The Walters Art Museum
The Walters Art Museum opened in 1934 with the intent to publicly display the artworks and sculptures collected by the Walters family in the 19th century. Its collection of art and its building have expanded and continue to welcome visitors from around the world.
Among the delights of The Walters Art Museum are ancient Egyptian statues weighing 3,000 pounds, a notable collection of Greek sculptures and Roman sarcophagi, medieval art including works on ivory, Art Nouveau jewelry, and paintings by some of the worlds most famous artists, including Raphael, El Greco, Monet, and Manet. The museums collection of Thai bronzes and scrolls is one of the largest in the world. Guided tours are available for families and school groups, and restless children and their parents will find respite in the creative Family Art Center.
600 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, Phone: 410-247-9000
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Brahma Kumaris Meditation Museum
If you want something totally unique, check out the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Museum, located on Georgia Avenue. This one is certainly unique the museum offers spaces for meditation, classes on mindfulness and meditation, and exhibits on the history and study of meditation. Even if youre a doubter, its
Historic Ships In Baltimore
Historic Ships in Baltimore is a collection of four military vessels from different periods of American history. The USS Constellation is a frigate that served from 1797-1853, protecting American commerce interests in the Caribbean. The US Coast Guard Cutter Taney, built in the mid-1930s, was used extensively in war and at peace. USS Torsk is a submarine that saw service in the Pacific in World War II, and Lightship 116 Chesapeake was a vessel used by the U.S. Lighthouse Service.
You can also learn about the ships importance throughout military history. For school and scouting groups, there are overnight adventures available. Multi-ship tickets are the least expensive way to experience these pieces of living history.
Pier 1, 301 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, Phone: 410-539-1797
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Tour The Historic Ships In Baltimore
@Historic Ships in Baltimore
Rating: 4.7
Entry Ticket: Adults: $19.95, Seniors, Military, and Students: $17.95, Children: $7.95, Ages 4 and Under: Free
Address: 301 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
- Book tours in advance
- Allow 2 hours
An exceptional experience awaits you with a tour of the Historic Ships of Baltimore, allowing you to be transported to the 19th-century life at sea as you explore numerous military vessels.
Board the USS Constellation and participate in a rifle drill, explore the ships four decks, additionally perusing the gun deck, visiting the Captains Cabin, and stopping by the galley.
Take a tour of more modern vessels, such as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, submarine, and Lightship, where you can learn about the duties of the crews, tour exhibits, and explore the decks.
Along with the maritime vessels, youll want to visit the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, which operated until 1948 and offers exhibits and a spectacular view of Baltimore Harbor.
Sports In Columbia Md
Dont love anything we are throwing at you yet? Spend an afternoon at Skyzone Trampoline Park flying high, or at ShadowLand Laser Adventures on Red Branch Road playing laser tag with your closest friends .
If you want a kid-friendly outdoor activity, check out the Columbia Sports Park, which has batting cages, a clubhouse, a skate park, and several pavilions.
If you want something a little more thrilling, check out Main Event located inside the Columbia Mall. Main Event has arcade machines, games, food, and more.
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Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
The 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse is the visual centerpiece of a collection of historic buildings and boats that illustrate life and work on the Chesapeake Bay since the Native Americans hollowed out logs for canoes.
In the Small Boat Shed, you can see working and recreational watercraft used throughout the bay’s history, including early settlers’ adaptations of Native American canoes to use for fishing and oystering.
At Waterman’s Wharf, hands-on and audio exhibits draw visitors into the world of oystermen and crabbers in a typical shanty and onboard an oystering skipjack. You can also visit the former home of Eliza Bailey Mitchell, sister of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and an Heirloom Garden of kitchen and medicinal plants cultivated along the bay since Native American times. A working boatyard continues boat-building and repair traditions as staff maintains the museum’s Floating Fleet.
The Chesapeake Bay hosts one of the world’s great bird migrations as hundreds of thousands of water, shore, and song birds shelter in its shoreline marshes each spring and fall. Along with hunting and birding, this migration has given rise to an entire genre of waterfowl art. You can see exhibits here on the waterfowl, while each November in nearby Easton, the Easton Waterfowl Festival is the country’s premier wildlife art show.
Address: 213 North Talbot Street, St. Michaels, Maryland
Grab Tickets To A Nationals Baseball Game
During the spring and all summer long, Nationals Park is a great place to spend your afternoon or evening. Tickets can be very cheap and the stadium is filled with a wide variety of food options. Nats Park, home of the 2019 World Series champions, always hosts a lively game with an energetic crowd.
Keep an eye out for giveaway nights and ask your hotel concierge for any ticket deals they have heard about before you buy.
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Maryland Vacation: Cylburn Arboretum
Cylburn Arboretum is an oasis of greenery in the middle of Baltimore. The property is 207 acres, 150 of which are wooded. The beautiful nature trail welcomes dogs on leashes and is interspersed with plantings of wildflowers to make the trail even more of a visual treat.
