Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Visiting Baltimore without seeing the Inner Harbor is like touring New York City and skipping Manhattan. The harbor and surrounding area are home to a good number of the city's most popular sites: the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Camden Yards, M&T Bank Stadium, the American Visionary Arts Museum, and The Maryland Science Center.
The neighborhoods themselves are fun to explore. Historic Federal Hill, just south of the Inner Harbor, is home to some of the oldest houses in the city. Fells Point and Canton, farther east, are lively waterfront communities. Mount Vernon and Charles Village have wide avenues lined with grand old row houses that were once home to Baltimore's wealthiest residents. Farther north are Roland Park (Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. contributed to its planning), Guilford, Homeland, and Mt. Washington, all leafy, residential neighborhoods with cottages, large Victorian houses, and redbrick Colonials. It's easy to tour the Inner Harbor and neighborhoods such as Mount Vernon, Federal Hill, Charles Village, and Fells Point on foot. To travel between areas or farther out, however, the light rail or a car is more efficient. Most of the Inner Harbor's parking is in nearby garages, though meters can be found along Key Highway. In other neighborhoods, you can generally find meters and two-hour free parking on the street.
This visitor center is a great starting point for exploring this revitalized waterfront neighborhood. Be sure to take awalking tour brochure from the gift shop. Tours depart from here on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (May–October) and focus on topics such as ghosts, the War of 1812, maritime history, immigration, slavery, and Frederick Douglass's tenure in Fells Point. One wall showcases a small exhibit outlining the history of Fells Point and its founding family.
Designed by Maximilian Godefroy in 1819, the church that year was the site for the sermon that definitively established Unitarianism as a denomination (the sermon was given by the church's founder, Dr. William Ellery Channing).
Fells Point was once a busy shipyard that employed thousands of people—including Civil War statesman and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass. This small, carefully curated museum tells the story of Douglass’s life in Baltimore: first building ships as a slave, then escaping to freedom by dressing as a sailor and boarding a train to Philadelphia. Isaac Meyers, a free black born in 1835, was another important player in Baltimore’s maritime history. Hands-on student and family programs let children caulk and build boats. Waterfront Kitchen, located on the first level, has partnered with area nonprofit Living Classrooms to employ at-risk inner-city teens to teach grade schoolers about gardening and nutrition. Self-guided tours are available as well as 45-minute guided group tours by appointment.
Originally built in 1893 by Stanford White for Robert Garrett, the president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, this mansion was the largest and most expensive ever constructed in Baltimore (the neighbors objected to its size). After Garrett died in 1896, his widow, Mary, and her second husband, Dr. Henry Barton Jacobs, had John Russell Pope build an extension of equal size. A spectacular stained glass dome, designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, is one highlight. Call ahead to book a tour.
Known as a “cathedral of books,” the five-story reading room is consistently listed among the world’s most beautiful libraries. Designed by Edmund Lind, it opened to the public in 1878. Its gilded framework of cast iron and gold showcases more than 300,000 volumes printed from the 15th to the 19th centuries in the areas of archaeology, architecture, history, literature, travel, and art.
Inside two glass-enclosed marketplaces are a plethora of shops and eateries: the Light Street Pavilion has two stories of food courts and restaurants, and the Pratt Street Pavilion is dedicated mainly to retail stores. More than a dozen restaurants, including The Cheesecake Factory, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and Tir Na Nog, offer waterfront dining. Specialty shops as Destination Baltimore and McCormick World of Flavors carry interesting souvenirs. In summer, performers entertain at an outdoor amphitheater between the two pavilions, and paddleboats are available for rent south of the Pratt Street building. A skywalk from the Pratt Street Pavilion leads to The Gallery, a four-story shopping mall with 70 more shops, including Bath & Body Works, Forever 21, and Michael Kors.
The Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, housed in a converted power plant, has 1,200 facsimiles of ducks, geese, and swans made from wood, iron, cork, papier-mâché, and plastic. Three classes—decorative, decorative floater, and working decoys—are represented. A festival during the first full weekend in May includes carving contests and demonstrations by retriever dogs.
Consisting of three docked vessels and a restored lighthouse, this museum gives a good sense of Baltimore's maritime heritage as well as American naval power. On the west side of the pier, the submarine USS Torsk, the "Galloping Ghost of the Japanese Coast," is credited with sinking the last two Japanese warships in World War II. The lightship Chesapeake, built as a floating lighthouse in 1930 and now out of commission, remains fully operational. The Taney is a Coast Guard cutter that saw action at Pearl Harbor. The USS Constellation, launched in 1854, made antislavery patrols during the Civil War. Built in 1856 the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse marked the entrance to Baltimore Harbor from the Chesapeake Bay for 133 years before its move to the museum.
