Known as "Charm City" since 1975, Baltimore charms visitors with its nearly 100 distinctive neighborhoods (some only a few square blocks), open green spaces and delicious steamed crabs. As the closest East Coast port for cruisers driving from Pittsburgh, Cleveland and points beyond, it's no wonder some 200,000 of the city's visitors are there to catch a cruise. With so much to see and do in Baltimore, a one-day pre- or post-cruise visit may not seem like a lot, but we've got a few suggestions for you to help you make the most of your one day in Baltimore.
After visiting the monument, take some time to explore Baltimore's neighborhoods, which abut each other shoulder to shoulder, with barely room for a shadow between them. Each is distinct but we recommend you start with Federal Hill, Fells Point (also spelled Fell's Point), Canton, Hampden, Harbor East and Roland Park.
If you'd rather be on the water (you are a cruiser, after all), hop the water taxi that navigates the harbor. It stops at 16 landings, including the aquarium, Harborplace, Science Center, Rusty Scupper, Pier Five, Harbor East, Maritime Park, Locust Point, Fells Point, Captain James Landing, Canton Waterfront Park and Fort McHenry. The boat operates weather permitting, and the schedule varies depending on the season, but usually starts at 11 a.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends.
Afternoon: Baltimore is blessed with three extraordinary art museums. The Baltimore Museum of Art (Charles Village, 10 Art Museum Drive), three miles north of the Inner Harbor (take bus route 3 or 11 to get there), is free to visit and showcases the extraordinary collection of sisters Claribel and Etta Cone, with works by Matisse (largest collection in the world), Picasso, Pissarro, Courbet and Degas. Also free and near the Inner Harbor is the Walters Art Museum (Mount Vernon, 600 N. Charles Street, stop 307 on the Charm City Circulator purple route) where you'll find an encyclopedic collection of art from the third millennium B.C. to the early 20th century. The third museum is the American Visionary Art Museum (Federal Hill, 800 Key Highway) just south of the Inner Harbor (stop 404 on the Banner Route of the Circulator). Here you'll find inventive interpretations of our world (real and otherwise) by artists who are self-taught.
Evening: Just because the sun goes down doesn't mean your one day in Baltimore is over. Once the sun sets, lights go up all around the city. Tourists crowd the bar scene at Power Plant Live, while locals catch a summertime game at Orioles Park at Camden Yards, a movie at the Charles or performances in the Hippodrome Theatre (Broadway road shows). Other evening options include concerts and theatrical productions at the Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric Opera House or Pier Six Concert Pavilion.