Hip, historic, and diverse, Baltimore is ripe for travelers seeking a unique experience in a classic American city. The side-by-side neighborhoods of Inner Harbor and Fell’s Point embody Charm City’s fusion of historical waterfront culture and modern-day urbanism. Strap on your favorite walking shoes and plan to be out and about from approximately 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Start your day at the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM), one of the nation’s most unique art attractions. The museum defines visionaries as “artists [who] don’t listen to anyone else’s traditions. They invent their own.” To that end, the museum’s collection—more than 4,000 pieces and counting—features some of the quirkiest, most unusual art around. Strike your most visionary pose outside the museum (photography isn’t allowed indoors)!
Return to the great outdoors and walk to historic Federal Hill Park, from which you’ll enjoy what is arguably the best view of Inner Harbor. The site was home to Maryland’s ratification of the U.S Constitution and served as a defensive stronghold during both the War of 1812 and the Civil War. A public park since 1880, Federal Hill now features a basketball court, athletic field, beach volleyball courts, and a children’s playground in lieu of functioning canons.
Stroll down the hill and through Baltimore’s popular Inner Harbor, which features waterfront views and is a goldmine for shoppers. Continue on to the Lord Baltimore Hotel, and take a rest in your room (or the lobby) in preparation for the evening ahead. Originally built in 1928, the sleekly designed Lord Baltimore is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was visited by many of history’s luminaries, including Martin Luther King, Jr. What celebrity do you wish would show up during your stay?
Get ready to take a very unusual form of transportation to dinner. The Baltimore Water Taxi has conveyed tourists, commuters, and locals across the waterfront for more than 35 years—to the tune of thousands of riders per day. Enjoy the sites (and the breeze) while motoring to nearby Fell’s Point.
Even if you got a little seasick, the trip will be well worth it once you arrive for dinner at The Horse You Came In On Saloon, which boasts an absurd number of claims to fame. Established in 1775, “The Horse” is Baltimore’s oldest saloon, the only bar in Maryland to exist before, during, and after prohibition, and America’s oldest continually operating saloon. Not only that, but it’s the last place author Edgar Allen Poe was seen before his mysterious death.
