Baltimore Heritage

Hampden History Bar Crawl
2024-10-26 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Atomic Books, 3620 Falls Rd, Baltimore, Maryland, 21211
On October 26, join us on a pleasant stroll through historic Hampden to learn about many of the local bars in the neighborhood! We’ll also delve into our city’s long and beloved relationship with local bars and the changes brought about during the tumultuous Prohibition era. We’ll stop at a beer garden where we will sample some locally-brewed beer and then we will end at a former speakeasy tucked away on a residential street to quench our thirst one last time. We hope you’ll join us for a brew-tiful walk around Hampden (ticket includes 2 beer samples).

Mount Vernon Place: A Monumental City Tour
2024-10-27 09:30 - 10:30, 2024-11-24 09:30 - 10:30 | Washington Monument (South Entrance), 699 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
Mount Vernon began as a country estate for Revolutionary War hero John Eager Howard and grew to be the place to live for Baltimore’s rich and famous in the mid-nineteenth century. The Garrett family, owners of the B&O Railroad, the Walters, founders of the Walters Art Museum, and the Thomases, owners of Mercantile Bank, are among the families that built handsome mansions along the four parks that surround the Washington Monument. Join us on a tour to hear the stories behind the landmarks of Baltimore’s grandest historic neighborhood.
Our Monumental City tours are guided walks exploring iconic Baltimore landmarks in Federal Hill, Downtown, Mount Vernon and Ridgely’s Delight on the first four Sundays of each month from April through November, except holiday weekends.

The British Empire in Baltimore: A Walking Tour
2024-10-30 17:30 - 19:00 | Lord Baltimore Hotel, 20 W Baltimore Street, Baltimore, 21201, United States
As a colonial city, a port city, and a cultural powerhouse, Baltimore has had many connections to the 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century British Empire. On this walking tour through the historic downtown and lovely Mount Vernon neighborhood, we will stretch our legs and hear fascinating stories along the way. Come join local historian Emma Katherine Bilski to learn about some of the complicated and messier parts of Baltimore’s history, covering topics like Indigenous dispossession, plantation slavery, the Plantations of Ireland, privateering, the opium trade, and Victorian occultism.
Accessibility: We will be walking on uneven brick city sidewalks, partially in darkness, and the tour will cover approximately 1.5 miles.

Historic Green Mount Cemetery
2024-11-02 09:30 - 11:30, 2024-11-16 09:30 - 11:30, 2025-01-25 09:30 - 11:30, 2025-02-22 09:30 - 11:30 | Green Mount Cemetery, 1501 Greenmount Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21202, United States
Inherited from the great Baltimore historian Wayne Schaumburg, join Baltimore Heritage to tour Baltimore’s historic Green Mount Cemetery.
Opened in 1839, Green Mount is an early example of an urban-rural cemetery, that is, a cemetery with a park-like setting located close to the countryside. Green Mount is the final resting place of some of Maryland’s most famous, and infamous, figures including Johns Hopkins, Enoch Pratt, William and Henry Walters, Mary Elizabeth Garrett, Betsy Patterson, A.S. Abell, John H. B. Latrobe, John Wilkes Booth, and Elijah Bond, who patented the Ouija Board!
Accessibility: Although there are some paved pathways, we will be walking over mostly uneven grassy terrain and cobblestones.

Out of the Ashes: The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904
2024-11-03 09:30 - 10:30 | The Replica Gaslight, 300 E Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD, 21202, United States
In February 1904, Baltimore’s chief firefighter cabled Washington DC: “Desperate fire here. Must have help at once!” A tremendous fire was sweeping through downtown and showed little signs of stopping. Not until 5:00 p.m. the next day was the fire brought under control. Overall, it destroyed 1500 buildings, left 35,000 people unemployed, and damaged $150 million of property. Resilient Baltimore rebounded quickly, erecting new buildings, widening streets, and improving fire safety designs. Rising out of the ashes, Baltimore used the fire to rethink the city, and the downtown we know today is shaped largely by this incident. Join us on this walking tour as we see what 2500 degrees Fahrenheit heat can do to blocks of solid stone, learn how the fire shaped architecture locally and across the country, and hear the tale of one of the fire’s great heroes: Goliath the horse.
Our Monumental City tours are guided walks exploring iconic Baltimore landmarks in Downtown, Ridgely’s Delight, Mount Vernon and Federal Hill on the first four Sundays of each month from April through November, except holiday weekends.

