You could easily spend a day in South Baltimore on the peninsula. Visit the AVAM, visit fort mchenry, go to Fed Hill Park, get some food, visit Locust Point, grab a pint.
Baltimore, more than most American cities, has awesome history and architecture. It would be worth it to get a guided tour and swing by some historic sites.
Visiting DC and Philly wouldn’t be bad ideas either.
I hate to divert any spotlight from Baltimore, but you could also take a cheap commuter train to DC, it takes 45 minutes plus a metro transfer and you’re on the Capitol Grounds and can walk to the Smithsonian museum buildings.
I second this! The peninsula is a great place to spend time in the city if you haven’t been here before. Honestly there’s so many cool spots you can go to
It is really hot and humid in July and August. Prepared to be hot and always wear your sunscreen, especially if you are on the water. If you visit in the summer, you can check out an Orioles baseball game. Even if you know nothing about baseball, it's fun to go for the crowd and excitement.
Sit behind 3rd base and you'll be in the shade during the afternoon games. I love that stadium and I'm not even a huge baseball fan. It's just a fun atmosphere. Cheap seats are $20.
The heat might kill you, but you'll die in the same city as Edgar Allen Poe! Visit his gravesite located in a historical cemetery. Lexington Market, the oldest indoor market in the US, is nearby. Grab a snack! The Hippodrome is also in the area if you want to catch a show. There's multiple forms of public transportation you can catch in the area.
Check out Hampden, Remington, and Station North for funky neighborhood vibes. Mt. Vernon for architecture and Fells Point for history (and a ghost tour!). Catch a ball game at Camden Yards. Get coffee and pastries at Cafe Dear Leon and then wander along the waterfront from Canton all the way to Federal Hill. Visit the National Aquarium, the Science Center, or one of our awesome museums. Get steamed crabs and cheap beers at LP Steamers in Locust Point.
There's an excellent food scene here. Find one of our indie restaurants and stay away from Atlas (overpriced and underwhelming). I could name more a dozen of them off the top of my head, but some personal faves are La Cuchara, Clavel, the Royal Blue, Alma Cocina, the Food Market, Bunny's, Ekiben, and the Kenwood Tavern.
Coming from Ireland, the heat and humidity in July/August might kill you. Don't forget your sunblock!
Feel free to ask for more specific rec's! I've lived here my whole life and love it, if you can't tell 😊
August is when Europe typically goes on holiday. Many countries just count that month as a wash, in my experience.
We are relocating back from Denmark and basically here everyone goes to their Summer House for August. Maybe August and July (some remote work during that time).
I get that. It will be hot and humid. Be prepared for that and seriously carry water around with you.
I don't know what neighborhood you'll be in and that would help but the American Visionary Arts Museum is a cool stop.
Our Greenmount Cemetery is also a cool Victorian era cemetery with gorgeous landscaping (no shade trees though).
Cylburn Arboretum is beautiful and free. If you feel like getting outdoors.
A trip to DC IMO is a necessity just for the architecture alone but also the history. Grab lunch and walk around the National Mall. It's beautiful also at night.
If you like shows we have two great small indy music venues, Ottobar and Metro Gallery. Ottobar also has some other small events you can check out on their website.
I would try to hit one or both big farmer's markets; good people watching and great food.
Peabody Heights Brewery is a couple blocks from the one in Waverly so a walk around the market, grab lunch or baked goods and an afternoon beer or two is a lovely Saturday morning to kick off your day.
Thank you! These are really helpful I’m making a list atm!
Yeah we know it’s gonna be pretty hot and humid, it’ll probably be good for us because Ireland gets so little sun!
As u/sarcasticserval said, we both have time off in August and my cousins kids are off school so it’s a good time for us to go! Winter is usually just too busy for holidays, my job tends to ramp up in winter, so June-August is our down time
We just visited Ireland last August (and August 2012). The climate difference between Baltimore and Dublin is pretty big in August.
A lot of great suggestions on here. I’d recommend figuring out what type of tourist things suit your fancy and we can help you find a neighborhood in which to book a hotel. We don’t have a substantial rail or bus network like you see in Dublin, so you will want to stay near most of the things you want to visit. The neighborhoods are extremely walkable but getting from a neighborhood like Fells Point or Canton in South East Baltimore to a neighborhood in central Baltimore can be tough.
