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Baltimore offers endless entertainment options, from live music and museums to stage, screen and sports events. Visitors often begin their stay in “Charm City with a trip to the Inner Harbor, which offers a wonderful preview of all that Baltimore has to offer. The area is home to many restaurants, shops and museums, as well as the waterfront Pier Six Concert Pavilion.
Music
For classical music, of course, there is always the Baltimore Symphony and recitals, opera, and new work at the Peabody Institute. In the summer, the Symphony performs at Oregon Ridge Park in suburban Cockeysville (Baltimore County). The outdoor venue offers visitors a wonderful opportunity to enjoy great music in a serene atmosphere. Visitors who enjoy opera will love the historic Lyric Opera House, home of the Baltimore Opera Company.
Live music on a smaller scale is easy to find in bars and restaurants around town, or on summer nights by the Harbor. For classic rock-n-roll, the most famous room around is Fletcher's, in the historic waterfront neighborhood of Fells Point. This outdoor club plays booming music and attracts a mostly college-age crowd. If Fletcher's is too crowded, or you don't like the music, just walk through Fells Point until you find what you want; it's there somewhere, in one of the many bars along the cobblestones. At Bertha's, in the heart of Fells Point, you’re likely to find a live jazz or folk band playing. There's also plenty of Irish music performed at other restaurants in the neighborhood, if you want something lively but not as loud.
Sports
For sports, the city offers everything from biking and hiking to baseball, football and golf. The Baltimore metropolitan area also has horse racing at Pimlico Race Course on the city’s northwestern border, indoor volleyball courts at Volleyball House in nearby Columbia and swimming at Arundel Olympic Swim Center in Annapolis.
There's major league baseball at the downtown Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. At nearby PSINet Stadium, fans of the National Football League can watch the Ravens play. Both stadiums are within easy walking distance of the Inner Harbor and downtown business district.
If biking or skating is more your style, be sure to take advantage of the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail in beautiful Anne Arundel County, about 20 minutes south of Baltimore by car. The 13-mile paved trail stretches from suburban Glen Burnie to Annapolis, affording bicyclists, skaters and walkers a respite from the hustle and bustle of Baltimore's encroaching suburbs.
Hikers will enjoy spending a day at the Earth Treks Climbing Center in Columbia (Howard County). It is the East Coast’s largest indoor climbing center, featuring a state-of-the-art, 13,250-square-foot climbing surface that resembles a southwestern canyon with 44-foot high cliffs.
If you prefer to spend time outdoors, try golfing. You’ll find a range of courses, from the city’s Carroll Park Municipal Golf Course, a 12-hole, par 40 course, to the more challenging Diamond Ridge 18-hole, par 71 course owned and operated by Baltimore County.
Theater and Cinema
Film buffs will relish Baltimore’s landmark theaters: The Charles Theater and the Senator Theater. The former has been a fixture of the city’s cinema scene since 1939; the latter has been named one of the top four theaters in the country.
If stage performances are more to your liking, try to catch a performance at Center Stage in downtown Baltimore. This respected regional theater consistently offers high-quality productions on its two stages, the Head Theater and the Pearlstone Theater.
Museums and Galleries
The Baltimore region is home to many museums and art galleries. No matter what your interests—sports, western, Asian or African art, the Civil War or even dentistry—you’re likely to find a museum in or near Charm City that’s dedicated to it.
No trip to Baltimore would be complete without a visit to the Walters Art Gallery. This downtown gallery boasts a collection that spans nearly the entire history of Western art. The Walters also houses one of the largest collections of traditional Asian art in the United States. Fans of modern American artists will delight in the nearby Baltimore Museum of Art.
If African art peaks your interest, you won’t want to miss the African Art Museum of Maryland in Columbia, a 20-minute drive from downtown Baltimore.
Civil War buffs will enjoy spending an afternoon at the Baltimore Civil War Museum. It chronicles the story of the first casualties of the Civil War, as well as Baltimore’s role in the underground railroad.
Sports fans will love the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum. It features Babe’s boyhood bat, the score card from his first professional game and Orioles team memorabilia.
Visitors with more eclectic interests might enjoy visiting the National Museum of Dentistry, Mud and Metal, which sells alternative art objects, or the smaller art galleries in Baltimore. Many, including the Watermark Gallery and the Art Gallery of Fells Point display the work of local artists. The Baltimore Streetcar Museum and B & O Railroad Museum are also worth visiting.
Children’s Attractions
Charm City is a wonderful place to bring the kids for a day of fun. Be sure to visit Port Discovery, where children can climb, crawl and slide through a treehouse or learn to make their own jewelry. A trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore is also sure to be a hit with the young and young at heart. Entertainment at this Inner Harbor attraction includes a simulated rainforest and regularly scheduled dolphin shows. The nearby Maryland Science Center will inspire curious children with interactive exhibits that focus on physics, marine biology and astronomy.
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