The Catacombs Under Westminster: Two Hundred Years of Tombs and Edgar Allan Poe’s Gravesite
2024-11-03 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-11-16 09:00 - 10:00, 2024-11-16 09:30 - 10:30, 2024-11-16 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-11-16 11:30 - 12:30, 2024-11-16 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-11-16 14:30 - 15:30, 2024-12-08 11:00 - 12:00 and 3 more dates | Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, 519 W Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
Join us to explore the eerie catacombs underneath Baltimore’s First Presbyterian Church, now called Westminster Hall, and the graves that surround it, including the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe. The burial ground predates the church, which was built on arches above the gravesites, so that the graveyard and its tombstones lie both underneath and around the building. We bet you will also recognize more than a few Baltimore street names as we walk among the patriots and civic leaders buried at Westminster including Calhoun, Hollins, Gilmore, and Bentalou. All told, the compact cemetery next to the University of Maryland School of Law is the final resting place for over 1,000 individuals. We can’t wait to see you “Where Baltimore’s History Rests in Peace!”

To Market, To Market: Baltimore’s Public Markets Bus Tour
2024-11-16 10:00 - 12:00 | 211 N. Paca St, Baltimore, MD 21201, 211 N Paca St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
Lexington Market, Broadway Market, Hollins Market and the rest of Baltimore’s public markets have been a part of our daily life for more than 250 years. They’ve survived and thrived by adapting to change without losing their purpose: to feed people! On this bus tour, we will drive between four of Baltimore’s six remaining markets, including the oldest survivor, Broadway, and the newest to be renovated, Hollins. We’ll stop inside our youngest market, Northeast, which dates from 1885, to chat with a market vendor and try some traditional Baltimore coddies. We’ll start at Lexington Market and we’ll end up back there just in time for lunch. Bring your appetite!

Students are free

Ticket price includes food sample. This tour will be two-hours long with one stop in the middle where we disembark the bus and walk around Northeast Market. There will be an option to stay on the bus and receive the same information as the walking portion of this tour. We will end the tour inside Lexington Market. There are bathrooms available at Lexington Market before the start of the tour.

This project has been financed in part with funds from the Charles A. and Lois H. Miller Foundation and State funds from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. However, project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.

Federal Hill Beyond the Views: A Monumental City Tour
2024-11-17 09:30 - 10:30 | Federal Hill Park (Southwest Corner), 301 Warren Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21230, United States
Baltimoreans celebrated atop Federal Hill when we ratified the U.S. Constitution. We used it to defend the city from the British in the War of 1812 and to make sure we stayed in the Union in the Civil War. We have even tunnelled under it to quarry minerals. Join us on a tour of Federal Hill and the neighborhood around it to learn about this waterfront community’s rich history, including stops at one of the last wooden houses in the city, the oldest house in Federal Hill, and the wonderful alley houses along Churchill Street.
Our Monumental City tours are guided walks exploring iconic Baltimore landmarks in Federal Hill, Downtown, Mount Vernon and Ridgely’s Delight on the first four Sundays of each month from April through November, except holiday weekends.

Historic Clifton Mansion
2024-11-20 17:30 - 18:30, 2024-12-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-12-18 17:30 - 18:30 | Clifton Mansion, 2701 Saint Lo Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21218, United States
Join us for a tour inside Clifton Mansion, the unique Italianate country house that has overlooked Baltimore City for over 200 years! At one time the summer home of War of 1812 captain Henry Thompson and then philanthropist Johns Hopkins, the story of Clifton Estate is one about two prominent businessmen, enslaved & free Black people, and more. You’ll see the latest restorations made possible by the Friends of Clifton Mansion and Civic Works. You will also be invited into unrestored spaces that are brimming with stories to tell! And the tour wouldn’t be complete without climbing the tower and taking in one-of-a-kind views of Clifton Park and our surrounding city. We hope to see you there.

The Irish Railroad Workers Museum: A Behind The Scenes Tour
2024-12-08 11:00 - 12:00 | Irish Railroad Workers Museum, 918-920 Lemmon St, Baltimore, MD, 21223, United States
Join Baltimore Heritage on a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Irish Railroad Workers Museum with its managing director, Megan “Sammie” Samuels! This unique museum shares the lives of Irish immigrants, their communities, and legacy in America. Learn about the Great Hunger, also known as the Potato Famine, and walk through the restored home of 19th century Irish immigrants, James and Sarah Feeley. You’ll hear about their treacherous journey across the Atlantic and how they developed a new way of life in this vibrant, thriving city. We hope to see you there!

