About Baltimore

Baltimore (visit Baltimore city's official web site) is a spirited city-a unique blend of historic charm, ethnic heritage and urban vitality. In the midst of a sweeping renaissance that has brought a lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere, Baltimore has retained the distinctive flavor of its past as a port city on the Chesapeake Bay.

The nationally acclaimed Inner Harbor is the centerpiece of the City's renaissance. Surrounded by such landmarks as the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, the U.S.S. Constellation and the Baltimore Maritime Museum, the Inner Harbor is a waterfront showcase featuring shops, restaurants, harbor cruises and a variety of activities year-round. Summer brings a splash of colorful festivals celebrating Baltimore's cultural and ethnic heritage. The highlight of the season is the City Fair, said to be the largest urban festival in the world.

Fort McHenry, birthplace of "The Star- Spangled Banner," offers a glimpse of Baltimore's past, as do the B&O Museum, which celebrates the inception of the railroad, the Maryland Historical Society, Peale Museum and Carroll Mansion. Visits to the homes of Edgar Allen Poe, Babe Ruth and H.L. Mencken provide a look into the lives of some of Baltimore's most famous citizens.

Baltimore's cultural scene is as diverse and lively as the City itself. The Meyerhoff Symphony Hall is home of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The elegant Lyric Opera House, the Peabody Conservatory and the outdoor stages at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Pier 6 and Oregon Ridge play host to every musical taste from classical and jazz to country music and rock. Theater-goers will find the bright lights of Broadway at the Morris Mechanic Theater. Center Stage, the City's outstanding repertory company, as well as the Theatre Project, Arena Players and numerous dinner theaters offer a wide variety of entertaining productions from classic and contemporary to modern dance and experimental performance works.

For lovers of the visual arts, the renowned Cone Collection of early 20th-century works by Matisse and Picasso is housed at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The Walters Art Gallery holds a magnificent collection of Oriental, Egyptian and European art and artifacts. Exhibitions at the Maryland Institute College of Art and numerous private galleries around town make for a lively contemporary art scene.

Sports fans occasionally enjoy pennant-winning Orioles baseball, the Ravens football team and the Blast indoor soccer team along with the yearly Governor's Cup yacht race on the Chesapeake Bay. The Preakness, second jewel in the Triple Crown of horse-racing, is run each year at Pimlico Race Course. Hopkins lacrosse and University of Maryland football also enliven the local sports scene.

AMTRAK services Baltimore at the newly renovated Penn Station, five minutes from the Hospital. There is frequent service to Washington, D.C. (30-minute trip), Philadelphia (1 1 1/2-hour trip) and New York (2 1/2-hour). The Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) is 15 minutes from the city and offers a full range of national and international flights daily.