Where can you find a piece of the Berlin Wall, a cannon ball mounted on a Conestoga wagon hitch, and over a hundred lions looking down at you from the tops of Baltimore's buildings? On our Downtown Landmarks and Lions tour, of course! In this leisurely stroll—we cover a little over a mile in a …
If you haven’t been to Lexington market in a while, or even if you’re a regular there, we hope you’ll join us on a tour of this iconic Baltimore place to learn about recent changes and plans for the future of the market. On the tour, we will talk with the owners of Faidley’s, Berger’s, Konstant’s Candy, and other vendors that have been in their stalls for 100 years or more. We will also go down and explore the catacombs under the marketplace, getting a first-hand look at these mysterious spaces that are normally closed to the public.
Anchored by the Phoenix Shot Tower, Historic Jonestown is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city and includes often overlooked landmarks. In addition to going inside the Shot Tower, on this tour you'll learn about the city’s oldest religious building (Friends Meeting House) and the third oldest synagogue in the country (Lloyd Street Synagogue), …
Timothy Leary’s got nothing on Baltimore! Join us for a walk around the Spring Grove Hospital Center campus to see this partially abandoned historic facility where, among other things, the first and longest government-run psychedelic drug research program took place. Founded in 1797, it is the second oldest continuously operating psychiatric hospital in the country. On our tour we’ll see the remnants of the oldest building on campus and industrial structures from the 1930s, plus a barely noticeable cemetery. Walk through three centuries of history that weaves together tales of yellow fever epidemic, Confederate traitors, and psychedelic scandal. Groovy.
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 …
In mentally gearing up for this year’s holiday season, have you ever wondered which Baltimore holiday traditions have changed over the years and which have stayed the same? Join Baltimore historian and educator Wayne R. Schaumburg for a talk on "Christmas In Old Baltimore" to get a little insight. Mr. Schaumburg will focus on some of Baltimore’s great holiday customs from the 1940s to the 1960s, including downtown shopping, visiting Santa, the Toytown Parade, firehouse train gardens, and even our favorite holiday topic to quibble over: aluminum trees. We hope you can join us!
Baltimore Heritage’s partner organization, the Greater Hampden Heritage Alliance, will host local film presenter, Bob Wagner, for a free screening of a selection of 16mm films about Baltimore and the Chesapeake region. The 1970's and 80's brought a wave of attention on the Bay. These films highlight growing concerns about the environment and the complex link between cities, farms and the waterfront. We'll see some great footage of Baltimore during the 70's, learn about oysters and sea grasses, watch an exciting crab race, and hear from Miss Crustacean 1985.
Did you know that Divine of John Waters movie fame was born and buried in Towson? Join Towson's own history buff, Ms. Brenda Carl, for a look back at the town’s wonderful history and notable characters. We’ll start at the pre-Civil War Towson Courthouse and learn how the two Towson brothers from Pennsylvania came down the York Turnpike in the 1700's to start the town that's named for them. We'll also visit the site of the original Towson Hotel, where farmers stopped over before continuing on to Baltimore to sell their goods. We hope you'll join us to discover how places like Prospect Hill Cemetery, Loch Raven Reservoir, and East Towson, founded by African Americans formerly enslaved at Hampton Mansion, helped make Towson into the bustling college town it is today.
