There is always a veritable cornucopia of things to do in Baltimore, from Baltimoresporting events, to concerts in Baltimore, to great Baltimore theater. Some of theworld's top musical artists have performed in Baltimore, including Jimmy Buffett,Billy Joel,and Elton John.

Baltimore's best attribute is surely the National Aquarium. Baltimore's top attractionhas an amazing five levels and two dramatic glass pyramids, housing over 5,000 speciesof fish. There's an array of beautiful fish, reptiles, and marine birds on show,making this Baltimore hotspot unbeatable for a fascinating day out with family orfriends. There is also a seal pool and dolphin shows daily. You may be in Baltimore,but the tropical rain forest, complete with sloths, piranhas, and tropical plants,will convince you that you're far away. The Baltimore venue's "Seahorses: BeyondImagination" exhibit is among Baltimore's highlights, and a visit to this breathtakingBaltimore structure will never be forgotten.

If the dazzle and activity of the National Aquarium are too much for you, then oneof Baltimore's best attractions, The Baltimore Museum of Art, might be a place foryou. The top Baltimore museum is home to an globally renowned collection of artworksfrom the 19th-century to the best of modern art, to the scintillating cutting edgecontemporary works of today. This best of Baltimore venues was founded in 1914 withthe acquisition of a single painting, but today the museum houses 90,000 works ofart, including the largest Henri Matisse collection in the world. Visitors willdiscover a breathtaking selection of European and American art, as well as an assortmentof works from the 15th- through 19th-century. This Baltimore vacation destinationhouses innumerable drawings and paintings by famous and notable artists. The worldclass Baltimore Museum of Art also exhibits African, Asian, and Native Americanworks, from the ancient world. There are even two landscaped gardens which containa variety of 20th-century sculpture, providing a gorgeous green space in the midstof this Baltimore attraction.

For sports fans, there's a truly memorable Baltimore tour waiting for them in thecity. When Baltimore's Camden Yardsopened in 1992, it was the first Major League Baseball stadiumdesigned exclusively for baseball. This Baltimore sporting venue was built to emulatethe historic atmosphere and style of its downtown Baltimore location. The stadium'seye-catching appearance is guaranteed to draw you into its mesmerizing influence,and ranks as one of the top things to do in Baltimore, be it to attend an Oriolesgame or to take the famous tour of this landmark Baltimore attraction.

If baseball isn't your thing, then make a day of a visit to M&T Bank Stadium, tosee the NFL'sBaltimore Ravensin action. If you prefer Baltimore sporting history, thenBaltimore has that, too. The Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum is another major pointof interest in Baltimore sports. Baltimore's native son, the Great Bambino, is celebratedin the house where he was born, amid memorabilia such as the actual catcher's mitthe used during his formative baseball years. Babe Ruth's bat, used during the famous1927 season can also be found there, as well as Orioles exhibits of al types. Thishistoric home and sporting museum should be among every baseball enthusiast's vacationin Baltimore. For history buffs in general, there is also the Edgar Allen Poe House,also located in Baltimore, and a must-see for any literary traveler.

Another top Baltimore attraction is the Baltimore Maritime Museum. Located righton the water, this world class Baltimore vacation spot composes three large shipsanchored in the Inner Harbor and an interesting lighthouse. There are vessels suchas a World War II submarine and a Coast Guard Cutter, which tell amazing seafaringtales and perspectives of 20th-century sailors. If the Maritime museum doesn't floatyour boat, you can always go to see the famous Baltimore landmark, the B&O RailroadMuseum, at the site of the oldest railroad station in America. This Baltimore attractionshows the development of the locomotive from early times, and provides a fascinatingglimpse of how the technology has improved over the past century. The BaltimoreB&O Railroad Museum has an extensive model railroad and an operating replica ofThe Tom Thumb, America's very first locomotive, which was built right in the site.The B&O is among the finest transportation museums in the United States.

For those who prefer a more modern Baltimore vacation spot, Geppi's EntertainmentMuseum, a pop culture museum located in Camden Station and features Americana andcomic character collectibles from the 1700s to the present. There are almost 8,000pop-culture items on show, including comics, toys, dolls, games and all kinds ofcomical and interesting memorabilia. The role and purpose of pop culture is exploredto great effect. This is a must for any student of modern cultural phenomena.

If you're traveling into Baltimore for the first time, check out this quick overview of tourism and transportation in Charm City.

If You're Traveling Into Baltimore...

Some helpful information from the Wikipedia:

The Central region of the city is the Downtown area and location of Baltimore'smain commercial area. Home to Harborplace, The Camden Yards Sports Complex (OriolePark at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium), the Convention Center, and the NationalAquarium in Baltimore, the area also includes many nightclubs bars and restaurants,shopping centers and other attractions. It is also serves as the home to many ofBaltimore's key business such as Legg Mason. The area has, especially in the downtowncore, has mainly served as commercial district with limited residential opportunities.However since 2002 the population in the downtown has doubled to 10,000 residentswith a projection of 7,400 additional housing units coming available by 2012.

