Baltimore, Maryland’s Inner Harbor has changed drastically since its earliest days in the late 18th century when it was a bustling port for trade, oyster canning and ship building. While the area is still alive with activity today, it’s of the tourist variety, as the neighborhood is home to nearly 8,000 hotel rooms, hundreds of restaurants and some of the city’s biggest landmark attractions.
View the city from the water while enjoying a boat ride. Board the speedboat Seadog for high-octane thrills through the harbor and down the Patapsco River. Things slow down throughout the 50-minute narrated tour to provide details about surrounding landmarks. Spirit Cruises follows a similar route, but its boats include such amenities as dance floors, DJs, open-air lounges and food and bar service. In addition to 45-minute narrated trips, Cruises on the Bay by Watermark has evening cocktail and city lights cruises.
Port Discovery Children's Museum covers three stories and is home to an assortment of interactive exhibits. Kids have the chance to experience such activities as climbing through a three-story treehouse and working in a restaurant, convenience store and gas station. Children can also run through obstacle courses, solve mysteries and create artwork. The museum is geared to little ones up to 10 years of age. Maryland Science Center is a massive 170,000-square-foot facility whose exhibits explore such topics as dinosaurs, energy and space exploration. The attached IMAX theater showcases science-based films while the planetarium examines the solar system via family-friendly laser and light shows.
Celebrate historic military vessels with a visit to Historic Ships in Baltimore. The facility is home to such famed ships as the USS Constellation, an 1855 war ship; USS Torsk, a World War II submarine; and US Coast Guard Cutter Taney, built and used in the 1930s. All of the ships are docked near each other in the harbor and alongside the 19th-century Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse. Explore the waters of the world without getting wet. The National Aquarium is home to 17,000 animals, including over 750 species of amphibians, birds, fish and reptiles. Peek in on the emerald tree boa in the Amazon River Forest exhibit, watch a colony of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins frolic in the Dolphin Discovery zone and come face to face with fierce predators at Shark Alley. The aquarium also has a 4-D theater that shows animal-themed films.
Enjoy an afternoon of leisurely shopping at Harborplace and the Gallery, an outdoor shopping complex set alongside the water. The area includes nearly 40 shops and restaurants, including everything from elegant sit-down dining establishments to fast-food eateries. Crews of street performers entertain visitors in the outdoor pavilion. The mall sits right next to the Baltimore World Trade Center. Take the elevator to the building’s 27th floor and enjoy the 360-degree view of the city and harbor from the Top of the World observation deck.