The arboretum has twenty different gardens featuring a wide variety of flowers, and there are several tree gardens, some of which have been on site for over one hundred years. Japanese maples, gingkos, small conifers, beeches, magnolias, hollies, and weeping cherries are some of the jewels of the tree collections. The flowers include arrays of roses, daylilies, dahlias, tree peonies, and azaleas. The Baltimore Bird Club operates out of the arboretum and welcomes new members interested in the bird life of the region.
4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, Phone: 410-367-2217
Movies On North Beach
Source: visitmaryland
Why not combine two of the best pastimes into one? North Beach offers both the relaxation of the ocean breeze and the sound of the waves, along with a big screen that brings the comfort of your living to the outdoors! A perfect activity for beach lovers and movie buffs, North Beach is popular with locals and visitors alike, and is free and open to all!
Enjoy kicking back on the sand in front of a large, inflatable screen. Whether you lounge on a blanket or bring your own chair, its one of the best outdoors movie environments around. You can even combine movie night with browsing the shops or grabbing a burger to bring with you to the beach! Check the North Beach website for movie listings and times and enjoy this budget friendly and fun activity!
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Chesapeake And Ohio Canal
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Do you like sun-dappled bike paths through shaded tree groves?
Have you ever wandered around the locks and levels of a gigantic stone aqueduct?
With the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, you can experience the huge, sweeping scale of a European backpacking trip without the fuss of traveling abroad.
It covers more than 184 miles through Maryland and Virginia, and it comes a hairs breadth within Pennsylvania as well, so its ideal for travelers who like scenic places in ever-changing landscapes.
The most common way to enjoy the sights is to take a road trip through its houses, parks, bridges, tunnels and canal ports.
However, you can also bike or backpack it to explore its many points of interest at your leisure.
On foot, itll take about five days to complete the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal trail.
Make sure to plan your trip accordingly.
You might be able to start it this weekend, but finishing it will be another story!
Address: 205 W Potomac St, Derwood, MD 21795, United States
Breakfast And Books At Kramers
Breakfast can be one of the cheapest meals of the day when you are on a budget but still want to have a fun date. Kramers Books serves breakfast all day, so you can grab your eggs and browse books anytime of the day, making this a double header date.
After all, you can learn a lot about a person by what they read, so this just might be the best second date out there.
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Things To See In Maryland: Monocacy National Battlefield
The site of The Battle that saved Washington, the Monocacy National Battlefield commemorates the American Civil War battle that was fought on July 9, 1864. General Jubal Early commanded the victorious southern forces, while General Lew Wallace was the head of the Union force. Jubal Earlys strategy was to fight battles throughout the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland in order to divert Union forces from General Robert E. Lees army, which was under siege in Petersburg, Virginia.
Visitors can see all of the important battle sites from the comfort of their own car with an audio tour they can download onto their smartphone. The battlefield also has six hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty, and a visitors center with exhibits about the American Civil War.
4632 Araby Church Road, Frederick, Maryland 21704, Phone: 301-662-3515
Kenilworth Park And Aquatic Gardens
Kristi Blokhin / Shutterstock
If youre looking for unusual tourist spots in Washington, DC, consider the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens.
Theyre captivatingly beautiful, but theyre definitely not your average park!
What sets them apart is their water-based plant life.
They offer several species that are quite rare for the region, including waterlilies, lotus blossoms and water hyacinths.
Some of these plants are located within Kenilworth Marsh, the only remaining tidal marsh in DC.
Another source of entertainment is the annual Lotus and Water Lily Festival.
Its a two-day event held at the park, and it offers games, tours, dances, cultural lessons, fashion shows, wildlife experiences and more.
If youve ever admired the beauty of a floating heart or the hidden meaning of a lotus flower, youll definitely want to check out the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens.
Its a must do for nature enthusiasts in general, but its particularly special for folks who like to explore little-known places and find hidden gems during their vacations.
Address: 1550 Anacostia Ave NE, Washington, DC 20019, United States
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Coffee Shops In Columbia Md
Columbia also has great coffee. Grab a cup from Mad City Coffee by Howard Community College, or coffee plus a handmade pastry at Roggenart on Dobbin.
Café Mezcla is a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that offers sandwiches and amazing crepes. Its not big or fancy, but its a local favorite for low-key breakfast and brunch.
Images courtesy of Karmen Osei/ Howard County Tourism Promotion
Best Things To Do In Maryland
, one of America’s smallest states, sits on the Atlantic shore on historic Chesapeake Bay not far from Washington, D.C. This lovely state has it all: big city excitement in Baltimore, sandy beaches, amusement parks, breweries, lakes, forested mountains, waterfalls, and thriving wetlands. It is a state popular with sailors and beachgoers, and nature lovers come here for the variety of outdoor settings. We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.