Much of Baltimore's African-American culture has roots that long predate the 20th-century"Great Migration" from the Deep South. Like Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C.,Baltimore has been home to a successful African-American middle class and professionalcommunity for centuries. Before the Civil War, Baltimore had one of the largestconcentrations of free African-Americans among American cities. In the twentiethcentury, Baltimore-born Thurgood Marshall became the first African-American justiceof the U.S. Supreme Court. Baltimore's culture has been famously celebrated in themovies of Barry Levinson, who grew up in the city's Jewish neighborhoods. His moviesDiner, Tin Men, Avalon, and Liberty Heights are inspired to varying degrees by hislife in the city. Baltimore native John Waters parodies the city extensively inhis films, including the 1972 cult classic Pink Flamingos. Baltimore is also famousfor their lively night life. Including late night trips to various clubs and diners.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an internationally-renowned orchestra, foundedin 1916 as a publicly-funded municipal organization. Its current Music Directoris Marin Alsop, a protege of Leonard Bernstein. Center Stage is the premier theatercompany in the city and a regionally well-respected group. The Baltimore Opera isan important regional opera company. The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center,home of the restored Thomas Lamb-designed Hippodrome Theatre, has afforded Baltimorethe opportunity to become a major regional player in the area of touring Broadwayand other performing arts presentations. Baltimore also boasts an array of professional(non-touring) and community theater groups. Aside from Center Stage, resident troupesin the city include Everyman Theatre and Baltimore Theatre Festival. Community theatersin the city include Fells Point Community Theatre and the Arena Players, which isthe nation's oldest continuously operating African American community theater.

The interstate highways serving Baltimore are I-70, I-83 (the Jones Falls Expressway),I-95 (the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway), I-395, I-695 (the Baltimore Beltway),I-795 (the Northwest Expressway), I-895 (the Harbor Tunnel Thruway), and I-97. Severalof the city's interstate highways, e.g. I-95, I-83, and I-70 are not directly connectedto each other, and in the case of I-70 end just outside city limits at the BaltimoreBeltway, because of freeway revolts in the City of Baltimore. These revolts wereled by Barbara Mikulski, which resulted in the abandonment of the original plan.U.S. highways that run through downtown Baltimore include U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route40 National Road, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. There are two tunnels traversingthe Baltimore harbor within the city limits: the four-bore Fort McHenry Tunnel (servedby I-95) and the two-bore Harbor Tunnel (served by I-895). The Baltimore Beltwaycrosses south of Baltimore harbor over the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Baltimore is a top destination for Amtrak along the Northeast Corridor. Baltimore'sPenn Station is one of the busiest in the country. In 2005, it ranked 8th in theUnited States with a total ridership of 910,523. Just outside the city, Baltimore/WashingtonInternational (BWI) Thurgood Marshall Airport Rail Station is another popular stop.Amtrak's Acela Express, Palmetto, Carolinian, Silver Star, Silver Meteor, Vermonter,Crescent, and Regional trains are the scheduled passenger train services that stopin the city. Additionally, MARC commuter rail service connects the city's two mainintercity rail stations, Camden Station and Penn Station with Washington, D.C.'sUnion Station as well as stops in between.

Public transit in Baltimore City is provided by the Maryland Transit Administration.The city has a comprehensive bus network, a small light rail network connectingHunt Valley in the north to BWI airport and Cromwell in the south, and a subwayline between Owings Mills and Johns Hopkins Hospital. A proposed bus rapid transitor rail line, known as the Red Line, which would link the Social Security Administrationto Fells Point and perhaps the Canton and Dundalk communities, is under study asof 2007; a proposal to extend Baltimore's existing subway line to Morgan State University,known as the Green Line, is in the planning stage.

Baltimore is served by Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport,generally known as "BWI," which lies to the south in neighboring Anne Arundel County,and by Martin State Airport, a general aviation facility, to the north in BaltimoreCounty. BWI and Martin State airports are operated by the Maryland Aviation Administration,which are part of the Maryland Department of Transportation.[43] In terms of passengers,BWI airport is the top 26th airport in the United States.[44] Downtown Baltimoreis connected to BWI airport by two major highways (I-95 and the Baltimore-WashingtonParkway via Interstate 195), the Baltimore Light Rail, and Amtrak and MARC commuterrail service between Baltimore's Penn Station and BWI Rail Station. Martin StateAirport is linked to downtown Baltimore by two major highways, I-95 and U.S. Route40, and MARC commuter rail service between Baltimore's Penn Station and its nearbyMartin State Airport MARC Train stop.