---
title: Deconstructing Maryland’s Open House
date: 2023-04-28T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/deconstructing-marylands-open-house"
section: Articles
---
# Deconstructing Maryland’s Open House

*April 28, 2023* — by [Annie Krakower](/author/annie-krakower)


> As UMD Celebrates 25 Years of Maryland Day, We Share Behind-the-Scenes Stories and Stats

*M Dhero 1920x1080 — Since 1999, Maryland Day, UMD’s one-day campuswide open house, has grown into a mix of eclectic entertainment and enrichment that regularly draws more than 80,000 visitors to 300-plus events.*

A stroll through campus on the last Saturday in April is like experiencing a university turned inside out. All the gooey and fizzy experiments, soaring artistic excursions and amusing oddities of academic life—ready to make friends with a giant bug?—are on display in a sea of tents around McKeldin Mall and elsewhere, rather than tucked away in labs or classrooms.

In one corner of campus, you can watch engineers spark—and then extinguish—a raging fire tornado, while in others, you can learn the steps of a folk dance, build a DIY indoor air filter or discover how autonomous drones navigate the world.

Peppy drumbeats and horn swells from the marching band provide a spirited soundtrack, and homemade liquid nitrogen ice cream and international cuisine cooked right before your eyes tempt your taste buds. Lines wind through this temporary campus carnival, with eager guests queuing for swag ranging from T-shirts to toy turtles to tomato plants.

This is [Maryland Day](https://marylandday.umd.edu/), and since 1999 the one-day campuswide open house has grown into a mix of eclectic entertainment and enrichment that regularly draws more than 80,000 visitors to 300-plus events.

In his 1999 inauguration speech, former University of Maryland President C.D. “Dan” Mote, Jr. outlined this vision for “one of the biggest rituals in the history of the university.” He later recalled his thinking then: “We’re the flagship university of the state of Maryland. How do you connect if you don’t show the public what you are, who you are, what life here is like?”

Some 3,000 volunteers rolled up their sleeves that first year to prep campus for guests who showed up to “explore our world,” as the inaugural theme instructed, through activities like musical performances, bounce houses and a football scrimmage.

To celebrate 25 years of this Maryland merriment, we’re unwrapping the tradition, revealing backstories, secrets, stats and memories from longtime volunteers and other participants about the big day.



*giant cake with UMD seal and "150th" written in icing*



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*red, yellow, black and white cupcakes forming UMD seal, with volunteers waving and wearing aprons*



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*flags from Maryland and different countries*



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*fire tornado*



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*woman and young child look as man holds tarantula*



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*Lisa Church and Torrey Smith*



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*Anne Turkos poses with crocheted turtle bookmarks*



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*scoop of ice cream in a cup with fudge and sprinkles*



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**QUICK CLEANUP** Besides handling signs, tents and other logistics, Facilities Management faced a doozy of an obstacle the day before Maryland Day 2011. A blocked pipe caused sewage to flood McKeldin Mall, sending staff scrambling to install fences, vacuum up the mess and disinfect the area. “Whoever was available, we would get out there and start cleaning,” said Audrey A. Stewart, an FM coordinator and Maryland Day volunteer since the beginning. The main tent and a few smaller tents had to be moved, but otherwise, the show went on for the nearly 97,000 guests.



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*Testudo bobblehead*



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*kids fish floating turtles out of ODK Fountain with nets*



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*student controls underwater robot in pool*



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*Jeff Kinney poses with "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book and fans*



**Sidebar note:**

Celebrate 25 years of Maryland Day from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. tomorrow throughout campus. Admission and parking are free. For a full list of events, an interactive map and more, visit [marylandday.umd.edu](https://marylandday.umd.edu/).





**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Maryland Day](https://today.umd.edu/topic/maryland-day)