Top 10 Must-See Attractions in Baltimore

Baltimore has some fantastic things to do. And it came as a surprise to me that so many Baltimore attractions are very photogenic. This is a great city full of fantastic stuff to explore and you'll need to re-charge your phone or camera battery at the end of the day.

BaltimorePhoto byIrina SitnikovaonUnsplash

1. Graffiti Alley

I love a bit of street art – so photogenic. For Baltimore graffiti artists there is only one area of the entire city where it is legal for them to practice their trade – otherwise, they face up to 3 years in prison or a $2,500 fine.

Baltimore Graffiti Alley is located a bit north-west of Penn Station behind The Motor House Theatre and one of the Baltimore Points of Interest.

The area was purchased by Graffiti Warehouse and it was their decision to allow the area to be a haven for local artists. The entire L shaped area is regularly repainted and everything from the floor to the rubbish bins are covered in graffiti.

It is now one of the Baltimore Maryland attractions focussed on the arts. As someone from Melbourne, this reminded me of Hosier Lane – but there were far fewer tourists. I got some great shots here and highly recommend adding Graffiti Alley to your sightseeing in Baltimore list.

2. Hampden

Formerly a blue-collar community Hampden is now the hipster place to be. Hampden has some gorgeous streets with super cute brick rowhouses. I started my visit to Hampden at the fantastic Artifact Coffee.

From Artifact, I then did the 15-minute walk to “The Avenue” or West 36^th street which is the main thoroughfare of Hampden. There are loads of super cute shops, cafes and interesting murals in this stretch. Don’t miss some of the fabulously names shops like a Ma Petite Shoe.

Over the yoga studio is one of circa 30 “Love” Murals that are throughout Baltimore. Four separate hands spell out the letters of love. One of the fun things to do in Baltimore is to track down as many of these Love murals as possible.

Café Hon is one of the best-known spots on the street due to great food and its giant pink flamingo adornment. As you head down west 36^th you will see the Charmery on your right, a deliciously upmarket ice cream store.

Walk down the road it is on the corner of and you will see these gorgeous blue walls and a well known Hampden local mural “Stay Humble Baltimore”.

3. The Painted Ladies Baltimore

Charles Village is a lovely Baltimore neighbourhood and the home of the world-famous John Hopkins University. The majority of the area is 2 and 3 level row houses.

In 1998 residents of the area were given the challenge to paint the facades of their homes in unusual colours and within 5 years more than 100 “painted ladies” appeared in the neighborhood. The Painted Ladies are now one of the popular Baltimore MD attractions.

The Painted Ladies appear throughout the area, particularly in the sub-area of Charles Village known as Abell and on Guilford and North Calvert Streets. I took all my shots on North Calvert between 26^th and 30^th streets – do let me know if you find a more prime patch!

4. American Visionary Art Museum

This is a hard museum to describe. Let’s start with the fact that it is in a rather extraordinary building. The home of the American Visionary Art Museum is a mix of mosaics and bricks and glass and stunning features and wow there is just a lot of stuff going on – including a glass tree on the sidewalk.

Once inside the American Art Visionary Museum there are multiple insta worth exhibits from glass bunnies to the helpful duck in a tie to Mae west to my favourites – the amazing over the top floats of the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race (May 5). This was one of my favourite places to see in Baltimore.

5. Sherwood Gardens

I was lucky enough to visit in the spring and gosh was the Sherwood Gardens Baltimore in bloom. This is Baltimore’s Keukenhof. The Sherwood gardens are a privately owned community park and free to visit.

Sherwood Gardens are best known for its spring tulips but also does beautiful plant things all year round.

The Sherwood Gardens are surrounded by stunning homes that can add to your photos. I visited late April and I can’t imagine it gets better in terms of capturing the blossoms and the many many stunningly gorgeous tulips. Again - Sherwood Gardens is not the easiest place to visit so an uber in and out works well. Sherwood Gardens is one of the prettiest places in Baltimore.

6. Pierces Park

I literally wandered across Pierces Park as I was walking the length of the Baltimore Inner Harbor. I think it is mainly frequented by local families.

When I visited Pierces Park there was a gorgeous silver horn sculpture (very photogenic) and what appeared to be other art installations in progress.

However, I most liked the fantastic outdoor giant silver xylophones or musical fence at Pierces Park Baltimore. There are actual “utensils” (I don’t know what to call them) in little buckets under the fences and you are able to essentially play the fences. And you know what – even with no idea the sound is quite pleasant. One of the lovely Baltimore places to visit.

7. Baltimore Aquarium

Like the American Visionary Art Museum, the National Aquarium is Insta friendly inside and out and one of the major Baltimore Inner Harbor attractions.

Let’s start outside the National Aquarium. The buildings are stunning. A mix of strong primary colors and steel they can be nicely captured either literally in front of them and outside or from the opposite side of the harbour or water taxi.

My favourite shots of the ones I took were literally walking around the harbor just underneath the National Aquarium Maryland.

Once inside the aquarium, there is a visitor centre with lots of info about what to do and trip ideas for your visit to the aquarium. Once inside I found the jellies the most Instagram friendly of the animals at the Baltimore Aquarium.

The blue background shots were taken holding the camera up on the glass. I also really liked their jelly fish display hanging over the cafeteria area.

There are of course also dolphins etc and so much more at the National Aquarium but it was the jellies that really stood out for my camera. This is a don't miss Baltimore tourism attraction.

8. Fell’s Point

Fell’s Point is a lovely neighborhood on the harbour just past the Inner Harbour area. It is filled with stunning red brick houses and a mix of local colour and cute shops.

Head to Broadway Market to try Sofia’s delicious Pierogi – the pure cheese flavor was my favourite. Walk along South Broadway down to Thames Street and take a left.

Everywhere you look will be gorgeous buildings, colourful and eclectic shops and interesting cafes. There were a few random street art installations in Fell's Point whilst I was there which are always fantastic for photography. They were mostly located on Thames Street.

Wandering the streets of Fell's Point is one of the nicest Baltimore things to do.

9. Peabody Institute

What is the Peabody Institute? It is the oldest conservatory in America and part of John Hopkins University. This beautiful building is currently housing students and concerts but you can gain access to several areas.

There are tours of the Peabody Institute which can be pre-booked (3 days in advance is recommended). There is also a brochure that allows you to do a self-guided tour. The windows and staircases are particularly lovely. One of the architectural things to do in Baltimore Maryland.

10. Paper Moon Diner

The unusual and colorful Paper Moon Diner is near the Charles Village area. It is very close to the fantastic R.house which is a warehouse housing about 10 different and interesting little food places.

It is very easy to walk to the Paper Moon Café from R.house and then continue walking to the Painted Ladies. The Paper Moon Diner is one of the most colorful Baltimore Maryland tourist attractions.

The Paper Moon cafe has a broad menu - everything from vegetarian and vegan options to meat feasts. Try some of their more unusual meal options like the Bacon Milkshake or Deep Fried Ravioli.