TEN THINGS TO DO IN BALTIMORE
While you’re in town for the 2014 ASOR Annual Meeting, be sure to take some time to relax and explore Baltimore. Here are ten things to see around the city:
1. The Walters Art Museum was first opened to the public in 1934. It now houses a collection of over 35,000 objects from all around the world including Greek sculpture and Art Deco jewelry. General admission to the Walters Art Museum is free and Constellation Nights are held every Thursday. Be sure to check out the “Egypt’s Mysterious Book of the Faiyum” exhibit.
2. The Inner Harbor in Baltimore has been a major US seaport since the 1700s. Today it is a center of activity with stores, restaurants, museums, and more all within walking distance. From here you can also take narrated boat tours of the city.
3. While in the Inner Harbor you can take some time to see the over 16,000 animals at the National Aquarium. The aquarium is home to everything from sharks to jellyfish. It also features daily 4-D immersion films where you can experience a new view of the animals.
4. Take a walk on the wild side by visting the elephants at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. They offer numerous animal experiences like feeding a giraffe or grooming a goat. As the third oldest zoo in America, it houses nearly 200 species of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles.
5. Visit the largest holdings of works by Henri Matisse in the world at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The museum was founded in 1914 and now has 90,000 works of art in its collections. Aside from the indoor exhibits, there are also two gardens displaying 20th century scultpture. Be sure to see the Antioch Mosaics exhibit.
6. In the 1920s, John W. Sherwood began planting tulips as a hobby. Today, 80,000 tulip bulbs are planted annually on the over six acres of Sherwood Gardens. Come enjoy the garden from any direction, as it isn’t enclosed by any gates or fences.
7. Although the Baltimore Orioles won’t be playing, you can still visit their stadium at the Camden Yards. You can take a tour of this historic stadium to see the dugout, control room, and much more! It is also located nearby the M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Ravens, 2013 Super Bowl Champions.
8. See a piece of American history by visiting the Fort McHenry National Monument. It was at this star-shaped fort that Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the Star-Bangled Banner during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814.
9. Learn something new by exploring the three levels of exhibits at the Maryland Science Center. You can see over a dozen full-size dinosaurs displayed, view the night sky in the planetarium, or watch films in the IMAX theater.
10. See a great view of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and skyline from Federal Hill Park. The park is part of a historic district of Baltimore since it was used as a lookout spot during both the War of 1812 and the Civil War. You should come prepared for walking since the options to get to the top are stairs or rolling hills.
