We have collected the top 20 things to do in Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest city of the state of Maryland, but it actually not part of any county, making it the largest independent city of the US. It is also a large and important seaport city on the east coast. The city mainly focused on manufacturing, industrialization and rail transportation, but later became a service-oriented economic city. Famous people like Edgar Allan Poe, Frederick Douglass and the writer of the American national anthem, Francis Scott Key all lived here at some point. The city is also often named as “a city of neighborhoods”, since there are hundreds of different districts here. Public monuments and attractions are quite numerous, making it a popular tourist destination. For this, we have collected the top 20 things to do in Baltimore, so may decide which you want to see from these.
- Baltimore Museum of Art
While founded with a single painting, today the Baltimore Museum of Art has over 95,000 works of art, including the largest public holding of works by Henri Matisse. The museum has numerous exhibitions centered around European sculptures, African and Asian arts, decorative arts, Ancient American art and art from the Pacific Islands, just to name a few. Contemporary art is also available for those who are more interested in modern art.
2. Walters Art Museum
Although it is not as famous as the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum is definitely as good as that one. The collection of the museum includes Renaissance paintings, Asian art, Byzantine and Ethiopian art, an Egyptian collection, and even suits of armor and other artifacts from the Middle Ages.
3. Oriole Park at Camden Yards
If you love baseball or even just sports, then seeing a game at the Oriole Park at Camden Yards is one of the best things to do in Baltimore for you. The park has a well-kept field, abundant restaurants, beer, pretzel and hot dog stands, and also offers a beautiful view from the seats. It’s an authentic baseball experience for sure.
4. Patterson Park
Patterson Park is a large and beautiful urban park in Baltimore, which offers opportunities for numerous recreational activities. A marble fountain, a swimming pool, a spectacular lake, a big pagoda with wonderful views and a dog park await visitors, but you can also go on a bird watching tour around the park, or take part in gardening lessons. Coming here is one of the best things to do in Baltimore if you just want to take a break.
5. Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry is a historical American coastal star-shaped fort, which is best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended the Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British nav. It was also here during that time when the American flag inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that would later become the national anthem. A national monument and a museum stands here to commemorate both the battle and the origin of the anthem.
6. American Visionary Art Museum
The American Visionary Art Museum is not your everyday art museum, as it is mainly centered around quirky, unique and one of a kind pieces of art. Exhibits explore a wide range of topics, including the impact of technology on everyday life, the power of story-telling, race and gender.
7. Federal Hill Park
Federal Hill Park is located on the hill of the same name, and is quite beloved by both citizens and tourists for the wonderful view it can provide of the city and the surrounding region, while you can just take a stroll around the park or relax on a bench. It’s an excellent place for taking a break from the bustling streets and attractions of the city.
8. Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark of the city of Baltimore, and it’s the location of many other attractions as well, including the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, the USS Constellation and many sport stadiums. Restaurants and bars are available for those who might want to grab a bite while checking out the other attractions, but the harbor itself is also worth a visit and you can walk around while watching the older and newer ships coming and going from the seaport.
9. USS Constellation
The USS Constellation docked at the Inner Harbor has been first launched in 1854, and has seen countless battles during its operation, and even served during both world wars. Today it just stands in place at the harbor and visitors can go onto it and see it from inside as well. Cannon firing demonstrations are also watchable every day during noon.
10. Maryland Science Center
The Maryland Science Center offers interactive and entertaining educational exhibitions which are excellent for both children and adults. The exhibitions have different themes, such as Dinosaur Mysteries, Newton’s Alley, Your Body, Our Place in Space, Kids Room and more. The museum provides a great way to learn more about the world, its history and the about our place in it.
11. National Aquarium
The National Aquarium of Baltimore is huge, as it holds about 8 million litres of water, and gives home to 17 thousand animals from 750 species. It has numerous levels centered around different regions and types of aquatic animals, from the depth of the ocean to a rainforest, as well as seperate tanks for giant sharks and much more. It’s a wonderful place all around, and of the best aquariums in the world.
12. Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum
As the name suggests, the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum is inside one of the former homes of the famous American writer, Edgar Allan Poe. Don’t expect something magnificent, as it is a bit small, but if you are interested in poetry or if you like his works, then it’s very much worth visiting, since the collection of his personal belongings and tours and exhibits that catalogue his life are quite informative and interesting.
13. Graffiti Alley
Graffiti Alley is a hidden alley of Baltimore that is the only place in the city where graffiti is legal. Every day artists come here to perfect their art and show the citizens what they can do. Here, even the trash cans are painted over, and it’s worth visiting because it changes regularly. Breakdance competitions and even school field trips are held here sometimes. It shows us that although graffiti is illegal in most places, it is actually a beautiful form of art.
14. Scarpetta House
The Scarpetta House is located in the Medical Examiner’s Office of Baltimore, and at first it might seem a regular house, but it is in fact a site of countless crimes, but fakes ones. This is where forensic investigators are trained by staging murder scenes and other bloody situations. The scenes encompass anything and everything medical examiners might encounter in the field. Mothers and children murdered in their beds, mass cult suicides and much more.
15. Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death
The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death is also located in the Medical Examiner’s Office of Baltimore, and it is used to train forensic investigators just like the Scrapetta House. These are actually small, intricately designed dollhouse-style dioramas created by Frances Glessner Lee, a pioneer in forensic science. They represent actual court cases on a 1:12 scale, allowing trainees to see the cases in a way.
16. National Museum of Dentistry
The National Museum of Dentistry focuses on the history and current state of dentistry. It’s a one of a kind museum, which is well worth a visit, as it the collection include amazing teeth feats, George Washington’s denture replica, Queen Victoria’s dental instruments, vintage toothpaste commercials, cartoon character toothbrushes, and the world’s only tooth jukebox.
17. Geppi’s Entertainment Museum
Geppi’s Entertainment Museum a museum centered around nostalgic pop culture that resonates with every demographic, from younger audiences to grandparents. It features a large and varied collection of nearly 60,000 pop culture artifacts, including magazines, movie posters, toys, buttons, badges, cereal boxes, trading cards, dolls, figurines and much more.
18. Phoenix Shot Tower
The Phoenix Shot Tower was used for the production of shot balls for muskets for at least a hundred years. During its construction it was the tallest structure in the United States, though that only laster for a short while. It was supposed to be demolished, but the citizens opposed that due to the tower becoming a popular and famous landmark of Baltimore. Today it serves as a museum showing its history.
19. Baltimore Basilica
The Baltimore Basilica was the first cathedral of America. After the U.S. Constitution established full freedom of religion, the first bishop of America choose a design along the lines of other Neoclassical buildings that represented American freedom and democracy. It has been restored and renovated a few years earlier, and now it stands in full glory.
20. George Peabody Library
The George Peabody Library is a large library that is everything a bookworm would ever want. The collection of about 300 thousand volumes is mainly about British art, architecture, topography and history; American history, biography, and literature; Romance languages and literature; history of science; and geography, exploration and travel. The beautiful atrium alone is worth a visit, even if you don’t plan on taking out or reading books here.