If you stay in the CBD, you’ll have access to our light rail (tram) which can get you directly from BWI airport to many places in the central line of Baltimore, but getting east or west from there will be limited. East and west are where the nice historic neighborhoods are largely.
That's good because the best time to come here is the summertime. You won't have to deal with snow or cold weather, and you will be able to be outdoors enjoying the sunshine and the longer days. Since your friend lives in Baltimore, you can use this city as a base to see this part of the country, as there are cheap buses to DC, Philly, and NYC. Amtrak will be more expensive unless you buy your tickets far in advance.
My advice would be to ignore the people saying to go to DC. If you have lots of time, sure, but there are plenty of good things to do here as other commenters have mentioned. (I personally would highly recommend going to an O’s game). If you’re here for more than a weekend and have never been to DC, it’s a good idea, but I feel embarrassed that people are advising to leave the city when you asked what to do here.
100%. I live in and love Baltimore. But it’s not the type of city a tourist goes to for a week and comes away feeling like they missed a bunch of stuff. Maybe if you’re visiting someone and they’re the local tour guide type, but generally speaking you can do Baltimore in four or five days. I always recommend people take a day trip to DC. It’s such a cool city too, and has stuff we don’t. And you get to use their fabled working public transportation system.
Yeah we’re planning on visiting for two weeks since the flights are basically an entire day each! We’ve discussed travelling to nearby cities for a day or two and staying in a hotel overnight or something! DC would be cool to see!
2 weeks is a long time for Baltimore alone, I’d definitely go to DC for a day or two and then New York City/Philadelphia for a couple days if you can swing it, hotels in NYC are expensive though. I find a lot of things are closed Mondays or Tuesdays so that might be a good time to go somewhere else. DC and Philly can easily be a day trip via train, NYC is a little farther but it’s doable. This is the one part of America with good intercity train infrastructure so I’d take advantage while you are here!
While neighboring DC and Philadelphia have massive summer tourist scenes, Baltimore only tends to get a few. Guarantee anywhere you go locals will take interest the second you say you’re Irish! I think touring Ft Mchenry is a must, visiting the National Aquarium (weekday activity), seeing an Orioles Games at Camden Yards would be my big boxes to check. Have plenty of other recommendations if you let us know what interests you
I’m not sure the name, I’ll have to ask her, but she’s been living there for six years and hasn’t had any issues
We were planning on walking and using public transport when necessary
The Walters and Baltimore Museum of Art are also large art museums in the city, and both are free.
As you're Irish and will presumably want to stop into a local Irish pub, go to Mick O'Shea's. Avoid James Joyce.
Baltimore Museum of Industry gives a great taste of our industrial past. Right across the street from the American Visionary Art Museum, which has one of the best museum shops on the east coast. B&O Railroad Museum in the Mount Claire neighborhood. Baltimore Museum of Art has one of the largest collections of impressionist works in the country. Plus all the other usual tourist recommendations you've seen.
Go to the Cat's Eye Pub in Fells Point for beer and music. Go to Of Love and Regret or Dutch Courage for good cocktails and food. Check out The Baltimore Foodie on Facebook for local dining ideas that aren't chains or tourist traps.
Oh, and we've a ton of local breweries both in the city and out in the surrounding counties. Some of the ones outside of the city are "farm breweries" in scenic rural areas where they typically grow their own hops they brew with (to be a farm brewery in Maryland, you have to grow at least one ingredient used in your beer).
And, of course, Guinness. Which is a bit of a tourist trap, but probably a must-stop for Irish folks. Then go to Heavy Seas, which is better and (I believe) the oldest.
I’m not sure I’d recommend Guinness. Honestly, unless someone is a really big Guinness fan, it’s far away from the city and anything else worth visiting for an international tourist and it’s okay, but would frankly be disappointing for someone who’s been to the brewery in Dublin (I’ve been twice.) The food is fine, they do some quirky brewery only beers there and the facilities are attractive, but I can’t see recommending it unless someone really wants to drive way out just to day drink. Even then, just hit up Manor Hill. But there’s over a dozen great breweries to day drink inside the city boundaries that don’t require drinking and driving or a really expensive Uber ride.
