Baltimore – Inner Harbor

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor area is a gem. There are the office buildings and hotels and restaurants and condos surrounding it that have replaced the old docks and commercial activity. There is a beautiful promenade around the entire area. It is great to walk around and enjoy the view. It is also a fun place to sail if you have a boat.

Museums and Stadiums

On the south side is the Science museum and also close by is Camden Yards where the Orioles play and right next door the Geppi Museum with lots of comic books and other memorabilia and the Sports Legends Museum.

Just a little further is M&T Bank Stadium where the Ravens play. This time of year it is also the site of numerous proms. You will see limousine after limousine lined up taking kids to their proms in the facilities at the stadium. They come from all around the area, not just Baltimore.

On the north side is the National Aquarium which has just completed a multimillion dollar renovation and installation of new exhibits including a kind of petting zoo for sea creatures.

Ships to Tour

Being on the water there are also a variety of ships. The one that really stands out is the Constellation, a square rigged ship and one of the first ships in the US Navy. (Although there is some controversy about that. She was so altered at one point that some people consider her a different ship from the original).

Then there is the submarine Torsk from WWII, and the Coast Guard Taney. The Taney was a Pearl Harbor and was undamaged and saw extensive action in WWII. She was the very last ship to be decommissioned that saw action in WWII.

There is also the lightship Chesapeake which at different times marked the shoals at the mouth of the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. And on land is the Seven Foot Knoll lighthouse which marked the Seven Foot Knoll at the entrance to the Patapsco River that Baltimore is on.

Ships to go out on

There are also a variety of tour ships, from schooners to larger vessels that take people out for a tour around the harbor and sometimes for a nice dinner on board as well. You can also rent paddle boats and tool around the Harbor.

On the south side of the harbor past the Science Museum is the Baltimore Sailing Center where people sign up to sail small boats around the harbor. They have taught a lot of people to sail and they take many handicapped people out. They even have boats that quadriplegics can handle. Plus they work with a lot of inner city kids.

More Museums

At the same location is the Museum of Industry which has exhibits about Baltimore’s industrial heritage.

Forgot about one. Before you get to the sailing center and Museum of Industry, you will come to the American Visionary Art Museum. The art is primarily contemporary and some of it is great and some is odd.

Further in the same direction but a bit of a hike, (use a car) is Fort McHenry of Star Spangled Banner fame. Besides being able to explore the fort which is fascinating and young kids love, there is a new visitor’s center which has really nice displays.