In 1869, the Freemasons finished a new Grand Lodge for the State of Maryland on Charles Street, with each room more decorative than the last. Originally designed by Edmund G. Lind, who also designed the Peabody Institute in Mount Vernon, the Masonic Temple is a testament to architectural wonder. The Masons moved out in 1994 and the city spent the next few years devising plans to raze the structure for a parking garage. Luckily, the William C. Smith Company bought the building in 1998 and completed an overhaul following exacting preservation standards. 140 years after it was originally built, The Grand is now an exquisite event venue. We hope you'll join us to discover the building in all its splendor!

Join us to see how Fell’s Point developed in the 1730s to become one of Baltimore’s premier waterfront communities. Great wealth through trade was created here for the likes of Johns Hopkins, George Peabody, and William Walters. These shores were the first place over a million immigrants started their American dream, yet also where enslaved people either arrived in bondage or were shipped south in chains. As we walk, we’ll point out historic homes and industrial heritage, like the country’s first Black-owned shipyard, and share some of the rich stories that this 300-year-old waterfront neighborhood has to offer.