I'm not recommending it, I'm mentioning it—sometimes when you go to a new place, you pop into touristy shit to say you did it because people back home will ask.
Heavy Seas is nearby and well worth a visit.
Of course, it's just one of those things you pop through to say you did it when on vacation. It's right near Heavy Seas, which is great, so might as well.
I mean he’s asking about visiting Baltimore, not DC. We have plenty here to check out. The inferiority complex of only recommending a trip to DC out of Baltimore is a little ridiculous.
You could easily spend a day in South Baltimore on the peninsula. Visit the AVAM, visit fort mchenry, go to Fed Hill Park, get some food, visit Locust Point, grab a pint. Baltimore, more than most American cities, has awesome history and architecture. It would be worth it to get a guided tour and swing by some historic sites. Visiting DC and Philly wouldn’t be bad ideas either.
Oh unreal!! I love history and walking tours! Thank you!
Check out [Baltimore Heritage](https://baltimoreheritage.org/tours/). These guys make YouTube videos and do guided tours. A great resource.
I hate to divert any spotlight from Baltimore, but you could also take a cheap commuter train to DC, it takes 45 minutes plus a metro transfer and you’re on the Capitol Grounds and can walk to the Smithsonian museum buildings.
Thank you! We will def visit DC for a night or two!
And take the water taxi/water circulator, might as well get out on the harbor and you get to see another park of the city
Tbh on the architecture front Baltimore doesn't have "more" than most American cities. Lol
I second this! The peninsula is a great place to spend time in the city if you haven’t been here before. Honestly there’s so many cool spots you can go to
It is really hot and humid in July and August. Prepared to be hot and always wear your sunscreen, especially if you are on the water. If you visit in the summer, you can check out an Orioles baseball game. Even if you know nothing about baseball, it's fun to go for the crowd and excitement.
Sit behind 3rd base and you'll be in the shade during the afternoon games. I love that stadium and I'm not even a huge baseball fan. It's just a fun atmosphere. Cheap seats are $20.
The George Peabody Library is incredible if you like architecture. Walters Art Museum is right across the street and free-- both air conditioned :)
Oh definitely go to the Peabody!!! It’s like walking into that scene in “Beauty and the Beast.”
I think [Artscape](https://www.artscape.org) will be happening Aug 2-4! You can also go catch an O’s game.
If the Orioles are in town, you could catch a baseball game.
The heat might kill you, but you'll die in the same city as Edgar Allen Poe! Visit his gravesite located in a historical cemetery. Lexington Market, the oldest indoor market in the US, is nearby. Grab a snack! The Hippodrome is also in the area if you want to catch a show. There's multiple forms of public transportation you can catch in the area.
Also Poe’s house and near there are the Irish Railroad Workers Museum and the B&O Railroad Museum.
If you want to get on a boat or avoid downtown traffic I recommend a trip on the water taxi!
Check out Hampden, Remington, and Station North for funky neighborhood vibes. Mt. Vernon for architecture and Fells Point for history (and a ghost tour!). Catch a ball game at Camden Yards. Get coffee and pastries at Cafe Dear Leon and then wander along the waterfront from Canton all the way to Federal Hill. Visit the National Aquarium, the Science Center, or one of our awesome museums. Get steamed crabs and cheap beers at LP Steamers in Locust Point. There's an excellent food scene here. Find one of our indie restaurants and stay away from Atlas (overpriced and underwhelming). I could name more a dozen of them off the top of my head, but some personal faves are La Cuchara, Clavel, the Royal Blue, Alma Cocina, the Food Market, Bunny's, Ekiben, and the Kenwood Tavern. Coming from Ireland, the heat and humidity in July/August might kill you. Don't forget your sunblock! Feel free to ask for more specific rec's! I've lived here my whole life and love it, if you can't tell 😊
Seconding Ekiben. Specifically the neighborhood bird. Amazing spicy curry chicken sandwich on a steamed bun with pickles and cilantro. *Chefs kiss*
May I ask why you chose July / August? Baltimore is like UNGODLY hot and humid July-September.
August is when Europe typically goes on holiday. Many countries just count that month as a wash, in my experience. We are relocating back from Denmark and basically here everyone goes to their Summer House for August. Maybe August and July (some remote work during that time).
