can be seen and accessed. The program assists the local artists as well as cultural awareness building thus providing a lively atmosphere to the travelers.
The program enhances customer satisfaction and eliminates stress in wait time by integrating entertainment with useful airport services. The music culture of Baltimore is part of the traveler experience as they associate with local performers and culture when passing through the BWI Airport. This project enhances the connection with the community and emphasizes the airport in building a friendly and interactive atmosphere to all.
Time Capsule
Preserve Memories That Contribute to the legacy of BWI.
The Time Capsule program in BWI Airport calls on passengers and members of the society to make donations of their memories and photographs as part of the 75th anniversary celebration of the airport. This project maintains significant events in the history of Baltimore aviation, including the first flights and reunions. Submissions may be exchanged in anniversary events or using online and email submissions. The capsule will be closed and at the airport, will be part of a special ceremony and the stories of the passengers, staff, and visitors will join the long-term history at the BWI. This service links the present experiences of the traveler to the future generation and traveler.
Why Select Our Time Capsule Initiative?
Conserve Individual Memoirs and Share Common History.
The BWI Airport Time Capsule program provides an opportunity to both the traveler and the Baltimore community to add to the historical record. The participants may add favorite memories of the airports or photos that contain valuable travelling experiences and moments spent at BWI. These individual contributions are incorporated in a collective memory, which brings out the way the airport links people, places, and narratives.
This program is a supplement to larger anniversary events related to “75 Years of Taking You There”, such as cultural events, performances, and other community events. Participation in the time capsule allows participants to capture the effects of the airport in their personal lives and the travelling community at large. The time-capped capsule will be mounted at some future event of dedication in the presence of the people later in the same year of the anniversary, which will help connect the past and the future.
Time Capsule extends the functions of the airport beyond being a travel center to a custodian of community heritage. It asks the passengers, employees, and the people of Baltimore to give their personal stories that illustrate the development, the connection, and the happiness of travel. This project is also certain to keep the human element of the BWI history intact and can be used in the years to come.