Attractions

From a cultural and entertainment perspective, Baltimore offers all the glittering excitement of a major metropolitan area, coupled with the friendly feel of a small, comfortable town.

The crown jewel of Baltimore’s renaissance is the Inner Harbor, a scenic waterfront area with dozens of retail stores, restaurants and attractions.

Soak it all in by paddle boat, schooner, or charter yacht — or, for a special treat, plunge into the harbor on a WWII amphibious duck. A regular water taxi system, too, provides a quick shuttle to the 14 sites that have made Baltimore a National Historic Seaport.

Enjoy the 200 shops and eateries of Harborplace and the Gallery at Harborplace. Catch an open-air concert or an impromptu street performance.

Climb aboard the 1855-commissioned USS Constellation, the last all-sail ship built by the U.S. Navy.

Tour the Baltimore Maritime Museum, a tribute to the history of American naval power — from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Taney, the only surviving warship in Pearl Harbor, to the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, which helped sailors navigate the Chesapeake Bay for 133 years.

Travel through time with a visit to the Maryland Historical Society, the state’s oldest cultural institution. With an array of artifacts reflecting Maryland’s diverse heritage, the MdHS houses one of the world’s largest collections of Americana.

Marvel at the wonders of the Maryland Science Center, with three floors of interactive exhibits that focus on physics, marine biology, and astronomy. You’ll also find an IMAX 3D five-story theater and the Davis Planetarium.

See life beneath the ocean at the world-famous National Aquarium, featuring sharks, dolphins, tropical fish and more than other creatures in natural exhibits — plus a walk-through living rain forest.

Visit the Baltimore Civil War Museum, located near the site of the first fatalities of the Civil War. Explore the relics of Baltimore’s industrial past at the Baltimore Museum of Industry and the B&O Railroad.

Catch the inspiration of the Fort McHenry National Monument and Shrine. It was here that the residents of Baltimore held off an invading British fleet during the War of 1812, inspiring Maryland attorney Francis Scott Key to pen the “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Ponder the mysteries of the Edgar Allen Poe House and Museum. The row home contains the author’s telescope, writing desk and a collection of illustrated volumes.

Stroll through the 160-acre Baltimore Zoo, home to more than 2,250 animals, including many threatened and endangered species.

See the kid-powered Port Discovery, with three floors of nonstop, hands-on activities designed in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering.

View the city from the observation area of Baltimore’s World Trade Center, the world’s tallest five-sided building. Enjoy panoramic views of the Baltimore Harbor and the city’s historic waterfront neighborhoods

Tour the Great Blacks in Wax Museum. The nation’s first wax museum of African-American history and culture, the museum feature more than 100 lifelike figures, from Harriet Tubman to Martin Luther King Jr.

Take a walk through the gardens and trails of the Cylburn Arboretum, a 173-acre woodland park in the heart of Baltimore.

Visit the Basilica of the Assumption, the nation’s oldest Catholic Cathedral completed in 1821. With its resemblance to a Greek temple, the cathedral is considered one of the finest examples of Neoclassical architecture.

Take a walking tour of Baltimore’s many historic homes — from the 1850s Evergreen House, an ornate, 48-room mansion; to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, once home of flag-sewer Mary Pickergill.

Baseball fans won’t want to miss the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, a “national shrine” for one of the sport’s greatest — and the official museum of Baltimore’s Orioles and former football team, the Colts.