The harborside city of Baltimore, Maryland is a popular American travel destination. Many parts of Baltimore were built in the eighteenth century and the city offers many historic and cultural attractions. The Edgar Allan Poe Museum, the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, the Cross Street Market and the Baltimore Museum of Art are just some of the places with great things to do in Baltimore.
Visiting the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) is sure to be a great experience for art lovers. The Museum is known for its Modern American section featuring the works of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning. The BMA also houses the second largest private collection of pieces by Andy Wharhol. The Cone Collection has Early Modern pieces by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Paul Cezanne, Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh. In addition to its focus on Modern Art paintings, the Museum has Native American art and a sculpture garden with some very large-scale sculptures.
For those looking to sample Maryland seafood, a trip to the Cross Street Market is one of the best things to do in Baltimore. You can also find quick sandwiches to go or cut flowers to buy. The foods sold here by 28 vendors range from health foods to pastries, so there is something for everyone. The Cross Street Market, located in the community of Federal Hill, dates back to 1845 and the current building to 1952.
The Maryland Science Center offers many different scientific subjects for children to explore such as fossils, anatomy, space and dinosaurs. In honor of Maryland’s famous blue crab, the Follow the Blue Crab exhibit has information about the sea animals and plant life of Chesapeake Bay. The exhibit features a mechanical crab that has delighted generations.
The National Aquarium has over 16,500 animals and features a dolphin show. Visiting this aquarium is probably one of the best things to do in Baltimore on weekdays as it can get very crowded on weekends. There is a manta ray pool on the main floor and the Aquarium also has sharks, sea turtles and a large frog exhibit. The National Aquarium is located near the Harborplace Shopping Center.
If you're interested in Edgar Allan Poe, a visit to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum should probably be on your list of things to do in Baltimore. The 1830 Amity Street house belonged to Poe's aunt and he lived there in his early twenties and wrote some of his poems and edited literary reviews there until he moved to Virginia in 1935. The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore saved the home from being demolished in 1941. The five room house has some furnishings belonging to the Poe family including a lap desk that belonged to Edgar Allan Poe.