Things to Do in Baltimore

Things to Do in Baltimore

Baltimore does not run short of things to do, whether you have a single afternoon or a full week. The city’s attractions spread across distinct neighborhoods — the Inner Harbor for waterfront institutions, Mount Vernon for museums and architecture, Fells Point for history and nightlife, and Hampden for independent culture. We have organized the best of it below.

The National Aquarium

The National Aquarium at 501 E Pratt St is Baltimore’s most-visited attraction and one of the top aquariums in the country. It holds over 20,000 animals across freshwater and saltwater exhibits, a rooftop Atlantic rainforest, and a dolphin discovery program. The blacktip reef shark tank and the Australian exhibit are particular highlights.

Admission is approximately $40 for adults and approximately $30 for children ages 3–11 as of 2026. Hours are Sunday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., with extended summer hours — confirm on the aquarium’s website before visiting. Book tickets online in advance during June through August; timed entry slots sell out on weekends.

Fort McHenry

Fort McHenry National Monument at 2400 E Fort Ave is the site where American forces repelled a British naval bombardment in September 1814 — the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became the national anthem. The star-shaped fort is well-preserved, and the rangers run informative talks on the hour during peak season.

Admission is approximately $15 for adults; children under 15 are free. The fort is open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with extended summer hours. The easiest way to arrive without a car is the Inner Harbor water taxi — approximately $8 one way from the harbor — or the No. 1 MTA bus along Light Street.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Even non-baseball fans generally enjoy a visit to Camden Yards. Opened in 1992, it was the ballpark that sparked the retro stadium movement and remains one of the most photogenic parks in Major League Baseball. The B&O Warehouse looms behind right field and frames the game beautifully.

Regular-season games run April through late September. Tickets range from approximately $20 in the upper reserve to $80–$120 for field box seats as of 2026. Architecture and history tours of the stadium run approximately $10 as of 2026 and operate on select non-game days; check the Orioles website for schedules.

Federal Hill Park and Cross Street Market

Federal Hill Park (off Warren Ave, free and always open) gives the best unobstructed view of the Inner Harbor skyline in the city. Sunset visits are popular with locals. The park doubles as a hill for sledding when Baltimore gets winter snow.

Two blocks north on S Charles Street, Cross Street Market is a restored public market dating to 1846. It has been revived with a mix of vendor stalls selling oysters, coffee, tacos, Thai food, and craft beer. Most stalls open around 11 a.m.; the market draws a strong lunch crowd on weekdays and all day on weekends. Budget approximately $12–$20 for a satisfying market lunch.

The Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum at 600 N Charles St in Mount Vernon is free and genuinely outstanding. The permanent collection runs from ancient Egypt and Greece through the medieval period, with strong holdings in illuminated manuscripts, Renaissance panel painting, and 19th-century European art. The building itself — a 1904 Italian palazzo — is part of the attraction.

Open Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Allow two to three hours for a meaningful visit. The museum cafe is a reasonable lunch stop.

Historic Ships in Baltimore

Four historic vessels are docked at Pier 1, Inner Harbor, and are open for self-guided tours. The collection includes the USS Constellation (an 1854 Civil War-era sloop-of-war), the submarine USS Torsk, the lightship Chesapeake, and the USCGC Taney (a Coast Guard cutter that survived Pearl Harbor).

Combined admission is approximately $20 adults, approximately $12 children as of 2026. Open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (reduced hours November–March). The vessels are compact and well-interpreted; plan approximately 90 minutes for all four.

Fells Point

Fells Point is Baltimore’s oldest neighborhood, established in the 1730s as a shipbuilding center. The cobblestoned Thames Street and Broadway run along the waterfront and are lined with Federal-era row houses, bars, and restaurants. The Fells Point Visitor Center at 808 S Ann St has maps and walking tour pamphlets.

On Saturday mornings, the Broadway Market (open since 1786) runs a modest but genuine produce and prepared food market along Broadway. The neighborhood is entirely walkable and connects to the waterfront promenade that links back to the Inner Harbor in about 20 minutes on foot.

The Baltimore Museum of Art

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) at 10 Art Museum Dr in Charles Village holds the world’s largest collection of works by Henri Matisse, donated by the Cone sisters in the 1950s. The permanent collection also includes strong holdings in contemporary American art and African art. Admission is free. Open Wednesday–Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Closed Monday–Tuesday.

Day Trip: Annapolis

Annapolis, the Maryland state capital, sits 30 miles southeast of Baltimore along the Chesapeake Bay — approximately 35–40 minutes by car or 1 hour 15 minutes by MARC train (Penn Line to BWI, then bus). The historic district around the State House and City Dock is one of the best-preserved colonial streetscapes on the East Coast. It is an easy half-day excursion from Baltimore.