Super cool spot. It was a cloudy and gloomy day when we walked by so it made this place feel eerie…read more The grounds and graves all looked well kept.

Located in a former church, now an event space, the grave is front and center. It has a short time…read moreline of Poe's life and brief introduction about the famous author. It is easily accessible and near the University of Maryland campus.

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.

Probably one of the more interesting hikes that I have done in awhile. The hike will be quite…read moreshort, but you got hills and steps to get your work out on. I think the feel of the place is supposed to be spooky, unfortunately, I picked a spring break day to do it and there were enough teenagers running around here like savages (just kidding, they were all really sweet) it doesn't really have a scary feel to it at all. To explain the ruins, it was Roman Catholic school in Ilchester, Maryland. The ruins are near Ilchester and Bonnie Branch roads (so the Yelp location is pretty straight on). It was called hell house in the 70s after it was abandoned and vandalized and rumors have it a strange cult started living there. It also had an over zealous caretaker who had a gun and some dogs and would assault vandals. He was displaced after the school was set ablaze by arsonists. Hell House altar structure that most people take pictures of is at the top of a very steep hill, about a mile in. It used to have a large metal cross, and it is a very unique place for a photoshoot. For easy access, park in the lot for patapsco state park (right past the train tracks) where the trailhead is and start coming up to the left of the train tracks.

Definitely a cool bit of history in Monument City!…read more The Washington Monument is the first major monument dedicated to this country's first president. Inside the building, there is a little area with interactive screens explaining the history of the monument in Baltimore city. This is free to peruse. For a modest price, you can reserve a time to go up the tower portion of the monument. It is clearly old, with stone steps spiraling up clockwise until reaching an observation spot at the top. It is tight and you may have to wait in the odd window well while someone else goes up or down past you. There are four windows each labeled "North," "South," "East," and "West" with different vistas of the city. My kids are rather enjoyed it; even Child #3 climbed up over half the steps on his own at just shy of 2 years old. The surrounding area of "Mount Vernon Place" is covered with nice areas for sitting, looking at statues of contemporaries of George Washington (e.g. the Marquis de Lafayette). Highly recommend coming out during Flower Fest in early May!

This is a great monument and little detour walking around the wonderful city of Baltimore. We were…read moreon a walk and saw it peeking through one of the side streets and had to walk up and get a closer look. The pathway up the street was serene and there were a couple of statues along the way. The monument is surrounded by a roundabout and stands tall and proud smack in the middle of it. Great representation for the OG President!

Super cool landmark…read more As per the plaque: Constructed in 1860, the Gatehouse was designed by the Baltimore firm of Thomas and James M. Dixon. Built in Tudor Revival Style, it provided for two living units, one on each side of the archway. The Gatehouse resembled a Swiss chalet and became a trademark of the Sheppard. The neighborhood children viewed it as the home of Hansel and Gretel. A tenant alwavs lived in the Gatehouse until 2005. The beautiful Rhododendron Drive was historically entered by driving through the Gatehouse. In 2002 the entire Charles Street entrance was reconstructed and cars no longer entered through the Archway.

Definitely one of the first places to visit if you're in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore. We…read morestopped by as our first stop when staying in the neighborhood, since the vantage point provides perspectives and ideas of all the other places to visit afterwards. The harbor views are beautiful and vast, and the signage within the observation area talk about all the neighborhoods and give a history of Baltimore. There's even a small section dedicated to honor the memories of Marylanders lost in the 9/11 attack. Pricing is very reasonable at just $8 per person, and the elevator ride to the top is quick.

We were in Baltimore for the weekend and staying about two blocks from the inner harbor. My…read morehusband suggested going to this place Saturday morning. It was a great idea. Pricing is only 8 dollars for each adult which is a great price to go up to the 27th floor of the World Trade Center. There are four different sides of the building with written panels explaining what landmarks and buildings are out in that direction. The views are spectacular. They also have tributes to those from Maryland who perished in the World Trade Center in New York on 9-11. There are also several panels listing movies filmed in Baltimore and famous people from Maryland.

Lovely park with free trails and views. Love that the cherry blossoms are here too. There are a…read morecouple spots to park, but best believe they kick you out on time! The park rangers were on us to leave 8 mins before closing, and one of them not so nice. Think nicely shaded areas for a picnic and water views. There's a fee to see the historic area but otherwise the grounds are free to visit. Will like to go back to see the museum.

