Celebrate the Holiday Season in Baltimore

My husband and I usually spend the holidays waxing nostalgia with family traditions and driving long hours visiting his side of the family, followed by a trip to visit my family. However, this year we’re taking a lovely break from all the hustle and bustle. We’re planning to relax and celebrate the holiday season with just our kids for a few days in the wonderful city of Baltimore.

Consider taking your family to celebrate the holiday season in Baltimore! Here are just a few of the highlights sure to get you and your family in the holiday spirit!

Where to Stay

Hampton Inn & Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor has several packages for the holiday season including Christmas Village, Ice skating Fun, Christmas Carol Package, New Year’s Eve Live and Ultimate Romance. The Royal Sonesta’s special holiday rate offers 20% in savings and Brookshire Suites is offering an Inner Harbor Winter Holiday Escape deal, complete with hot cocoa and Baltimore’s signature Berger cookie upon arrival.

Festive Sights To Explore

The Polar Express 4-D Experience at National Aquarium, Inner Harbor

Treat your family to an immersive movie experience and 4-D adventure with special effects like snow, wind, enhanced lighting and seat vibrations. The Polar Express 4-D Experience is based on the inspiring and beloved Caldecott Medal children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg.

PANDORA Ice Rink at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

Break the ice with the season’s best outdoor activity. The PANDORA ice rink is open daily, with special programming and events happening throughout the season including several holiday-themed events and programs including Costume Skates, Frost Fest, Pajama Skate, and SkateFest.

B&O’s Magical Holiday Express, December 1 – January 3

B&O’s Magical Holiday Express is a holiday spectacular celebration devoted to trains of all sizes and shapes, holiday festivities, and a winter wonderland of family fun and activities.

Christmas Village in Baltimore, West Shore Park in the Inner Harbor, Now until December 27

Modeled after the traditional Christmas markets in Germany, like the famous Christkindl Market in Nuremberg, Christmas Village in Baltimore offers a delightful Christmas shopping experience. The charm is enhanced with 60 German- inspired wooden huts and a heated festival tent, with vendors selling traditional European food, holiday gifts and high-quality arts and crafts. New in 2015, the village will be decorated for the first time with the traditional Herrnhuter Moravian stars imported directly from Germany.

Miracle on 34th Street, 34th Street, Hampden, Through January 1

One block in Hampden puts on a Christmas light display that is surely visible from space. Neighbors in this block of row houses string Christmas lights across 34th Street, inflatable snow globes, musical trains and blinking angels adorn homes – and a few even allow visitors to peek inside! The lights are on every night from Thanksgiving weekend to January 1, including all night on Christmas Eve.

 

The Holly Jolly Trolley, Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, December 4 through January 3

Step aboard the holiday trolley and enjoy the splendor of Baltimore’s holiday lights beginning in the Inner Harbor. The Holly Jolly Trolley will take you on a festive tour of Baltimore’s most decorated neighborhoods and attractions, such as Hamden to see the world famous 34th street annual Christmas Festival of Lights and the first monument to George Washington in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood.

 

12 Days of Science, Maryland Science Center, December 20 through December 31

Deck the halls, journey to the Arctic, build a winter wonderland—at the Maryland Science Center, kids will be able to participate in workshops, live demonstrations and hands-on building. If midnight is past your child’s bedtime, then the 8th annual Midnight Noon celebration will be the perfect way to ring in the New Year, with activities and a performance by popular kids band Milkshake.

Baltimore’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular, Inner Harbor, December 31

Celebrate the beginning of 2016 with friends, family, live music, a light show and spectacular fireworks. At the stroke of midnight, a bounty of color fills the sky above downtown Baltimore, leaving residents and visitors in awe.

New Year’s Eve Charm City Fireworks Cruise, Inner Harbor, December 31

Ring in the New Year with a cruise on Raven, the newest yacht in the Inner Harbor. Enjoy a night of dancing and celebrating with a view of Baltimore’s New Year’s Eve fireworks from the sparkling water.

{Special Thanks to Hampton Inn & Suites and Baltimore.org for partnering on this post!}