3 Day Baltimore Tour
Day 1 You'll See:
- Historic Ships of Baltimore-USS Constellation, the Chesapeake, and the USS Torsk
- Inner Harbor
- Star Spangled Banner Flag House
- B & O Railroad Museum
Day 2 You'll See:
- Fort McHenry
- Camden Yard Tour
- Washington Monument-Baltimore
- Walters Art Museum
Day 3 You'll See:
- National Aquarium
- Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
- Edgar Allan Poe Burial Site and Tour
Day 1
Historic Ships of Baltimore-USS Constellation, the Chesapeake, and the USS Torsk
USS TORSK was one of only ten Tench Class fleet type submarines to see service in World War II. Deployed to the Pacific, TORSK operated from Pearl Harbor and made two successful war patrols off Japan in 1945; when the venerable warship was decommissioned in 1968 she had more than ten thousand dives to her credit. The USS Constellation, a historic sloop of war – was the last sail-only warship designed and built by the US Navy. Second in a series of 4 historic vessels bearing the name Constellation, she was the flagship of the African Squadron from 1859–1861. When Lightship 116 "Chesapeake" was completed in 1930, she was among the most modern lightships in service, boasting the best in stability, signaling capacity, living accommodations, and engineering efficiency available in her day. You and your group will enjoy exploring these and other Historic Ships through a series of exciting hands-on tours and activities, live cannon firings, educational programs and more!
Inner Harbor
Your Baltimore excursion would be incomplete without a visit to her world-famous Inner Harbor - the city's premier tourist attraction; be sure to check in at the Visitor Center to get your bearings and find out what’s happening while you’re in town! Discover Inner Harbor treasures at the Maritime Museum, step aboard her historic Tall Ships, explore the National Aquarium, enjoy breathtaking views From the Baltimore World Trade Center, drop by the Maryland Science Center, visit Federal Hill Park, enjoy the freshest seafood in town and shop ‘til you drop at Harbor Place and Gallery – where you’ll also find Maryland Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
Star Spangled Banner Flag House
This wonderful gem of museum located in the Jonestown area of downtown Baltimore was the home of Miss Mary Pickersgill and is the very place she stitched the star-spangled garrison flag that flew over Fort McHenry in the summer of 1814 during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812 – the famous flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen his work that would later become our national anthem. The House showcases authentic period furnishings and relevant Pickersgill family artifacts, while a 12,600-square-foot museum adjacent the historic dwelling houses a series of exhibits on the War of 1812 and the Battle of Baltimore and features an orientation theater, gift shop, exhibit galleries, and more.
B & O Railroad Museum
You and your fellow excursionists will wrap up Day One of your Eastern Seaboard getaway with a visit to the national landmark B&O Railroad Museum recognized universally as the birthplace of American railroading! Comprised of the oldest and most comprehensive collection of railroad history in the Western Hemisphere, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum brings roaring to life the legendary magic of railroading, showcasing an unparalleled roster of 19th and 20th-century railroad equipment, original shop buildings, and surviving historic tracks. A variety of optional train rides and visitor amenities promise to perfectly round out your B & O adventure.
Day 2
Downtown Baltimore, Maryland city inner harbor skyline showing the marina, buildings and business on a clear sunny day.
Fort McHenry
A stop by this star-shaped historic landmark - best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in the Chesapeake Bay – is an absolute must while in town! It was during the bombardment of Fort McHenry that Washington lawyer Francis Scott Key was inspired to pen "The Star-Spangled Banner," the poem that would eventually be set to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven" and become the United States National Anthem. The first official 49 and 50-star American flags were flown over Fort McHenry and are still located on the premises.
Camden Yard Tour
Orioles fans won’t want to miss a chance to stroll through “the ballpark that forever changed baseball!” Experience Oriole Park at Camden Yards from a whole new perspective with a behind the scenes look at this historic ballpark that revolutionized the sport with its Opening Day debut in 1992!
Washington Monument-Baltimore
Just a few days ago the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy discovered a 200-year-old time capsule with contents including glass jars wrapped in daily publications and filled with mysterious “papers” and a scattering of US coins during scheduled maintenance efforts at the historic Washington Monument in the cultural center of the city. “At the time the monument was begun, it was the most heroically scaled memorial in the country. It is largely due to this impressive first monument to Washington that Baltimore was known at home and abroad as 'The Monumental City.’" Lance Humphries, chairman of the Conservancy's restoration committee, was quoted as saying in the conservancy's press release. Visitors who opt to tackle the 229 stairs to the top of this oldest surviving monument to our First President are rewarded with matchless hilltop views of the state park and surrounding area.
Walters Art Museum
Landmark Walters Art Museum’s substantial collection was amassed by a father and son: William Thompson Walters and Henry Walters. Upon his death in 1931, Henry Walters bequeathed the impressive holdings of more than 22,000 works and the building they were housed into the city of Baltimore, “for the benefit of the public.” The expansive collection – now grown to more than 35,000 objects - includes Art Deco pieces, old masterworks, a spectacular reserve of illuminated manuscripts and rare books, Egyptian mummies, Greek and Roman antiquities and Far Eastern ceramics.
Day 3
National Aquarium
This non-profit water world is one of Baltimore’s most popular attractions, featuring five levels and two glass pyramids housing a diverse menagerie of more than 17,000 animals! You and your travel companions are sure to enjoy the seal pool, the Jellies Invasion, daily dolphin shows and a trek through a lush tropical rainforest – happy, humid home to sloths, piranhas and screaming pihas! Traveling with a crew of hands-on types? A variety of awesome immersion tours get adventurous guests behind the scenes for an authentic insider’s perspective!
Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
Baseball enthusiasts – especially dedicated fans of “The Sultan of Swat” - won’t want to miss a chance to peek into the tidy bedroom where George Herman Ruth, Jr. was born, get the whole heartwarming scoop on his role as a devoted husband and father, browse authentic artifacts from his amazing childhood and more! Just follow the 60 baseballs painted on the sidewalk from the Babe Ruth statue at Camden Yards to the Birthplace and Museum in the Emery Street row house for an unforgettable journey into the life and times of “the Great Bambino.”
Edgar Allan Poe Burial Site and Tour
Boston-born Edgar Allen Poe was a great, albeit troubled, American Poet, Author, Literary Critic and editor, notorious for his tales of mystery and macabre, considered part of the American Romantic Movement, inventor of the detective mystery genre and one of the first practitioners of the popular short story; he was also the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, making for a most difficult life. He passed away at the young age of 40 in Baltimore as mysteriously as if he, himself, had authored the event; even in death, his lot was fraught with hardship and misadventure, and making his way to his final resting place from an unmarked, weed-covered grave was not an easy row and took years, much determination and several adjustments to accomplish. Today, visitors to the Westminster Burial Ground in Baltimore can pay their respects at Poe’s grave, where he lies buried near his young wife and her mother, amongst myriad notable Baltimore deceased, as well as view a stately monument to the famously “afflicted” author at the front of the legendary graveyard. Crafty types, be sure to bring along materials for rubbings!
