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TIP: Maryland Humanities Council tips for Baltimore

Traveling to Baltimore? Then you have to listen to this - Michele is the Communications Manager for the Maryland Humanities Council and she says:

I bet my fellow Baltimoreans could also come up with lists of awesome places to visit here in Baltimore. Most tourist people will say ‘Inner Harbor’ to you 100 times (or ‘Little Italy’, but those of us who live here can tell you that Baltimore is MUCH more than the Harbor, the ballpark, Raven’s Stadium, and Little Italy.

The cultural hub of the Mount Vernon Cultural District (center of the city) houses such cultural icons as the Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Institute and Library, Contemporary Museum, Centerstage, and some of the most amazing architecture (with iron work that rivals New Orleans?most of which was done by the same artisans). This neighborhood also has great Indian food, and other restaurants of note include The Helmand (owned by Afghani President Karzai’s brother), Sasha’s, and Sotto Sopra (great Italian). You could see a great play or concert, go to a museum, shop in the boutiques and eat in one of the many reastaurants. This is also where many of the gay bars in town are located, FYI. Check out Website: mvcd.org.

Often, during Spring/Summer there are free concerts in one of the parks, all surrounding our very own version of the Washington Monument in the center. The Baltimore Book Festival is in Mt. Vernon in late September, and the Flower Mart is usually in May. This neighborhood is located about 10 blocks north of the Inner Harbor and is definitely walkable. Our organization, the MD Humanities Council offers a ‘Literary Tour’
Website: mdhc.org
Website: mdhc.org/programs/maryland-center-for-the-book/literary-mount-vernon/

Walking Tour of Mt. Vernon which you could do by yourself, or guided for free (by request), covering the dozens of literary icons that made Baltimore their home.

Want to go to Fells Point (over 100 pubs and amazing appas/restaurants), Canton, and Federal Hill, which are hubs for 20-30 somethings. The neighborhood of Hampden Website: www.hampdenmerchants.com  is always a definite stop whenever I have people come to town. Go there for brunch at the Golden West Café (or lunch at Holy Frijolies) and walk around the fabulous antique stores and funky artistic shops. Many tourists go there to eat at Café Hon, but many locals see that place as overpriced, not the best food by far, and hokey. Many better choices in my humble opinion.

Another thought – One could do a tour of just museums! There are so many museums here I couldn’t list them all. Here’s some thoughts:

‘Art’ – The Walters Art Museum (Website: www.walters.org) and the Baltimore Museum of Art (housing the Cone Collection, a fantastic sculpture garden and more- Website: www.artbma.org) are now FREE to enter, The American Visionary Art Museum (Website: www.avam.org) –one of the most unique places ever! These are probably the 3 biggest, but there’s also the Contemporary Museum and more.

Interested in History/transportation – There’s the Reginald Lewis African-American Museum, Ft. Mc Henry, Maryland Historical Society, the Civil War Museum, The B&O Railroad Museum, The Jewish Museum, the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the Streetcar Museum, The Star Spangled Banner Flag house, The Public Works museumand more.

Sports/culture There’s the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, the Geppi Entertainment Museum (memorabilia and comics too), the Antique Toy Museum, The Eubie Blake Cultural and Jazz Ctr, the Tattoo Museum, even the The National Museum of Dentistry, amongst others.

Thanks Michele.

Michele Baylin
Communications Manager
Maryland Humanities Council
108 W. Centre Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

Website: www.mdhc.org