The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum is on course for expansion.

"Part of our major focus is environmental education for children, and adults too," Board of Directors President Bruce Russell said.

Over the next two years, Russell said the museum plans to develop a center for environmental education, on the ground floor below its exhibits.

The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum showcases exhibits about ice fishing, duck hunting and other water-based industries.

"Maritime is about how you make a living on the bay," Russell explained.

Recently, the Maritime Museum added a "Kid's Corner," with puzzles, crayons and a chalk board, which will continue to evolve over the next several weeks.

Ultimately, the corner will have a boat that children can climb into and an area to play while their parents look at the exhibits, said Laura Haug, secretary of the museum's board.

"We're planning on having it ready for summer," Russell said.

Downstairs, the museum's leaders envision an environmental center where there used to be a boat building operation.

The museum wants to maintain a boat shop, Haug said, "because we have boats we need to work on" for the museum.

The space is filled with wooden boats that have been donated to the museum. Most pieces, she explained, require restoration.

A wall would separate the downstairs so part would be a boat shop and part would be the environmental center.

"If people come in, they can see people work but they wouldn't be exposed to the noise," Haug said, explaining that a partition and separate entrances would delineate the areas.

She added: "If the environmental center takes off, then we would have room to expand. We've been coming up with ideas figuring out how we're going to do it."

Haug said that an environmental center was always part of the concept for the museum, which was founded in 1987.

"When the museum was first planned, there was a [vision] to have an environmental museum, called Susquehanna Flats," Haug said.

At the moment, the board of directors is creating a business plan that Russell said would require approximately two years to bring to fruition.

The museum's leadership is reaching out to other environmental groups in the area to learn what they are doing and how they could work together.

"The reception so far has been positive," Russell told Patch.

For example, the Maritime Museum invited Harford Environmentality over for input. It's also looking to schools and other service organizations for partnerships.

In terms of environmental centers in Harford County, said Haug: "There's really nothing this far up the bay, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to create something."

The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum is holding an open house from 2 to 5 p.m. on March 3. There is no admission for the museum but there is a suggested donation. Free beer, wine, soda and hors d'oeuvres will be available. The museum is located at 100 Lafayette Street.