Local Area Attractions

While visiting Baltimore and the Space Telescope Science Institute, you may also wish to visit other local area attractions:

	The Baltimore Museum of Art boasts galleries dedicated to modern and contemporary art; European sculpture and painting; American painting and decorative arts; prints and photographs; arts of Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania; and the 2.7-acre sculpture garden with 35 major works by Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, and others. Highlights include the West Wing for Contemporary Art with work by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns; early American decorative arts with an emphasis on Maryland; and European art that includes impressionist paintings by Monet and Degas as well as a collection of the Old Masters. The museum offers a summer jazz series in the sculpture garden.
	Baltimore's Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction and iconic landmark of the city. The harbor is also the number one tourist destination in Baltimore. The harbor is within walking distance of a number of attractions such as the Gallery at Harborplace, the U.S.S. Constellation, the National Aquarium with its new Australian habitat annex, Federal Hill, or Oriole Park at Camden Yards. There are also water taxis that service the neighborhoods of of Fells Point and Canton, as well as Fort McHenry.
	Housing more than 10,500 creatures, the National Aquarium in Baltimore exhibits—in their naturalistic habitats—such marine life as stingrays, small sharks, sea turtles, bullfrogs, phytoplankton, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and puffins. Located along the harbor, the seven-story glass structure also contains a large walk-through rainforest exhibit. You can also catch an up-close view of dolphins as they leap and tumble with Aquarium trainers in the Dolphin Show.
	Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the beautiful baseball-only facility in downtown Baltimore, is home to the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore's major-league baseball franchise. The one-time railroad center is 12 minutes west by foot from the City's Inner Harbor and only 2 blocks from the birthplace of baseball's most legendary hero, George Herman "Babe" Ruth. Oriole Park is state-of-the-art yet unique, traditional and intimate in design. It blends with the urban context of downtown Baltimore while taking its image from baseball parks built in the early 20th century. An arched brick facade, an asymmetrical playing field, and natural grass turf are just some of the features that tie it to the big league ballparks built in the early 1900's.
	The American Visionary Arts Museum is one of the most interesting and unusual museums in the country thanks to its unique premise: it is the only museum in the country restricted to works by self-taught artists. Six interior galleries are organized by theme inside this renovated warehouse, and the ticket price includes a stroll through a lovely sculpture garden dotted with wildflowers. The renowned Joy America Café is on-site; a visit to the museum and the restaurant is highly recommended.
	Located southeast of the Inner Harbor, Fort McHenry is best known for its role in the writing of the national anthem - Francis Scott Key watched the flag wave above this fort during the 1814 Battle of Baltimore and was moved to write his moving tribute to the Stars and Stripes. After that fateful day, when the American forces stood firm, the fort continued as a military base but it never again faced attack. A guided tour and a short film tell the fascinating stories behind the fort.
	The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American railroading and its impact on American society, culture and economy. Home to the oldest and most comprehensive collection of railroad artifacts in the Western Hemisphere, the museum includes an unparalleled roster of 19th and 20th century railroad equipment. A full affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

For more information on Baltimore attractions and events, visit the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association web site.