Baltimore Heritage is delighted to be partnering with Green Mount Cemetery and Baltimore Center Stage, for a new walking tour at Green Mount Cemetery! Join us to discover the tangled history of John Wilkes Booth, Baltimore, and the plots to kidnap and assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Tickets are $10 for Baltimore Heritage members and $15 for non-members.
May 24, 9:30 am – 10:30 am (new!)
May 31, 9:30 am – 10:30 am (new!)
June 4, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (new!)
June 21, 9:30 am – 10:30 am (new!)
We’ll trace Booth’s childhood on Exeter Street and how he followed his Shakespearean-trained father’s footsteps into the theater world. We’ll get to know Booth–the womanizer, the white supremacist, and the presidential assassin. We’ll also revisit major events of the Civil War, including the Pratt Street Riots and the surrender at Appomattox, and how they influenced the conspirators’ actions leading up to the day Booth murdered Lincoln.
As we walk, you’ll hear about the events of the fateful day and the fates of the Booth’s co-conspirators. And of course, we’ll see the unmarked burial site of Booth and the graves of two of his co-conspirators. We hope you’ll walk to the grounds of Green Mount Cemetery with us to discover this poignant history in a whole new light.
This tour is being offered in partnership with Baltimore Center Stage’s production of John Wilkes Booth: One Night Only. With your Green Mount Cemetery tour ticket, you’ll receive a coupon code for $10 off a ticket to the show.
Accessibility: Although there are some paved pathways, we will be walking over mostly uneven grassy terrain and cobblestones.
What do you get when you add a Baltimore history trivia contest to a neighborhood event in historic Govans? A great community celebration!
Working with a graduate fellow from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, Diamyn Wilson, we at Baltimore Heritage were proud to contribute to a community event on April 26 where residents of the historic Govans neighborhood came out to celebrate the completion of a street improvement project that will help local elementary and middle school kids walk safely from their school to the nearby Pratt Library Branch. The project focused on separating car traffic from where the kids walk along a street called Lortz Lane, including painting a bright mural on the street. Ms. Wilson worked with numerous community groups and residents to plan the celebration, including a history trivia contest with prizes from local shops along York Road just south of the Senator Theater. It’s one more step forward for this great historic place.

Join us for an exciting lecture series this spring at the historic Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, also known as the Engineers Club. One Sunday afternoon each month from March through May, join us for an in-depth talk by a subject matter expert all the while sitting in a gorgeous Gilded Age mansion. Learn more and sign up for each lecture below! And don’t forget to check out our calendar to see all of our upcoming tours and events.
–Johns Hopkins, Executive Director
Baltimore Mid-Century: A Talk by Jack Burkert
On March 30, join historian Jack Burkert to discover how the 1950’s made lasting changes to the way people lived, how they moved in and around the Baltimore region, and where they found employment. From the early “crisis” in absorbing returning veterans and new families, to the way those new families would seek entertainment and recreation, Baltimore would be a far different place in 1959 than it was in 1950. Automobiles and the highways they rode on took over. The “Red Scare” went local, labor strikes sparked unintended consequences while hula hoops, poodle skirts and fast food became modern trends. A decade many recall, but few realize how much of Baltimore’s 21st century had roots in the 1950’s. March 30, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15. Register here!
Below Baltimore: An Archaeology of Charm City by Adam Fracchia
Join us on April 6 to hear archaeologist Adam Fracchia discuss his work in Baltimore and his new book, Below Baltimore: An Archaeology of Charm City. Join Dr. Fracchia to explore the layers of the city’s material record from the late seventeenth century to the recent past by focusing on major themes around Baltimore’s growth into a mercantile port city, the city’s diverse immigrant populations and the history of their foodways, and the ways industries—including railroads, glass factories, sugar refineries, and breweries—structured the city’s landscape. April 6, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15. Register here!
Sites of the Baltimore Slave Trade: A Talk by Richard Messick
Join us on May 18 to hear Baltimore researcher Richard Messick discuss the growth of the domestic slave trade in Baltimore, the various methods and locations of sale, and some of the more notorious traders in the business of selling people. After its incorporation in the late 18th century, the population of Baltimore grew very quickly along with the expansion of the new country. The market for the sale of people that grew up in the Mid-Atlantic region was also extensive. Although many of the associated buildings no longer exist, Richard Messick’s research and mapping project show the deeply interwoven relationship between the trade of human beings and our streets of Baltimore. May 18, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15. Register here!
Join us and our partner, Friends of Herring Run Parks, for a trash clean-up on March 15!
We: Provide all the supplies, including gloves!
You: Dress for the weather, remember comfortable/water resistant shoes and please bring your own reusable water bottle!
Thank you to NPS Chesapeake Gateways for supporting this project.
