1. The Walters Art Museum: An Artistic Treasure Trove
The Walters Art Museum, a public art museum inaugurated in 1934, features more than 22,000 19th-century works bestowed by William Thompson Walters and his son Henry Walters. The collection includes ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman masterworks, as well as paintings by European masters. You'll also find Chinese ceramics and bronzes, Art Deco jewelry by René Lalique, the House of Fabergé and Tiffany and Co. and early items from the Near East, Mesopotamian and Middle East.
2. American Visionary Art Museum: For More Alternative Art
The American Visionary Art Museum focuses on outsider art, also known as intuitive art, raw art or art brut. Congress has designated the space, which includes over 4,000 pieces, the national self-taught art museum. The permanent collection features works by Howard Finster, Ho Baron, Nek Chand, Vanessa German, Ted Gordon, Vollis Simpson and Judith Scott among others. The museum also showcases 40 items from the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre of London.
3. Fort McHenry: An Important American Landmark
Fort McHenry, a coastal star-shaped fort used in the War of 1812, was built in 1798. Designated a National Monument and Historic Shrine in 1939, the fort features a replica of the 15-star/15-stripe U.S. flag. Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner at the fort following a bomb raid by the British in 1814. The national landmark, which holds a 4th of July celebration complete with cannon firings and a performance by the Guard Fife and Drum Corps, can be accessed by Water Taxi from Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
4. Baltimore Museum of Art: For the True Master Works
The Baltimore Museum of Art, founded in 1914, houses an international art collection with 95,000 pieces ranging from ancient Antioch mosaics to avant-garde modern art. Highlights include masterpieces by Matisse, Picasso, Gauguin, van Gogh, Cézanne, Manet, Degas, Giambattista Pittoni and Renoir. Gertrude's Restaurant, famous for its crab imperial, single-fry oysters, rockfish, pan-fried chicken, corn fritters and crab soup, is owned by chef John Shields and located within the museum.
5. Fells Point Historic Area: Maritime Fun
Fell's Point, on the Baltimore waterfront neighborhood, was founded in 1763. A vibrant area with antique shops, restaurants, coffee bars, music stores and more than 120 pubs, the area adjoins the city's business district and the Jones Falls stream. The historic home of Irish, German, Polish and East European immigrants can be reached by Water Taxi. Listed on the National Register of Historic Districts, Fell's Point hosts the Privateer Festival, a Halloween Celebration and an Olde-Tyme Christmas Festival.
