One day in Baltimore

Day by day

1. Day 1: National Aquarium and Historic Ships in Baltimore

   National Aquarium, Historic Ships in Baltimore, Port Discovery Children's Museum and Maryland Science Center, then Oriole Park at Camden Yards in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Aquarium

      Visit on a weekday afternoon after school groups leave, and do the rainforest first before it gets warm and crowded. Allow 3 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Historic Ships in Baltimore

      Buy a pass that covers several ships; the Torsk submarine's tight bunks are the highlight for children. Allow 2–3 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Steamed blue crabs

      Crab houses across the city and suburbs; the best season runs roughly from late spring to autumn, when local crabs are plentiful.

   4. Afternoon

      Port Discovery Children's Museum

      Bring a change of clothes for the water area, and visit on a weekday morning when it is calmer. Allow 2–3 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Maryland Science Center

      Combine it with Federal Hill Park, just behind the building, for the harbour view. Allow 2–3 hours.

   6. Evening

      Oriole Park at Camden Yards

      Walk along Eutaw Street inside the ballpark to find the home-run plaques, and try pit beef or crab fries from the stands.

Before you go

• National Aquarium: Timed-entry tickets are sold online and weekend slots can sell out in summer.

If it rains

• Swap in American Visionary Art Museum (Federal Hill): Visit in early May if you can, when the museum's Kinetic Sculpture Race sends human-powered art vehicles through the city and into the harbour.
• Swap in Baltimore Museum of Art (Charles Village): Go straight to the Cone Wing for the Matisse paintings, then finish in the sculpture garden with Rodin's The Thinker.
• Swap in Walters Art Museum (Mount Vernon): Don't miss the Chamber of Wonders and the arms and armour galleries; combine with the Washington Monument across the square.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 12–15 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.4 hours in December to 14.9 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Tram. The Light RailLink runs north–south from BWI airport through Camden Yards and downtown to Penn Station and the northern suburbs.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Baltimore
• 3 days in Baltimore

Questions travellers ask