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C& o Canal National Historical Park
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a great place for nature and history lovers to spend a day. The canal stretches 184.5 miles and can be accessed at several different locations. Activities include hiking, biking, boating, ranger-led programs, canal boat rides, fishing, horseback riding and more.
The C& O Canal was built along the Potomac River to provide a route to transport coal from the Allegheny Mountains. It stretched from Cumberland, MD to Washington, D.C. The canal was used heavily from 1831 to 1924, but it was abandoned after damaging floods in 1924 and 1936. The canal sat idle for many years before becoming recognized as a national monument in 1961 and then a national historic park in 1971.
You can access the canal via six Visitor Centers along the route. The access point in Washington, D.C. is located close to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The next closest access point is at Great Falls Tavern in Potomac, MD, about 13 miles from D.C. Find out more about the park and where you can access it on the National Park website.
Ocean City Beach And Boardwalk
Looking for a bit of hustle and bustle? Head to Ocean City, Maryland and walk the crazy and fun boardwalk. With shops, restaurants, and a lively amusement park pier, get wonderfully lost and try the famous thrashers fries in Ocean City!
Bring your beach towels and enjoy a day at the beach, with endless fun and exciting crowds. This family-friendly beach town will offer activities for all and memorable moments to share with loved ones.
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Maryland Activities: Calvert Marine Museum
The Calvert Marine Museum is situated at the estuary of the Patuxent River where it meets Chesapeake Bay. The museum, founded in 1970, spreads over several acres and encompasses two lighthouses, a saltmarsh, and maritime frontage for displaying Chesapeake Bay boats. The Drum Point lighthouse is one of only three remaining along Chesapeake Bay, and it is a museum and National Historic Landmark.
The Cove Point Lighthouse is still active and traditionally used by the U.S. Coast Guard. Visitors can opt to sail down the Patuxent River in a bugeye, which is an oyster dredging boat, or they can walk the boardwalks above the saltmarsh. The J.C. Lore House, also a National Historic Landmark, walks visitors through the history of oyster processing and its vital importance to Marylands economy.
14200 Solomon Island Road, Solomons, Maryland 20688, Phone: 410-326-2042
The Mansion On O Street
The Mansion on O Street isnt actually a mansion.
Its a series of brownstones connected by cluttered rooms, creaky staircases, secret doors, winding passageways and floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with everything from rare books to antique dining sets.
Its partly a museum, partly a junk shop and wholly a place where you can have fun in Washington DC.
With more than 100 rooms in total, youll have your work cut out for you when it comes to exploring the labyrinth.
You might enter this weekend and not emerge until next weekend.
Its that complex.
Once you embrace a perpetual feeling of being lost, however, youll have a blast.
There are all kinds of odds and ends to appreciate as you wander from room to room, and special events include tours, treasure hunts, musical performances, book readings and more.
A lot of the goods are on sale, too, so you can take home some of the worlds weirdest souvenirs.
Consider a trip to the Mansion on O Street if youre looking for fun things to do that arent in your typical travel guide.
It might be one of the lesser-known options for Washington DC attractions, but considering its strange, secretive nature, thats rather fitting!
Address: 2020 O St NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States
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Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
The C& O Canal operated from 1828-1924 as a transportation route, primarily hauling coal along the Potomac River to Georgetown. Hundreds of locks, lock houses, and aqueducts are still standing as reminders of the canal’s role as a transportation system during the Canal Era. The canal follows the route of the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, MD.
Bordering the canal are the well-maintained towpaths, where mules and horses once labored to pull barges through the canal. The route is now a park, and the towpath is a favorite for walking and cycling, and in certain parts, for horseback riding. In most places, the route is shaded by trees, which give way frequently to reveal views of the Potomac River.
All along the route are locks, lock-keepers’ cottages, and the remains of canal buildings. Perhaps the most interesting of these examples of canal architecture is the Monocacy Aqueduct, a seven-arched stone bridge that carried the canal across the Monocacy River. Built between 1828 and 1833, the 536-foot-long aqueduct is an icon of the canal and of transportation history.
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
If youre thinking about where to visit in Maryland to get away from it all, youll want to put on your hiking boots and enter the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
Not only does it boast a beautifully remote landscape thats free of phones, televisions and radio towers, but its also home to dozens of native wildlife species.
Birds migrate across the marshes.
Bucks dash through the forests.
If luck is on your side, you might even catch a glimpse of the Delmarva fox squirrel, a rare creature that was only recently removed from the endangered species list.
Other activities at the refuge include fishing, hiking, cycling, boating and even hunting.
If youre traveling with younguns, the visitor center has lots of kid-friendly events like puppet shows and archery lessons.
If youre handy with a camera, there are guided tours of the best photography spots.
At the end of the day, however, the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge isnt one of those busy vacation spots where things are always happening.
Its a quiet, tranquil kind of place where you go to escape the noise of the big cities.
Thats why its called a refuge.
Address: 2185 T Wallace Drive Route 1, Cambridge, MD 21613, United States
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