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Overview
Baltimore vacations can include trips to the National Aquarium, Baltimore Maritime Museum, family-friendly Port Discovery museum and the Pride of Baltimore II. At the USS Constellation, Baltimore tourism is alive as children climb aboard to experience what it was like to be a U.S. Navy sailor in the 1800s. But there's much more to the city than these marine based attractions. Baltimore travel is enriched by a wealth of museums, historic sites, and educational institutions.
The city is also home to Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the nation's top research hospitals, and together, the Johns Hopkins Hospital and University have helped create a strong academic community in Baltimore. Travel to this harbor city and see for yourself the strong focus on educational organizations and fostering a passion for the arts.
Baltimore vacations should include places that highlight its history, and travelers find the city's oldest neighborhoods exude both charm and vitality. Fells Point neighborhood dates back to the 18th century and is filled with cobblestone streets and historic colonial buildings that now house bars, cafes and specialty shops. Baltimore visitors can also experience Mount Vernon, a neighborhood created in 1897 and home to Baltimore's own Washington Monument. Designed by Robert Mills, creator of the Monument in Washington, D.C., this monument predates the larger version.
Several famous sites point to the city's role in the formation of America and its national identity. Learn about the Battle of Baltimore during your Baltimore travel excursions by visiting Fort McHenry and the Pickersgill home. Baltimore tourists can even catch a glimpse of the original American flag remains, sewn by Mary Pickersgill herself.
Once the second most common destination for immigrants to the U.S., Baltimore hasn't always been a vacation destination. Evidence of the city's multicultural make-up and the contributions of different ethnic groups who settled here are evident from a simple glance around. Home to the first Catholic cathedral built in the U.S., Baltimore also has a prominent Jewish community. Don't forget to walk through Little Italy as well, where you'll be greeted by enticing aromas of ethnic neighborhood eateries.
A border state during the Civil War and a stop along the Underground Railroad, Baltimore has a long-standing African-American history. At the end of the Civil War, the state of Maryland had the highest population of free blacks, and Baltimore has maintained a large middle-class African-American population.
History lessons aside, you can't talk about Baltimore travel and tourism without talking about sports. It's the birthplace of Babe Ruth, and the Baltimore Orioles reside at the striking Oriole Park at Camden Yards downtown. If you want a taste of the local scene, come support the Orioles, and during NFL seasons, root for the Ravens at the neighboring M&T Bank Stadium.
With sports, culture, art, academia and more, there's certainly a long list of niches to explore in Baltimore. Visitors are mesmerized and eager to glean all they can from this prosperous metro. While you probably won't be able to see or do everything in a single visit, take time to appreciate all the city has to offer and remember, it's never too soon to start planning your next excursion.
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