Baltimore is an amazing city to visit with kids! It’s less than a one hour drive from DC, making it the perfect one day road trip destination and even a weekend staycation!
Baltimore is absolutely one of my family’s favorite places to enjoy quality time with our kids. love the walkability of the beautiful Inner Harbor. The water-focused neighborhood offers a ton of fantastic kid-oriented museums, transportation themed museums, family friendly restaurants, boat rides and other attractions! I absolutely LOVE this city!
The transportation doesn’t begin at the museums. From arriving by Amtrak train to catching a water taxi to light rail to regular taxi cabs, your entire weekend could be a glorious car-free trip!
Discover
Light City: A Festival of Light, Music & Innovation (March 28 – April 6, 2016)
Premiering in 2016, Light City Baltimore is the first large-scale, international light festival in the United States. Light City Baltimore will feature 28 original innovative art installations from local, national and international artists placed along a 1.5 mile waterfront art walk, 50 concerts and 100 live performances, all complimentary. Light City’s large-scale light displays will illuminate Baltimore in a spectacular display — as a celebration unlike anything the country has seen before, it’s a not-to-miss event for those looking to feed their creativity. In addition to art displays, live performances highlighting an array of artistic expression including poetry, puppetry, music, dance and theater, another element of Light City is Light City U. This ticketed one-of-a-kind innovation conference will provide an opportunity to interact with influencers and visionaries who power social change.
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore: The Maryland Zoo is where the wild things snore! Join other zoo-loving folks for one of the upcoming family sleepovers being held at the Zoo in 2016. Sleepover guests will explore the Zoo in the dark with expert staff guides to learn about African penguins, polar bears, African reptiles and mammals, and some of the native nocturnal animals that roam Druid Hill Park. Families with children ages 6 and up are welcome to join in the fun!
The National Aquarium: One of Inner Harbor’s most popular attractions, the National Aquarium features an incredible 20,000 animals in award-winning habitats. Explore a tropical rainforest, the animals of the Australian Outback, an Atlantic coral reef, hundreds of jellyfish, 4D immersion films and their newest exhibit the “Living Seashore”. Special add-on tours give you a behind-the-scenes look at life in the aquarium. Care to toe a catwalk just inches from swimming sharks? Or perhaps you’re dreaming of a sleepover with dolphins. You’ll need several hours to peruse this Baltimore aquarium, and you’ll love every minute of it.
See kinetic & kooky art at the American Visionary Art Museum
Ride the first mile of rail ever placed in America at the B&O Railroad Museum
Visit a real submarine, frigate, lightship, cutter and a 7 foot lighthouse at the Baltimore Maritime Museum
Ride in several antique trolleys at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum
Go nuts for science at the Maryland Science Center
Spend time with the little ones exploring at Port Discovery children’s museum
Take a water taxi to your next stop
Catch a game or take a tour at Oriole Park
Enjoy Free Family Sundays programs at the Baltimore Museum of Art
Relive the story at the Star Spangled Banner Flag House
Become a “Powder Monkey” on the USS Constellation
Visit the birthplace of Babe Ruth
Explore the huge comic book and pop culture collection at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum
Visit the birthplace of the American National Anthem, Fort McHenry
EAT
- Feel like you’ve teleported to Italy at Amicci’s in Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood
- Go off your diet & treat yourself & the family to the canollis at Vaccaro’s Italian Pastry Shop
- Savor the world famous crab cakes at Faidley’s inside the Lexington Market
- Grab a slice at Baltimore’s first pizzeria ever, Matthew’s Pizza
- Enjoy a scrumptious Southern-style brunch at Miss Shirley’s
TIPS
In Baltimore, you’ll want to stroll through the Inner Harbor and Harbor East, and historic neighborhoods like Fells Point, Federal Hill and Little Italy. Pack your most comfortable walking shoes. While Baltimore is both casual and fancy, there’s a really cool hipster vibe. Dress in layers like a tank, long sleeve top, jeans, scarf and a beanie or wear a nice v-neck, a dressy jacket and jeans with really trendy boots. For kids, anything goes. In the summer, you’ll want to remember sunscreen and in winter, you’ll definitely want to make sure everyone’s nice and bundled!
Happy Traveling!
If you have any questions or tips about Baltimore that you’d like to share, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!
{Editor’s Note: Thank-you to Baltimore.org and Hampton Inn/Inner Harbor for partnering on this post. All opinions are my own.}
