Baltimore
Around Baltimore
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Metro area · Maryland · 2.9M people
Baltimore
“Charm City”, “Bmore”, “Mobtown”
Baltimore · Columbia · Towson
Charm City: where the harbor lights meet the rowhouse glow.
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Welcome to Baltimore, where the harbor sparkles and the crabs are always steaming. Whether you're here for the sports, the history, or just the vibe, you'll find a city full of character and charm. Get ready to say 'hon' and enjoy the best of Charm City.
Clubs for Baltimore
No clubs for Baltimore yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Baltimore. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
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Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Baltimore. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Inner Harbor Iconic harbor with shops, restaurants, and attractions.
- Fort McHenry Historic fort that inspired the Star-Spangled Banner.
- Oriole Park at Camden Yards Beloved baseball stadium in the heart of the city.
- M&T Bank Stadium Home of the Baltimore Ravens.
- National Aquarium World-class aquarium with a shark tank and rainforest.
- Maryland Science Center Interactive science exhibits and planetarium.
- Outdoors Walk the Inner Harbor promenade
- Outdoors Kayak on the Chesapeake Bay
- With kids Visit the National Aquarium
- With kids Explore the Maryland Science Center
- Evenings Catch a show at the Hippodrome Theatre
- Evenings Bar-hop in Fells Point
- Locals love Crab houses
- Locals love Pit beef stands
Through the year
- Artscape July America's largest free arts festival, held in July.
- Preakness Stakes May The second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico Race Course.
- Maryland State Fair Late August to early September Annual fair with rides, livestock, and food at Timonium.
- Baltimore Running Festival October Marathon and races through the city streets.
- Maryland Film Festival May Independent film screenings and events in the Station North area.
Baltimore has four distinct seasons with hot, humid summers and mild winters. Best: Spring and fall are the best times to be outside, with mild temperatures and low humidity.
Talk like a local
- “Hon”
- Term of endearment, like 'hon' for honey.
- “Bawlmer”
- How locals pronounce Baltimore.
- “Natty Boh”
- National Bohemian beer, a local favorite.
- “Old Bay”
- Seasoning, also used as a verb (e.g., 'Old Bay it').
Getaways
- Washington DC Monuments, museums, and national landmarks.
- Easton, MD Charming Eastern Shore town with arts and waterfront.
- York, PA Historic town with antique shops and markets.
- Gettysburg, PA Civil War battlefield and history museums.
Local flavour
Teams
- Baltimore Ravens NFL
- Baltimore Orioles MLB
- Towson Tigers NCAA Division I
- UMBC Retrievers NCAA Division I
- Aberdeen IronBirds MiLB
Eat and drink
- Maryland crab cakes Often made with backfin or lump crab meat, seasoned with Old Bay.
- Old Bay seasoning A staple spice blend used on crabs, fries, and countless dishes.
- Pit beef sandwich Thinly sliced roasted beef, typically served with horseradish on a Kaiser roll.
- Berger cookies A local favorite: sugar cookies topped with a thick layer of fudge.
- National Bohemian beer (Natty Boh) A classic Baltimore lager, now a nostalgic icon.
- Steamed crabs Blue crabs seasoned with Old Bay and steamed, a summer tradition.
Where people go
- Crab houses Casual restaurants where crabs are steamed and eaten with mallets.
- Pit beef stands Roadside or market stands serving char-grilled pit beef sandwiches.
- Rowhouse neighborhoods Iconic brick rowhouses with marble steps, found throughout the city.
- The Inner Harbor A lively waterfront area with shops, restaurants, and historic ships.
- The Chesapeake Bay The vast estuary that defines Maryland's seafood culture and recreation.
- Neighborhood taverns Corner bars with a local feel, often serving Natty Boh.
- Historic markets Public markets like Lexington Market, offering local foods and goods.
Heritage and traditions
Baltimore is proud of its gritty, quirky, working-class character, its deep neighborhood pride, and its role as a birthplace of American history and culture, from the Star-Spangled Banner to the unique Baltimore accent and food traditions like crabs and Natty Boh.
This time of year in Baltimore
- Fells Point Fun Festival October Fall street festival.
