Things to do · Baltimore · United States
18 best things to do in Baltimore
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 350z33 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Baltimore are National Aquarium, Historic Ships in Baltimore and Fort McHenry National Monument. Of the 18 picks below, 6 are free, 9 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- National Aquarium
- Free sights
- 6
- Good on a rainy day
- National Aquarium
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Aquarium | Inner Harbor | 3 hours | Expensive |
| Historic Ships in Baltimore | Inner Harbor | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Fort McHenry National Monument | Locust Point | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Baltimore Museum of Art | Charles Village | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Camden Yards | 3 hours | Mid-priced |
| American Visionary Art Museum | Federal Hill | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Federal Hill Park | Federal Hill | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Walters Art Museum | Mount Vernon | 2 hours | Free |
| Washington Monument, Mount Vernon Place | Mount Vernon | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Fells Point waterfront | Fells Point | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Lexington Market | Downtown West | 1 hour | Low cost |
| B&O Railroad Museum | Southwest Baltimore | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Port Discovery Children's Museum | Inner Harbor | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Maryland Science Center | Inner Harbor | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Edgar Allan Poe House and Poe's grave | Poppleton | 1.5 hours for both | Low cost |
| Baltimore Basilica | Mount Vernon | 45 minutes | Free |
| Hampden and 36th Street | Hampden | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture | Jonestown | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
The 18 best things to do
Aquarium · Inner Harbor
1.National Aquarium
Spread over two piers on the Inner Harbor, the aquarium's exhibits include Blacktip Reef with sharks and a green sea turtle, a rooftop Upland Tropical Rain Forest under a glass pyramid, the Australia gallery with a waterfall and a large jellyfish gallery. A walkway spirals up through tanks representing different habitats.
Visit on a weekday afternoon after school groups leave, and do the rainforest first before it gets warm and crowded.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Timed-entry tickets are sold online and weekend slots can sell out in summer.
- Iconic
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Historic site · Inner Harbor
2.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. The Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse stands on Pier 5.
Buy a pass that covers several ships; the Torsk submarine's tight bunks are the highlight for children.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Iconic
Historic site · Locust Point
3.Fort McHenry National Monument
During the British bombardment of September 1814, the sight of the huge American flag still flying over this star-shaped fort inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became the national anthem. The visitor centre film ends with a dramatic reveal of the fort, and you can walk the ramparts, barracks and powder magazine.
Arrive by water taxi from the Inner Harbor or Fells Point in season, and ask about the timing of the flag-change programmes.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
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Museum · Charles Village
4.Baltimore Museum of Art
The BMA's free collection is centred on the Cone Collection assembled by sisters Claribel and Etta Cone, with hundreds of works by Henri Matisse alongside Picasso, Cézanne and Van Gogh. It also has a large holding of Antioch mosaics, African and contemporary art, and two sculpture gardens.
Go straight to the Cone Wing for the Matisse paintings, then finish in the sculpture garden with Rodin's The Thinker.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Landmark · Camden Yards
5.Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Opened in 1992, the Orioles' brick ballpark started the trend for retro-style stadiums across America. The long B&O Warehouse forms the backdrop beyond right field, and Eutaw Street is lined with plaques marking where home runs have landed. Babe Ruth was born a few blocks away.
Walk along Eutaw Street inside the ballpark to find the home-run plaques, and try pit beef or crab fries from the stands.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- After dark
- Architecture
Gallery · Federal Hill
6.American Visionary Art Museum
This museum shows works by self-taught artists — farmers, mechanics, people with no formal training — in themed exhibitions that change regularly. Its mosaic-covered buildings at the foot of Federal Hill are hard to miss, and the outdoor sculpture yard includes a giant whirligig.
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.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Federal Hill
7.Federal Hill Park
A steep grassy hill above the south shore of the Inner Harbor gives a panoramic view of the skyline, the aquarium and the boats below. It has been a lookout since the 18th century and was occupied by Union troops in the Civil War, whose cannon are still here.
Climb the steps from Key Highway at sunset, then walk down for dinner on Cross Street or Light Street.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Photo spot
- Couples
Museum · Mount Vernon
8.Walters Art Museum
The Walters family's free museum spans 7,000 years, from Egyptian mummies and Roman sarcophagi to medieval armour, illuminated manuscripts, two Fabergé eggs and 19th-century French painting. The 'Chamber of Wonders' recreates a 17th-century collector's cabinet.
Don't miss the Chamber of Wonders and the arms and armour galleries; combine with the Washington Monument across the square.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Landmark · Mount Vernon
1.Washington Monument, Mount Vernon Place
Begun in 1815, Robert Mills' marble column topped with a statue of George Washington was the first major monument in the country dedicated to him. You can climb about 227 steps to the top for views across the city, and a small museum at the base tells its story.
