Baltimore Attractions

Whether in town for business, pleasure, or both, Baltimore’s warm hospitality, modern conveniences, and attractions are enough to make many visitors want more -- more time to sample more crab cakes at more restaurants, and to sample more fun, informative things to do in between meals.

Babe Ruth Museum
Birth home of the Babe in 1895, the house was saved from demolition in 1968. Newspapers on display tell the story of transformation into a museum.
216 Emory Street. (410) 727-1539.

Baltimore Museum of Industry
Baltimore’s industrial and labor history unfold with exhibits including a 19th century print shop, and the 1906 steam tugboat SS Baltimore.
1415 Key Highway. (410) 727-4808.

Baltimore Streetcar Museum
Baltimore streetcar history showcases this nostalgic form of transportation. A car house shelters a dozen different cars.
1901 Falls Road. (410) 547-0264.

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Baltimore Zoo
Baltimore’s zoo has the largest colony of African black-footed penguins in the nation, a Chimpanzee Forest, a Leopard Lair and the six-acre African Watering Hole with rhinos, zebras, and gazelles.
Druid Hill Park. (410) 366-5466.

B&O Railroad Museum
Rail equipment surrounds this historic building at Mount Clare Station, birthplace of the B&O and the nation’s oldest rail depot. Closed for repair after a 2003 snowstorm and to reopen in late 2004, the museum focuses on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and more.
901 West Pratt Street. (410) 752-2490.

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Evergreen House
Japanese art, a 35,000-volume rare book collection, and a gold bath are part of this 48-room Italianate mansion, built in the 1850s and purchased for a B&O Railroad heir. Johns Hopkins University keeps it open for “lovers of music, art and beautiful things.”
4545 North Charles Street. (410) 516-0341.

Fire Museum of Maryland
Museum pieces, dating to 1806, include a working fire alarm telegraph system, and other fire memorabilia.
1301 York Road. (410) 321-7500.

Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine
This fortification was renamed Fort McHenry after James McHenry, a politician supporting construction of a new fort. During the War of 1812, Fort McHenry held out against the British despite 25 hours of bombardment. The episode inspired Francis Scott Key’s Star-Spangled Banner.
East Fort Avenue. (410) 962-4290.

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Harborplace
Twin glass pavilions of Harborplace provide shopping and dining, and an amphitheater features ongoing entertainment, with concerts on some evenings.
Pratt and Light streets. (410) 332-4191.

Holocaust Memorial and Sculpture
This memorial, dedicated in 1980, pays tribute to the six million Jews murdered in Europe by Nazis between 1933 and 1945.
Water, Gay and Lombard streets.

Inner Harbor
This revitalized showplace for Baltimore’s marine history has a promenade leading past the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, the Baltimore Maritime museum and other attractions. Water Taxis make regular stops at major sites.
Water Taxi. (410) 563-3901.

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Ladew Topiary Gardens
Fifteen thematic flower gardens on 22 acres were designed by Harvey S. Ladew, who trimmed shrubs and trees into often whimsical shapes. Ladew’s manor house is open for guided tours, and a 1.5 mile nature trail extends into the 250-acre Ladew tract.
3535 Jarretsville Pike, Monkton. (410) 557-9466.

Maryland Science Center
Hands-on exhibits are on three floors at this national visitor center for the Hubble space telescope, which also has an IMAX theater and the Davis planetarium.
601 Light Street at Key Highway, Inner Harbor. (410) 685-5225.

Maryvale
Inspired by England’s Warwick Castle, this Baltimore treasure was built circa 1914 with Gothic arched windows, stone towers and a port cochere. Inside are Tudor-Style carvings, a grand staircase and an immense solarium fireplace.
113000 Falls Road. (410) 252-3528.

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National Aquarium in Baltimore
Baltimore’s National Aquarium has some 10,000 creatures, representing 600 species of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians in naturalistic habitats.
Pier 3, 501 East Pratt Street. (410) 576-3800.

National Museum of Dentistry
Exhibits at this humorous museum cover all aspects of dentistry and the tooth care. Displays include Queen Victoria’s dental instruments, and a video shows water-skiing via a tooth grip. Gift shop shelves are filled with novelty items including chocolate toothbrushes.
31 South Greene Street. (410) 706-0600.

Pimlico Race Course
Race Course is famed as the site of the Preakness Stakes (on the third Saturday in May), the third jewel of the triple crown following the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.
Hayward and Winner Avenues. (410) 542-9400.

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Star Spangled Banner Flag House and 1812 Museum
Visitors learn about how widow Mary Pickersgill sewed the flag waving over Fort McHenry, inspiring Frances Scott Key to compose his Star Spangled Banner poem. In 1813, Pickersgill was asked to make two huge flags to reassure citizenry worried about the advancing British. A malt house brewery was the largest place the seamstress could find for the project.
844 East Pratt Street. (410) 837-1793.

Top of the World
An observation floor offers a view of harbor, and exhibits trace Baltimore history.
World Trade Center, 401 East Pratt Street. (410) 830-2000.

War Memorial Building
This memorial for World War 1 veterans, was re-dedicated to include World War II, Korea and Vietnam veterans.
101 North Gay Street at Lexington Street. (410) 685-7530.

Washington Monument and Museum at Mt. Vernon Place
This 178-foot column with 228 steps leading to a dramatic view was started in 1815 as America’s first architectural monument honoring George Washington. Creator Robert Mills later designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
North Charles Street at Mt. Vernon Place. (410) 396-0929.

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