- Fells Point Fun Festival October Music, crafts, and food in the historic waterfront neighborhood.
Say it like a local: “Dinnie” — How are you?
Festivals
- HonFest June Celebrates Baltimore's 'hon' culture with beehive hairdos and pink flamingos.
- Fells Point Fun Festival October Music, crafts, and food in the historic waterfront neighborhood.
- Baltimore Pride June One of the largest LGBTQ+ celebrations in the region.
- Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival September Celebrates African American heritage and history in Anne Arundel County.
- Maryland Seafood Festival September Features Maryland seafood, especially crabs.
- Baltimore Tattoo Arts Convention March Showcases tattoo artists and body art.
Landmarks with a story
- Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption First Catholic cathedral in the US, completed in 1821.
- Reginald F. Lewis Museum Dedicated to Maryland African American history and culture.
- The Walters Art Museum Houses a vast collection from ancient to modern art.
- American Visionary Art Museum Showcases outsider art and self-taught artists.
- B&O Railroad Museum Located in the historic Mount Clare station, birthplace of American railroading.
- Jewish Museum of Maryland Preserves Jewish history and heritage in the region.
Food traditions
- Crab feast A summer tradition of steaming hard-shell crabs with Old Bay, eaten with mallets on newspaper-covered tables.
- Lemon stick A Baltimore classic: a lemon with a peppermint stick used as a straw, often sold at fairs and stands.
- Snowballs Shaved ice with flavored syrup, often topped with marshmallow or cream, a summer staple.
- Coddies Fried codfish cakes served on saltine crackers with mustard, a historic working-class snack.
- Smith Island cake A layered yellow cake with chocolate frosting, Maryland's state dessert.
Music and arts
- Baltimore club music A genre of house music with a fast tempo, originating in the 1990s.
- 'Hon' culture The beehive hairdos and pink flamingos associated with Hampden.
- American Visionary Art Museum Celebrates outsider art.
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Professional orchestra performing at the Meyerhoff.
A little history
- 1814 Battle of Baltimore
- 1904 Great Baltimore Fire
- 1828 B&O Railroad
- 1813 Star-Spangled Banner flag
- 1950s Civil rights era
Rivalries
- Ravens vs Steelers Intense AFC North rivalry with hard-hitting games.
- Orioles vs Nationals Beltway Series between Maryland and DC teams.
- Towson Tigers vs UMBC Retrievers Local college basketball and lacrosse rivalry.
- Game day Ravens tailgating
- Game day Orioles 'O's' chant
- Outdoors Crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay
- Outdoors Sailing on the bay
- With kids B&O Railroad Museum
- With kids Walters Art Museum
The Baltimore accent, known as Baltimorese, features a distinct vowel shift where 'o' sounds become 'aw' (e.g., 'dog' becomes 'dawg') and 'a' sounds become 'o' (e.g., 'Baltimore' becomes 'Bawlmer'). It's a working-class accent with a friendly, direct tone.
Only here
- Hon culture - Beehive hairdos and pink flamingos in Hampden.
- Bromo Seltzer Tower - A clock tower shaped like a Bromo-Seltzer bottle.
- Baltimore accent - Unique vowel sounds that distinguish locals.
- Star-Spangled Banner origin - Written during the Battle of Baltimore.
New here? A few tips
- Learn to eat crabs with a mallet and use Old Bay.
- Try pit beef and snowballs.
- Understand the accent: it's 'Bawlmer,' not 'Baltimore.'
- Be ready for humidity in summer.
- Explore neighborhoods beyond the Inner Harbor: Fells Point, Hampden, Federal Hill.
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Part of Washington–Baltimore
Nearby
Every areaChestertownMarylandWhere the bay meets small-town rhythmWashington DCDistrict of ColumbiaCherry blossoms and corner storesEastonMarylandChesapeake calm, Eastern Shore soul.YorkPennsylvaniaFirst capital, forever homeGettysburgPennsylvaniaA place where every field has a story.DentonMarylandWhere the Choptank runs slow and the harvest runs deep.LancasterPennsylvaniaLocal rooms for Lancaster County.CambridgeMarylandSmall town, big water
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.