This elegant Federal-period mansion was once the home of Charles Carroll Jr., son of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Deeded to Johns Hopkins University in 1902, the house served as faculty club and offices before being fully restored to its 1801 grandeur (it's one of the finest examples of the neoclassical architecture of the period).
Sandwiched between two 19th-century synagogues, the Jewish Museum of Maryland has changing exhibits of art, photography, and documents related to the Jewish experience in Maryland. The Lloyd Street Synagogue, to the left of the museum was built in 1845 and was the first in Maryland and the third in the United States. The other, B'nai Israel, was built in 1876 in a uniquely Moorish style. Tours of both synagogues are available.
The school was founded in 1876 with funds donated by Johns Hopkins, director of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Much of the neo-Colonial architecture of the Homewood campus dates from the early 1900s, when the present-day campus was laid out. Dominating the school's main quad is Gilman Hall, which was built in 1904 and named for the university's first president, Daniel Coit Gilman. Pathways lead through campus; maps throughout can help you find your way. The medical school and hospital are in East Baltimore.
Photos, objects, and videos tell the history of lacrosse, a very popular sport in Maryland. One room is dedicated to outstanding players who have been honored by the U.S. Lacrosse Association since 1957.
The Ladew Topiary Gardens displays the life's work of Harvey Smith Ladew. The trees and shrubs are sculpted into geometric forms and lifelike renditions of animals such as a fox and hounds, swans, and even a sea horse. The 15 formal gardens cover 22 acres. Besides the amazing topiary displays are rose, berry, and herb gardens, and a tranquil Japanese garden with pagoda, lily ponds, and lush flowers. In summer there are special events such as concerts and polo matches. The 18th-century manor house is filled with English antiques, paintings, photographs, and fox-hunting memorabilia. The café serves lunch and light snacks.
Built in 1882, Lovely Lane Methodist Church is honored with the title "The Mother Church of American Methodism." Stanford White designed the Romanesque sanctuary after the basilicas of Ravenna, Italy; the stained-glass windows are excellent examples of Italian mosaic art. The buildings to the north that resemble the church are the original campus of the Women's College of Baltimore, now called Goucher College (the school moved to Towson in the 1950s). Dr. Goucher, the college's founder, was a pastor at Lovely Lane. Today the building next to the church is occupied by the Baltimore Lab School. Tours of the church and the Methodist Historical Society are by appointment.
The NFL Baltimore Ravens team hosts home games in this state-of-the-art stadium from August to January.
Celebrate Maryland's history and heritage at this block-long museum. One major draw is the original manuscript of "The Star-Spangled Banner," written by Francis Scott Key. It's the centerpiece of an excellent War of 1812 exhibit that also includes guns and personal belongings of Baltimore's "Defenders," as well as the fashions of Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, known by contemporaries as "the most beautiful woman in 1812 America." The first floor is devoted to an exhibit about the Civil War in Maryland, which was a powder keg of Northern and Southern sympathies—the War's first blood was shed downtown, on Pratt Street. Other exhibits feature Revolutionary-era paintings by the Peale family and Joshua Johnson, America's first African-American portrait artist. Furniture manufactured and designed in Maryland from the 18th century to the present is on the third floor. A gallery of Baltimore Civil Rights photographs by Afro-American newspaper photojournalist Paul Henderson adjoins the library, which contains 7 million works that relate to the state's history.
One of the oldest houses in Baltimore, this elegant mansion was begun in 1754. It was the home of Charles Carroll, author of the Maryland Declaration of Independence, member of the Continental Congress, and one of Maryland's major landowners. The state's first historic museum house has been carefully restored to its Georgian elegance; more than 80% of the 18th-century furniture and artifacts, including rare pieces of Chippendale and Hepplewhite silver, crystal, and Chinese export porcelain, were owned and used by the Carroll family. Washington, Lafayette, and John Adams were all guests here. The greenhouses are famous in their own right: they provided rare trees and plants for Mount Vernon.
More than 100 wax figures on display recount the triumphs and trials of Africans and African Americans. The wax figures are accompanied by text and audio. Baltimoreans honored include Frederick Douglass, who as a youth lived and worked in Fells Point; singer Billie Holiday; and jazz composer Eubie Blake. To get here from Mount Vernon, take Charles Street north and turn left at North Avenue.
