Baltimore features a compact downtown and adjacent historic districts on a scale ideal for walking. A stroll from your Inner Harbor hotel to Little Italy, Federal Hill or Fells Point will lead past historic warships, Civil War sites and modern curiosities. A walking tour can provide the fascinating details behind attractions and in-depth understanding of Charm City.
Types
Take a guided tour or guide yourself on one of the eight trails described at StarSpangledTrails.com. Pick up a trail brochure for one of the self-guided tours at the Baltimore Visitor Center at 401 Light Street, on the west shore of the Inner Harbor, not far from the moored warship the USS Constellation. You can start with the Heritage Walk, featuring trail markers and signs around the area north and east of the Inner Harbor.
Time Frame
Many guided tours run from April or May through October with daily or weekend departures. Tours typically last 90 minutes to 2 hours and can cater to groups.
Geography
Walking tours begin near the Baltimore Visitor Center or in nearby neighborhoods, including the historic maritime district of Fells Point, a mile southeast of the Inner Harbor. You can stroll on level ground around Federal Hill, south of the Inner Harbor; Charles Street, the main north-south corridor of the city; Little Italy, lying between downtown; and mid-town's Bolton Hill and Mount Vernon. Even lesser-known neighborhoods--such as Ridgley's Delight, Greektown and Windsor Hills--can be visited as part of walking tours through Baltimore Heritage, a preservation-oriented nonprofit.
Features
An architectural and historic walking tour of Mount Vernon visits the best-preserved 19th century urban square in the country and swings by Mount Vernon churches. The Robert Long House and Garden, one of the city's oldest colonial structures, dates from around 1765 and lies on Ann Street in Fells Point. Nearby sights include on-location piers and shops used in "The Wire" and "Homicide."
History
Baltimore Heritage runs "Secrets of the Seaport," a look at Fells Point. Its walk around Pennsylvania Avenue, pivotal to the civil rights movement, visits an area with ties to Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. Special interest walking tours visit areas displaying East Baltimore's extensive history of immigration and Frederick Douglass' "path to freedom."
Considerations
Reserve ahead for the architectural and historic walking tour of Mount Vernon; details appear on the Mount Vernon Cultural District website at MVCD.org. If you prefer scary things that go bump in the night, contact Baltimore Ghost Tours for its ghost walks, complete with costumed guides and tales of mystery, around Fells Point and its haunted pubs or Mount Vernon's stately homes.
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