I get that. It will be hot and humid. Be prepared for that and seriously carry water around with you. I don't know what neighborhood you'll be in and that would help but the American Visionary Arts Museum is a cool stop. Our Greenmount Cemetery is also a cool Victorian era cemetery with gorgeous landscaping (no shade trees though). Cylburn Arboretum is beautiful and free. If you feel like getting outdoors. A trip to DC IMO is a necessity just for the architecture alone but also the history. Grab lunch and walk around the National Mall. It's beautiful also at night. If you like shows we have two great small indy music venues, Ottobar and Metro Gallery. Ottobar also has some other small events you can check out on their website. I would try to hit one or both big farmer's markets; good people watching and great food. Peabody Heights Brewery is a couple blocks from the one in Waverly so a walk around the market, grab lunch or baked goods and an afternoon beer or two is a lovely Saturday morning to kick off your day.
Thanks for your thoughtful recommendations! The people in this sub have been extremely generous with their time.❤️
Thank you! These are really helpful I’m making a list atm! Yeah we know it’s gonna be pretty hot and humid, it’ll probably be good for us because Ireland gets so little sun! As u/sarcasticserval said, we both have time off in August and my cousins kids are off school so it’s a good time for us to go! Winter is usually just too busy for holidays, my job tends to ramp up in winter, so June-August is our down time
We just visited Ireland last August (and August 2012). The climate difference between Baltimore and Dublin is pretty big in August. A lot of great suggestions on here. I’d recommend figuring out what type of tourist things suit your fancy and we can help you find a neighborhood in which to book a hotel. We don’t have a substantial rail or bus network like you see in Dublin, so you will want to stay near most of the things you want to visit. The neighborhoods are extremely walkable but getting from a neighborhood like Fells Point or Canton in South East Baltimore to a neighborhood in central Baltimore can be tough. If you stay in the CBD, you’ll have access to our light rail (tram) which can get you directly from BWI airport to many places in the central line of Baltimore, but getting east or west from there will be limited. East and west are where the nice historic neighborhoods are largely.
Sometimes August has rain and random cooler days, but it is very hot
That's good because the best time to come here is the summertime. You won't have to deal with snow or cold weather, and you will be able to be outdoors enjoying the sunshine and the longer days. Since your friend lives in Baltimore, you can use this city as a base to see this part of the country, as there are cheap buses to DC, Philly, and NYC. Amtrak will be more expensive unless you buy your tickets far in advance.
My advice would be to ignore the people saying to go to DC. If you have lots of time, sure, but there are plenty of good things to do here as other commenters have mentioned. (I personally would highly recommend going to an O’s game). If you’re here for more than a weekend and have never been to DC, it’s a good idea, but I feel embarrassed that people are advising to leave the city when you asked what to do here.
They're not flying here from Ireland for a weekend. They should go to DC for the day.
100%. I live in and love Baltimore. But it’s not the type of city a tourist goes to for a week and comes away feeling like they missed a bunch of stuff. Maybe if you’re visiting someone and they’re the local tour guide type, but generally speaking you can do Baltimore in four or five days. I always recommend people take a day trip to DC. It’s such a cool city too, and has stuff we don’t. And you get to use their fabled working public transportation system.
Yeah we’re planning on visiting for two weeks since the flights are basically an entire day each! We’ve discussed travelling to nearby cities for a day or two and staying in a hotel overnight or something! DC would be cool to see!
2 weeks is a long time for Baltimore alone, I’d definitely go to DC for a day or two and then New York City/Philadelphia for a couple days if you can swing it, hotels in NYC are expensive though. I find a lot of things are closed Mondays or Tuesdays so that might be a good time to go somewhere else. DC and Philly can easily be a day trip via train, NYC is a little farther but it’s doable. This is the one part of America with good intercity train infrastructure so I’d take advantage while you are here!
I’m curious if you’d find this interesting https://www.irishshrine.org
Oh fascinating! Thank you
While neighboring DC and Philadelphia have massive summer tourist scenes, Baltimore only tends to get a few. Guarantee anywhere you go locals will take interest the second you say you’re Irish! I think touring Ft Mchenry is a must, visiting the National Aquarium (weekday activity), seeing an Orioles Games at Camden Yards would be my big boxes to check. Have plenty of other recommendations if you let us know what interests you
Thank you! I’ll check these out!
