Jonestown is one of Baltimore’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods. Both groundbreaking industry and vibrant communities have thrived here. On this tour, we will see the vestiges of its Eastern European Jewish residents as we pass Corned Beef Row. We hope you’ll join Baltimore Heritage and tour guide Bev Rosen as we stroll past a series of firsts: the McKim Free School, the city’s oldest education building from 1833, the Lloyd Street Synagogue, the first synagogue in Maryland and the third oldest in the country, and the 1808 home of Charles Carroll, the longest living signer of the Declaration of Independence.

On June 8, join Baltimore Heritage and the Friends of Herring Run Parks to experience this urban oasis like you never have before! The co-founders of the Herring Run Archaeology Project, Lisa Kraus and Jason Shellenhamer, will share with us discoveries from years of archaeological and historical exploration here. As we walk around the park, they will guide us through the new Herring Run Park Heritage Trail, which starts 11,000 years ago with the discovery of a pre-European contact Native American campsite, and goes all the way to 20th century Romani caravan bases. Herring Run Park was once the home of the Eutaw Farm plantation and enslaved African Americans lived and worked on this land. We’ll learn about extraordinary people like Emeline Jones, who after emancipation, became a world-renowned chef in Washington, DC. Centuries later, Black Baltimoreans fought here for equal access to the park. You’ll be amazed by all of the history packed into this one park. We hope to see you on this fascinating tour!

Hidden in plain sight is one of the most intriguing and rare remaining green spaces in central Towson, the historic Prospect Hill Cemetery. Come explore this beautiful, 130-year old cemetery and its rich history and meet some of the fascinating people who helped build Towson, from Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veterans to a Baltimore legend – movie star Divine of John Waters fame! Led by members of the non-profit board who oversee the cemetery, see the graves of over 500 veterans decorated with American flags for Memorial Day and discover this historic cemetery right in the heart of bustling Towson!

Many know Mount Vernon as the home of Baltimore’s Pride Parade as well as the city’s oldest gay and lesbian bars and businesses. But that only is only a small part of the LGBTQ history found in this neighborhood! Join Baltimore Heritage for a 90-minute walking tour of the neighborhood’s queer heritage landmarks, from the origins of the Chase Brexton Health Center to the locations where early-20th century lesbian women helped shape some of Baltimore’s premier educational institutions. We’ll hear about the medical professionals and volunteers who led the city’s first responses to the AIDS epidemic and residents who founded Baltimore’s only African American LGBT-identified church. This tour is a unique opportunity to explore the places and events that have shaped the growth of Baltimore’s LGBT community and civil rights movement. We hope you can join us on this walk of fascinating conversation about the city’s foremost LGBT-identified neighborhood.