Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland and a significant seaport is located on the broad estuary of the Patapsco River. Its significance in American history began in 1814 when Fort McHenry withstood a 25-hour British bombardment without capitulating!
Baltimore’s centre is the Inner Harbor region, bordered by many well-liked tourist destinations. It is home to a thriving Harborplace with pavilions, shops, restaurants, a promenade, and outstanding museums. Visitors can tour numerous old ships that are docked in the harbour.
Tourists are drawn to Baltimore by its different neighbourhoods, which include the vibrant Fell’s Point, the serene Mount Vernon, lovely Little Italy, and the hip Hamden. In addition to these neighbourhoods, the city is home to many museums, historic monuments, and cultural activities, including a renowned symphony orchestra, ensuring there is never a shortage of things to do and entertain guests with.
Keep reading to discover 5 of the best spots to explore in Baltimore!
National Aquarium
Aquarium lovers, pay attention!
Baltimore‘s most well-known attraction, the National Aquarium, is in a magnificent structure with a view of the marvellous Inner Harbor. This enormous complex contains exhibits representing various ecosystems, including coral reefs in the Atlantic and Pacific, open ocean habitats, a kelp forest, Amazon river forests, hidden marine life, seashore life, and aquatic life from Australia.
The Tropical Rain Forest, a comprehensive ecosystem that spans five floors and allows visitors to explore from the forest to the treetop, is one of the notable exhibitions! Visitors can see several bird species, frogs, and larger creatures like sloths and monkeys here. The Atlantic Coral Reef Exhibit also allows guests to interact with dolphins and sharks and see hundreds of other exotic species.
Baltimore Museum of Art
History and art enthusiasts! You’ll find this place to be a paradise!
The Baltimore Museum of Art contains a vast collection of artwork from numerous locations worldwide, covering various ages and genres, and it is the largest art museum in Maryland! This collection of Louvre artworks features pieces by well-known painters, including Picasso, Cezanne, van Gogh, and Andy Warhol. It possesses the largest collection of Matisse artworks in the world.
The museum houses one of the country’s most important collections of African art, in addition to notable holdings of American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts. Modern and contemporary art from the last century can be found in the museum’s sculpture garden. The museum is free to enter for guests.
Maryland Science Center
The contemporary Maryland Science Center, situated near the southwest corner of the Inner Harbor, has three levels of scientific exhibits and a planetarium. While the museum is primarily for children, adults will find it fascinating as they learn about physics and space travel. Thanks to the life-size dinosaur models on display, kids can play the role of palaeontologists in the dig pits, field lab, and excavation sites at the Dinosaur Mysteries exhibit.
A “street” resembling the row-house stores in Baltimore is one of the more unusual exhibitions. Tasks and activities are specific to each business, such as exploring gears at the bike shop, investigating sounds at the music store, or creating and launching paper aeroplanes at the airport.
Maryland Zoo
One of the best family-friendly things in Baltimore is visiting the zoo. With over 2,000 species in its care and operating since 1873, this historic zoo has considerably improved its animal enclosures and park grounds. A range of animal interactions is available for visitors, such as feeding the critically endangered African Penguins by entering their pavilion and throwing them a fish.
Goats can be walked through the farmyard lanes for those seeking a more daring experience. Families with young children may also observe giraffes being fed by stepping onto a terrace, where they can hold out an acacia branch as the enormous animals gently bend their heads to take food from their hands.
Another place where guests can interact with farm animals is the petting zoo. Visitors can also ride the carousel and the small Jones Zephyr Train for more enjoyable zoo activities.
Washington Monument and Mount Vernon
In Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighbourhood sits the Washington Monument, an iconic structure with a statue of George Washington, the country’s first president.
Visitors can ascend the 228-foot spiral staircase and take the scenery from the observation windows. On the bottom floor of the monument is a museum with displays of George Washington and the history of the monument itself. The area is home to wealthy 19th-century industrialist homes from Baltimore. There are numerous museum residences, stores, and galleries in the Mount Vernon Cultural District.
Numerous significant landmarks can be found in this area, such as the Alexander Brown Bank, which has a striking stained-glass dome, the Art Deco skyscraper at 10 Light Street, which has intricate bas reliefs and sculpted facades, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library, which was the nation’s first free public library. This region, where the bulk of free African Americans who resided and worked in Baltimore during the antebellum period, is also where Hamilton Street lies.
Baltimore‘s many activities and attractions ensure visitors never get bored out of exciting things to do or see. Baltimore is fascinating, with various museums, the famed National Aquarium, warships, and more. Therefore, be prepared to take full advantage of your time if you visit.
Our Holiday Vibes are Good Vibes Only!
