Baltimore

Overview

While Baltimore has managed to stay relatively off the tourist radar, that hasn’t stopped the Maryland giant from earning a reputation as one of the nation’s hippest urban centres. The state is famous for its blue crab, putting Baltimore on the map for some of the best shellfish you can find on the East Coast.

As a historically important seaport since the 18th century, the city is concentrated around the Inner Harbour, which is home to Baltimore’s most exciting attractions and a 7-mile stretch of brick waterfront walkways lined with boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. The National Aquarium will enchant you with sharks, jellyfish, dolphins, and thousands of aquatic species in award-winning habitats. The Science Centre includes an observatory and planetarium, transporting you to the cosmos. Baseball fans will love the energy at Oriole Park, where the crowd becomes a cheering sea of orange.

Baltimore’s art and culture scene will give you shivers, in a good way. Step back in time to the house of Edgar Allen Poe, who wrote some of his most imaginative and terrifying works in the city. Afterwards, head over to the historic cobblestone streets of Fells Point, Baltimore’s thriving cultural centre full of music, bars, and galleries where you’ll rub elbows with the city’s hippest residents. For a taste of the local scene, the eclectic Station North neighbourhood is full of DIY art spaces by day and underground music venues by night, with a colourful splattering of public art and murals throughout.