We were in the area visiting nearby museums on a cold and rainy holiday weekend. Since we had time…read moreand a National Park pass we decided to stop by the fort. The pass saved us $15 each. We breezed through the visitor center and made our way across the grounds to the fort. Having been to many other similar forts of this vintage it was of modest interest. A few sections within the walls were closed for renovations. We also toured the exterior cannon displays and statues. Some interesting history but not a must see on my National Park list...

** 5 Year Review Update **…read more Fells Point continues to be great for the most part. Quality restaurants and boutiques, gorge water views, some of the coolest folks you'd ever meet. Some establishments have left, some have joined. The crowds stay heavy. Sadly lately, the crime has increased making it sometimes difficult to enjoy. Parking is gawd awful, but worth the hustle. I pray this area improves as Baltimore City deserves this.

Historic waterfront neighborhood [Baltimore MD]…read more Did some research while looking for places to visit in Baltimore and bookmarked this neighborhood. Fell's Point is located along the north shore of the Baltimore Harbor and just less than 10 miles from our hotel... we made our way here on MLK Day. Surprisingly, not all the businesses were closed on a holiday. We arrived around 10:30a and found parking. There are a few options for parking including metered parking and convenient lots and garages. We found an open spot on Thames Street. Fell's Point is beautiful as it was once a bustling shipbuilding port. We walked the snowy sidewalks and enjoyed the views of the wharf. Fell's Point is a historic waterfront and one of the oldest neighborhoods in Baltimore. It has served as the home to jazz singer Billie Holiday and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. I loved the cobblestone streets with many waterfront restaurants and bars and the local cute boutiques shops. We had brunch at Barcocina and did some window shopping at the cozy shops. We also shared a pastry purchased from Pitango Bakery Cafe located right there at the waterfront. Review #3664

Last Saturday, we visited the largest, permanent, model railroad display in the mid-Atlantic, owned…read moreby the Baltimore Society for Model Engineers. The Society was founded in March 1932 and is the oldest exclusively model railroad club in the United States. They maintain 2,500 square feet of model railroad displays of steam and diesel freight and passenger trains and trolleys, plus so much more. It was fun to see all the parts of the display - it really gives you a glimpse into the history of railroading. It is not easy to find, as the doorway is tucked into the left front center of the building and the society is located on the third floor with no elevator. The display is normally open on the second Sunday of each month, except May.

These gentlemen have been around 81 amazing years. Great family environment with extremely…read moreknowledgable guys working. Displays are very detailed and even showcase popular Baltimore landmarks.

We stopped by the Italian festival on Saturday afternoon to see what was happening after driving…read moreby! So glad that we stopped in, there was so much to take in! The live music and dancing was so fun, there were even hula hoops all around! We tried fresh pizza slices, salads and the best calamari I've ever had with a lemonade and Italian iced tea to wash it all down. As someone who is not Italian, it was super cool to stop in and enjoy pieces of Italian culture and support an awesome Baltimore community! We will definitely be back next year!

Italian Festival in lil' Italy in Baltimore provides a wonderful experience for us who are not…read moreliving in Baltimore and want to get out of bubble of the usual, mundane things. It has free parking, free entertainment, visit to a National Historic landmark (1881 ornate Italian style church), a lot of great vendors and amazing foods. The "gladiators" pass you by on your way to watch a game of bocce ball. People are friendly as this is a block party festival that gives you a feeling that you are one big family. Very easy to start conversation and harder to end it. I learned today that the meat is not what makes calzone but the dough that hosts the meat inside. The meet was good but the dough was memorable. Speaking about the dough - how about delicious sweet fried dough for $3 that is impossible to finish by one person - even if you are a true Italian. I was advised by two elderly Italian ladies, "take real sugar because the powder sugar is too messy, and have sugar on both sides." I am sorry that I did not try meatballs but I can testify that calzone and pizza were the first class and worth the trip. I am very tempted to repeat the experience on a similar event - August 19 and 20, 2017 - this time just a saint will be different (St Gabriel in August).

A perfect park on a perfect spring day! The husband and I were in town to watch the Giants play…read moreagainst the Orioles and it was a beautiful Saturday. We stopped by for brunch at a place nearby and did the approx. 3 mile route around the park. There was a kite festival and there were a bunch of families and friends flying kites and enjoying the day. People were picnicking and playing music- really enjoying the spring day. If you have not been to this park, I highly recommend. It's a great place to spend the weekend.

This is a great park to go out and explore as a solo adventurer, bring a friend and sit and watch…read morethe ducks, go for a jog, or take your dog for a walk. Additionally, there's a children's area inside the park If you are looking for the Patterson Park Observatory it is approximately on the corner of S PATTERSON PARK AVE and E BALTIMORE ST