History · Baltimore · United States
8 historic sites to see in Baltimore
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 350z33 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Historic Ships in Baltimore, Fort McHenry National Monument and Walters Art Museum. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 13–16 hours across 7 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 13–16 hours
- Areas
- Inner Harbor, Locust Point and Mount Vernon
Historic sites in Baltimore
Historic site · Inner Harbor
1.Historic Ships in Baltimore
The Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse stands on Pier 5.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Iconic
Historic site · Locust Point
2.Fort McHenry National Monument
The visitor centre film ends with a dramatic reveal of the fort, and you can walk the ramparts, barracks and powder magazine.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
Museum · Mount Vernon
3.Walters Art Museum
The 'Chamber of Wonders' recreates a 17th-century collector's cabinet.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Landmark · Mount Vernon
4.Washington Monument, Mount Vernon Place
You can climb about 227 steps to the top for views across the city, and a small museum at the base tells its story.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Architecture
Neighbourhood · Fells Point
5.Fells Point waterfront
The tugboats and piers make it a pleasant evening walk.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
- After dark
- Couples
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Market · Downtown West
6.Lexington Market
Its stalls sell seafood, baked goods and lunch from many local vendors, including Faidley's Seafood, a market fixture famous for its jumbo lump crab cakes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Southwest Baltimore
7.B&O Railroad Museum
Train rides run on the first mile of commercial railroad track in America, laid in 1829.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · Poppleton
8.Edgar Allan Poe House and Poe's grave
He died in Baltimore in 1849 and is buried at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground downtown, where his memorial is a pilgrimage site for literature fans.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours for both
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Inner Harbor | Historic Ships in Baltimore | 2–3 hours |
| Locust Point | Fort McHenry National Monument | 2 hours |
| Mount Vernon | Walters Art Museum and Washington Monument, Mount Vernon Place | 2 hours + 45 minutes |
| Fells Point | Fells Point waterfront | 2–3 hours |
| Downtown West | Lexington Market | 1 hour |
| Southwest Baltimore | B&O Railroad Museum | 2–3 hours |
| Poppleton | Edgar Allan Poe House and Poe's grave | 1.5 hours for both |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 4 low cost, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Historic Ships in Baltimore; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Inner Harbor and Locust Point): Historic Ships in Baltimore → Fort McHenry National Monument, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Mount Vernon): Walters Art Museum → Washington Monument, Mount Vernon Place, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Fells Point and Downtown West): Fells Point waterfront → Lexington Market, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Southwest Baltimore and Poppleton): B&O Railroad Museum → Edgar Allan Poe House and Poe's grave, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 8°C (46°F), about 9 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Still wintry, but a good time for the free museums and the aquarium without crowds.
- January: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 10 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold and often grey with occasional snow; museums are quiet and hotels cheap.
- November: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and quieter; crab season winds down and holiday events begin.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Inner Harbor — Waterfront promenade with the aquarium, historic ships and big chain hotels
- Fells Point — Belgian-block streets, 18th-century row houses and waterfront pubs
- Mount Vernon — Grand 19th-century squares around the Washington Monument
More of Baltimore
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Baltimore?
Historic Ships in Baltimore. Four ships and a lighthouse form this floating museum: the USS Constellation, an 1854 sloop-of-war and the last all-sail warship built by the US Navy; the Second World War submarine USS Torsk; the Coast Guard cutter Taney, a survivor of Pearl Harbor; and the Lightship Chesapeake.
+Which of these are free in Baltimore?
Walters Art Museum and Fells Point waterfront.