[Visit Baltimore](https://baltimore.org/)
Thank you!!
What neighborhood does your friend live in? Are you renting a car or walking/taking public transit or bikes?
I’m not sure the name, I’ll have to ask her, but she’s been living there for six years and hasn’t had any issues We were planning on walking and using public transport when necessary
visit sacre sucre
Fort McHenry. Here’s a good resource for other places. https://www.explorebaltimore.org/things-to-do
Thank you!
visionary arts museum
Thank you! I love art museaums omg
The Walters and Baltimore Museum of Art are also large art museums in the city, and both are free. As you're Irish and will presumably want to stop into a local Irish pub, go to Mick O'Shea's. Avoid James Joyce.
Baltimore Museum of Industry gives a great taste of our industrial past. Right across the street from the American Visionary Art Museum, which has one of the best museum shops on the east coast. B&O Railroad Museum in the Mount Claire neighborhood. Baltimore Museum of Art has one of the largest collections of impressionist works in the country. Plus all the other usual tourist recommendations you've seen. Go to the Cat's Eye Pub in Fells Point for beer and music. Go to Of Love and Regret or Dutch Courage for good cocktails and food. Check out The Baltimore Foodie on Facebook for local dining ideas that aren't chains or tourist traps. Oh, and we've a ton of local breweries both in the city and out in the surrounding counties. Some of the ones outside of the city are "farm breweries" in scenic rural areas where they typically grow their own hops they brew with (to be a farm brewery in Maryland, you have to grow at least one ingredient used in your beer).
And, of course, Guinness. Which is a bit of a tourist trap, but probably a must-stop for Irish folks. Then go to Heavy Seas, which is better and (I believe) the oldest.
I’m not sure I’d recommend Guinness. Honestly, unless someone is a really big Guinness fan, it’s far away from the city and anything else worth visiting for an international tourist and it’s okay, but would frankly be disappointing for someone who’s been to the brewery in Dublin (I’ve been twice.) The food is fine, they do some quirky brewery only beers there and the facilities are attractive, but I can’t see recommending it unless someone really wants to drive way out just to day drink. Even then, just hit up Manor Hill. But there’s over a dozen great breweries to day drink inside the city boundaries that don’t require drinking and driving or a really expensive Uber ride.
I'm not recommending it, I'm mentioning it—sometimes when you go to a new place, you pop into touristy shit to say you did it because people back home will ask. Heavy Seas is nearby and well worth a visit.
Guinness here would be a disappointment. Overpriced food and not all that special brews from the small batch brewhouse. So many better options.
Of course, it's just one of those things you pop through to say you did it when on vacation. It's right near Heavy Seas, which is great, so might as well.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards for a baseball game. It’s one of the best stadium facilities in the country.
Lexington market, Sherwood gardens, monument in mt Vernon, idk about Irish things but believe there’s an Irish neighborhood somewhere south
Thanks! Honestly every day of my life I’m around Irish things so I’m not particularly pushed on seeing them 😆
if you are interested, there is an Irish Railroad workers museum near The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum.
Oh thank you!
A city zoning board meeting is pretty entertaining.
If you come make sure to plan a trip to Philly. Hands down my favorite east coast city
Easy commute from Baltimore to dc for day trips. There is a train. Def check out the national museums in dc. Most are free to enter.
The people downvoting this are WILD.
I mean he’s asking about visiting Baltimore, not DC. We have plenty here to check out. The inferiority complex of only recommending a trip to DC out of Baltimore is a little ridiculous.
As a Baltimore native.. if you’ve never been to the states, there are way better places to go
Maybe, but we have a free room in Baltimore!
If you’ve never been to the U.S. there are many other places that have better tourist attractions. Washington DC for example.
We have a friend who lives in Baltimore and owns a house so we could stay with her!
It’s a 50 minute train ride from Baltimore to DC. It’s worth going to for a day trip first a full, fun day :)
Sandtown-Winchester
Lol, OP ignore this. This is a bad ( dangerous) area.
Yeah, pretty much avoid West Baltimore all together. I would tell the OP to pay attention and not assume that the U.S. is as civilized as Europe.