Climb on a clear day, then walk the four park squares of Mount Vernon Place and past the Peabody Library.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Architecture
Neighbourhood · Fells Point
2.Fells Point waterfront
Belgian-block streets and Thames Street's 18th- and 19th-century buildings line the old shipbuilding waterfront, with pubs, shops and seafood restaurants around the Broadway Square and the Broadway Market. The tugboats and piers make it a pleasant evening walk.
Arrive by water taxi from the Inner Harbor, and walk the harbour-side promenade east towards Canton.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
- After dark
- Couples
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Market · Downtown West
3.Lexington Market
Trading since 1782, Lexington Market moved into a new, light-filled market hall in 2022. 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.
Go at lunchtime for a crab cake from Faidley's and a Berger cookie for dessert.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Southwest Baltimore
4.B&O Railroad Museum
In the 1884 Mount Clare roundhouse, a 22-sided building with a soaring wooden roof, the museum displays one of the largest collections of historic locomotives in the country. Train rides run on the first mile of commercial railroad track in America, laid in 1829.
Check the schedule for the short train ride, included with entry on most days, and look up at the roundhouse's roof.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Inner Harbor
5.Port Discovery Children's Museum
Three floors of hands-on exhibits for children up to about age 10, including a three-storey climbing structure, a pretend supermarket and diner, and water play. It is a short walk from the Inner Harbor in the old Fish Market building.
Bring a change of clothes for the water area, and visit on a weekday morning when it is calmer.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · Inner Harbor
6.Maryland Science Center
On the southwest corner of the Inner Harbor, the science centre has a dinosaur hall, hands-on physics and body exhibits, a planetarium and an observatory. It is a good choice for older children who have already done the aquarium.
Combine it with Federal Hill Park, just behind the building, for the harbour view.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · Poppleton
7.Edgar Allan Poe House and Poe's grave
Poe lived in this tiny brick row house on Amity Street in the 1830s, and it now displays period furnishings and Poe artefacts. 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.
The house is small and open on a limited schedule; check ahead, then visit the grave at Westminster Burying Ground, about 20 minutes' walk away.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours for both
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Mount Vernon
8.Baltimore Basilica
Designed by Benjamin Latrobe, architect of the US Capitol, and completed in 1821, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption was the first great Catholic cathedral built in the United States. A restoration brought back its original skylights, filling the neoclassical dome with natural light.
Visit outside service times, and look for the crypt and the skylit dome above the altar.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
Street · Hampden
9.Hampden and 36th Street
Hampden's main street, known as The Avenue, has vintage shops, independent boutiques, diners and bars in old mill-worker row houses. In December, the 700 block of 34th Street becomes the 'Miracle on 34th Street', with houses covered in lights and decorations.
Visit on a weekend afternoon for the shops, or in December after dark for the 34th Street lights.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Jonestown
10.Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture
A few blocks from the Inner Harbor, this museum covers four centuries of Black history in Maryland, from enslavement on the Chesapeake to figures such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Thurgood Marshall, all with Maryland roots.
Combine it with the nearby Jewish Museum of Maryland and Little Italy for a walk through Jonestown's history.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Baltimore Museum of Art, American Visionary Art Museum, Walters Art Museum and B&O Railroad Museum |
| History | Historic Ships in Baltimore, Fort McHenry National Monument, Walters Art Museum and Washington Monument, Mount Vernon Place |
| Views | Fort McHenry National Monument, Federal Hill Park and Washington Monument, Mount Vernon Place |
| Outdoors and nature | National Aquarium |
| Food and markets | Fells Point waterfront, Lexington Market and Hampden and 36th Street |
| After dark | Fells Point waterfront and Oriole Park at Camden Yards |
| With children | National Aquarium, Historic Ships in Baltimore, Fort McHenry National Monument and Oriole Park at Camden Yards |
| On a rainy day | National Aquarium, American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art and Walters Art Museum |
What to book ahead
- National Aquarium: Timed-entry tickets are sold online and weekend slots can sell out in summer.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Baltimore?
National Aquarium. Spread over two piers on the Inner Harbor, the aquarium's exhibits include Blacktip Reef with sharks and a green sea turtle, a rooftop Upland Tropical Rain Forest under a glass pyramid, the Australia gallery with a waterfall and a large jellyfish gallery.
+What can you do for free in Baltimore?
Baltimore Museum of Art, Federal Hill Park, Walters Art Museum, Fells Point waterfront and Baltimore Basilica. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Baltimore when it rains?
Head indoors to National Aquarium, American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art and Walters Art Museum.
+What is there to do in Baltimore at night?
Fells Point waterfront and Oriole Park at Camden Yards are best after dark.