The only remaining tower of three of this type that once existed in Baltimore, this brick structure was used to make shot pellets by pouring molten lead from the top. As the drops fell, they formed balls that turned solid in cold water at the bottom. In the summer months the tower may close due to heat.
Though the "Master of the Macabre" lived in this tiny row house only three years, he wrote "MS Found in a Bottle" and his first horror story, "Berenice," in the tiny garret chamber that's now furnished in an early-19th-century style. Besides visiting this room, you can view changing exhibits and a video presentation about Poe's short, tempestuous life. Because of the possibility of crime, it's best to visit this neighborhood during daylight hours as part of a group.
What actually was the city's former power plant is now a retail and dining complex that includes the flagship Phillips Seafood Restaurant, a Hard Rock Cafe and a Barnes & Noble. Next door is the Pier 4 Building, which houses a Chipotle Mexican Grill and Blu Bamboo, a fast-casual Mongolian grill.
A Smithsonian affiliate, the museum showcases the rich history and culture of African Americans, with a special focus on Maryland. The permanent gallery features famous Marylanders such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Cab Calloway, and Thurgood Marshall, as well as unsung heroes who helped make the state what it is today. Besides rotating exhibitions, visitors can enjoy live performances from gospel and jazz to steel drums. The monthly film series has enriched audiences on the history of soul food, civil rights, and more. For families, programs like art workshops and living history bring the museum's mission to life. Lectures and the resource center enrich what visitors will find in the permanent collection. Soul food is served at the museum cafe.
The Baltimore outpost of the museum that celebrates all things unusual has plenty of shrunken heads, lizard men, automated dinosaurs, and castles made from toothpicks—although it would be nice if more weird things from Maryland were featured. A mirror maze with LED lights is dizzying fun. The 4D Moving Theater has moving seats and digital effects. Separate admission fees for the Mirror Maze and 4D Moving Theater.
The city's oldest residence still standing, this small brick house was built in 1765 as both home and business office for Robert Long, a merchant and quartermaster for the Continental Navy who operated a wharf on the waterfront. Furnished with Revolutionary War–era pieces, the parlor, bedroom, and office seem as if Long himself just stepped away. A fragrant, flowering herb garden flourishes in warm months.
One of the few 18th-century structures in Havre de Grace, Rodgers House is a two-story redbrick Georgian town house topped by a dormered attic. The town's most historically significant building, it was the home of Admiral John Rodgers, who fired the first shot in the War of 1812. Like most of the other historic houses in Havre de Grace, it's closed to the public but still worth a drive past.
A popular spring destination for Baltimore families, this 6-acre park contains more than 80,000 tulips that bloom in late April. Azaleas peak in late April and the first half of May. The gardens are usually at their best around Mother's Day.
Built in 1793, this Federal style home was where Mary Pickersgill hand-sewed the 30 x 42 foot, 15-star, 15-stripe flag that survived the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner." The house contains early 19th century furnishings and American art of the period, including pieces from the Pickersgill family. Outdoors, a map of the United States has been made of stones from the various states. The Jean and Lillian Hofmeister building houses a new, permanent exhibit, Family of Flagmakers, which examines the life and career of Mary Pickersgill and contains the original receipt for the Star-Spangled Banner, on view for the first time in decades.
The Steppingstone Museum is a 10-acre complex of seven restored turn-of-the-20th-century farm buildings plus a replica of a canning house. Among the 12,000-plus artifacts in the collection are a horse-drawn tractor and an early gas-powered version, manual seeders and planters, and horse-drawn plows. A blacksmith, a weaver, a wood-carver, a cooper, a dairymaid, and a decoy artist regularly demonstrate their trades in the workshops.
The Susquehanna Museum, at the southern terminal of the defunct Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, tells the history of the canal and the people who lived and worked there. From 1839 until 1890 the canal ran 45 mi north to Wrightsville, Pennsylvania. It was a thoroughfare for mule-drawn barges loaded with iron ore, coal, and crops. The museum, in a lock tender's cottage built in 1840, is partially furnished with modest mid-century antiques that recall its period of service.
With 32 stories, Baltimore's World Trade Center, designed by I.M. Pei's firm, is the world's tallest pentagonal structure. The 27th-floor "Top of the World" observation deck allows an unobstructed view of Baltimore and beyond from a height of 423 feet.
