Great Escapes - Cultural treasures in Baltimore's backyard

Looking to get away from it all, many Baltimoreans log lots of miles to see sites far from home. These travelers are lucky: There are lots of easily accessible destination getaways in the mid- Atlantic area.

But maybe the swarms of out-of-towners who flood Baltimore each year - especially during the summer months - know something the locals don't. In other words, city residents may be missing out on some great cultural treasures right under their noses.

For some local discoveries, read on.

The Big Crab, like other old East Coast cities, is terrifically rich in its variety of museums.

The artistically inclined can browse the Baltimore Museum of Art, which highlights a dazzling collection that spans from ancient mosaics to more contemporary art, including the Cone sisters' works by Picasso and Matisse.

Then there's the newly renovated Walters Art Museum, a world- class gallery with a collection that extends over 55 centuries of art, ranging from Egyptian artifacts to Medieval armor, and Renaissance paintings to Faberge eggs. The adjoining Hackerman House, a 1850s mansion, houses the museum's Asian collection.

Those seeking more recent creations can visit the American Visionary Art Museum on Key Highway. The funky museum features original works created by self-taught artists in its seven galleries and offers an outdoor wildflower sculpture garden as well.

On the historical side, Baltimore is home to the recently renovated B&O Railroad Museum, which is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American railroading through the history and legacy of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, among others in the mid-Atlantic region.

At the Baltimore Museum of Industry, guests can relive the Industrial Revolution and step back in time to Baltimore's earliest days as a port city and trace the evolution of such businesses as food canning, broadcasting and metalworking.

There is also the Jewish Museum of Maryland, which is billed as America's leading museum of regional Jewish history, culture and community, and the Babe Ruth Museum & Birthplace, just a long fly ball (as the radio ads say) from Oriole Park at Camden Yards at 216 Emory St., which will unveil its expansion into nearby Camden Station this spring. And don't forget the Maryland Historical Society, the state's oldest cultural institution, which reflects its diverse heritage with not only a museum, but also a library and extensive educational programs at 201 W. Monument St.

The African-American community is well-represented by such offerings as the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, which recently secured $10 million toward its capital campaign to fund a $50 million expansion; the Eubie Blake Jazz & Cultural Center, which showcases the work of minority artists in such disciplines as music, dance and art; and the newest offering, the Reginald Lewis Museum of African American History & Culture, which is slated to open this summer and serve as the best resource for information and inspiration about the lives of African-American Marylanders.

See it, hear it

The performing arts are represented with a number of facilities throughout Baltimore, most notably the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, more commonly known as the Hippodrome. It is the centerpiece of not only world-class stage performances, but of a totally revitalized west side of Baltimore.

Older standbys include the Morris A. Mechanic Theater, which has been bringing Broadway to Baltimore for decades with the latest in touring musicals, dramas and dance performances. Deemed A Regional Theater of the First Rank by Time Magazine is Center Stage, which attracts artists to produce classic and contemporary work in its two state-of-the art theaters.

The Arena Players, which was founded in 1953 and is the oldest continuously operating African-American community theater in the area, produces five main-stage productions each year. Just south of the city in Brooklyn Park, the Chesapeake Arts Center offers a variety of shows on its main stage and in its studio theater, as well as exhibits and classes in the visual, literary and performing arts.

On a more musical note, the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, home to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, performs classical, pops and family concerts throughout the year; the Lyric Opera House, an acoustical haven that is on the National Register of Historical Places, has been a venue for a range of musical performances for the past two decades; and the Peabody Conservatory of Music features performances by students and graduate musicians, showcasing classical, light jazz and vintage popular music.

Houses of history, worship

It only stands to reason that a city more than 200 years old would be the site of such historic homes as the Evergreen House, an 1850s Italianate mansion that showcases 48 elegant rooms filled with decorative arts, rare books, Tiffany glass and theater art by stage designer Leon Bakst; the Hampton National Historic Site, an ornate Georgian mansion with outbuildings (including the original slave quarters) that was in the hands of one family for more than 150 years; and the Homewood House Museum, one of America's finest early 19th-century homes famed for its ornamentation and detail.

The historic city also boasts the Mother Seton House on North Paca Street, which was once home to the first American-born Roman Catholic Saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton; and the Mount Clare Museum House on Washington Boulevard, a 1760 Georgian mansion that houses a collection of most of the original 18th- and 19th-century objects belonging to Declaration of Independence signer Charles Carroll and his heirs.

Houses of worship are plentiful as well in Baltimore. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption was the first Catholic cathedral in the country and is one of the best examples of neoclassical architecture in the world. Located on North Charles Street, it was designed by Benjamin Latrobe, who also designed the U.S. Capitol.

Old St. Paul's Church at Charles and Saratoga streets was founded in 1692 and offers traditional services with renowned choirs. The church is known for its design, which incorporates many Tiffany windows. Other noteworthy churches that dot Baltimore's religious landscape include the St. Alphonsus Shrine, which bills itself as Baltimore's Powerhouse of Prayer, and St. Luke's at Franklin Square, which features the original architecture of James Priestly.

Sports and seafood

Baltimore's best known sports franchises are Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles, who play at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and the National Football League's Baltimore Ravens, who play next door in the same complex at M&T Bank Stadium.

But the city is also the home of the two-time Major Indoor Soccer League Champion Baltimore Blast, and it's a hotbed for lacrosse. Fittingly, it is home to U.S. Lacrosse, the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse, which is based on the Homewood Campus of the Johns Hopkins University. The museum and the hall of fame there span the sport's Native American origins to modern times, allowing fans to discover and relive the origins of America's oldest sport.

While there are numerous chain restaurants and eateries in the famous Inner Harbor area, one of the first things visitors - and many locals - often want to eat in Baltimore is seafood. Among the most popular seafood restaurants and crab houses in town are Obrycki's, in Fells Point, which is opening another outlet at BWI Airport later this year; and Bo Brooks Lighthouse Point, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary from its newest digs in Canton.

Between those two waterfront areas and the Inner Harbor sits a longtime crown jewel of Baltimore dining: Little Italy. The neighborhood's list of ristorantes, some of which have been in business for decades, is long, impressive and detailed at www.littleitalyrestaurants.com. They include Aldo's, Amicci's, Bocaccio's, Caesar's Den, Cafe di Roma, Chipparelli's, Ciao Bella, Da Mimmo, La Tavola, Sabatino's, Vaccaro's and Velleggia.

Copyright 2005 Dolan Media Newswires
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