Up into the Clockworks at the Bromo Seltzer Tower
2024-12-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Bromo Seltzer Tower, 21 S Eutaw St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
Always one for flamboyance, Captain Isaac Emerson came back from a trip to Italy and decided he wanted to build a new factory in downtown Baltimore and that it should look like Florence’s fabulous town hall, the Palazzo Vecchio. Completed in 1911, the tower’s four clocks each measure 24 feet across, a foot more London’s Big Ben, and the tower itself was the tallest building in Baltimore at the time. Emerson, the man who became wealthy from his invention of Bromo Seltzer and gave us the slogan “if you keep late hours for society’s sake, Bromo Seltzer will cure that headache,” was quite proud.
Our tour through the building will include a trip up into the clockworks at the top to look at the tick-tock operation in process and peer out the translucent windows. We’ll also stop in at the museum room that holds the world’s largest collection ephemera from Captain Emerson, Bromo Seltzer, and Maryland Glass. And along the way, we’ll get a taste of the newest art that comes from the Tower’s artists: it is now home to dozens of local art studios. If you’ve wondered what goes on in the Bromo Seltzer Tower and how the imposing clocks actually work, now’s your chance!

The New Lexington Market & Exploring the Neighborhood Around It with Mr. Johns Hopkins
2024-12-27 11:00 - 12:00 | Lexington Market (Paca St Entrance), Paca Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
For over 200 years, Lexington Market’s wooden sheds and concrete stalls have been a gathering place for Baltimoreans. And the market is still evolving! In October 2022, the new Lexington Market opened in a brand new building. On this tour led by Baltimore Heritage’s Executive Director Johns Hopkins, we’ll first explore the area immediately surrounding the market to discover how Baltimore emerged as a leading industrial and economic city in the 19th century. Immigration, slavery, commerce and major changes in transportation were all part of the mix here in Baltimore and the country as a whole. We’ll see the original wagon curbstones with their vendor stall numbers and discuss underground tunnels. We’ll end at the new market to see its wonderful public art and, of course, its merchants (new and old). Please join us and make Lexington Market a part of your holidays. Be sure to bring your canvas bags to do some quintessential Baltimore shopping after the tour!

Postponed: The Lucille and Fred Clifton House
2025-01-08 17:00 - 18:30 | The Lucille and Fred Clifton House, 2605 Talbot Rd, Baltimore, 21216, United States
This event has been postponed due to inclement weather

Join Baltimore Heritage and The Clifton House team on Wednesday, January 8th at 5:00pm for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the historic home of acclaimed poet Lucille Clifton and community activist Fred Clifton. In 1968, the Cliftons moved into this charming house in Baltimore’s picturesque Windsor Hills neighborhood. This house was a hub of creativity, service, and activism, and it was Lucille Clifton’s home when she became Poet Laureate of Maryland in 1979.
In 2019, the Clifton family reclaimed the century-old home and lovingly restored it. Today, The Clifton House provides resources and creative development for historically marginalized people in Baltimore and beyond. With a special focus on Afrodiasporic, women, and gender-nonconforming LGBTQIA+ poets, writers, artists, and creative activists, The Clifton House continues to be a beacon of inspiration and empowerment.
We invite you to be part of this enriching experience and learn about the remarkable Clifton family and the legacy of this historic West Baltimore home.
Accessibility
Please note that due to its historic nature, The Clifton House is not currently ADA-accessible. However, we are committed to making the space as welcoming as possible. For any accommodation requests, please contact us at info@thecliftonhouse.co.
Parking
Parking at The Clifton House is limited. To ensure a smooth experience, we encourage attendees to use Uber, Lyft, or park on Clifton Road (parallel to Talbot Road). For those using public transit, the house is accessible via the 79 and 34 MTA bus routes.
If you have any questions or need additional assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to sharing this inspiring evening with you!

The Baltimore Basilica: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour
2025-01-19 12:30 - 13:30 | Baltimore Basilica, 409 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
Join us for a tour of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica. Built primarily between 1806 and 1821, the Baltimore Basilica was the first Cathedral built in the United States. Bishop John Carroll, America’s first Bishop and a cousin of Charles Carroll of Declaration of Independence signing fame, was lucky to connect with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who volunteered his architectural services and was to later achieve the moniker “Father of American Architecture.” This internationally significant building that has played a central role in the history of Baltimore and the Catholic Church, and, incidentally, happens to have more than a few accolades of its own: Minor Basilica (designated 1937), National Historic Landmark (designated 1972), Baltimore City historic landmark (designated 1975), and a national shrine (designated 1993).
The Basilica is 100% ADA compliant. There are wheelchair ramps to gain entry from the street level into the church, and elevators inside, so that all areas of the church are accessible, however, the Basilica does not have wheelchairs available for use.
We hope to see you there!
