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Baltimore is Bursting with Free Things to Do

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Check out our list of 50 Free Things To Do in Baltimore. From parks and the waterfront to museums and tours, Baltimore has a long list of great activities that are fun and, most importantly, free!

50 Free Things:

1 Walk down Antique Row
The streets and shops of Antique Row are riddled with interesting and historical finds from art to collectibles to coins and old books. The windows on this promenade are full of intriguing and sometimes odd bits of history for you to enjoy.

2 Visit the Baltimore Museum of Art
As a major cultural destination for the greater Baltimore region, The Baltimore Museum of Art organizes and presents a variety of dynamic exhibitions and innovative programs throughout the year and frequently hosts special events with cultural and educational partners. The BMA is free for everyone, every day, so that great art is accessible to all.

3 See Baltimore's Sports Heroes
Visit statues of Baltimore’s sports heroes at M&T Bank Stadium (Johnny Unitas) and Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Babe Ruth)

4 Tour the Basilica
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was the first metropolitan cathedral in the United States. This historic site contains neoclassical architecture, a 17th Century organ, and more.

5 Explore Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary
This 100-acre nature sanctuary recalls a time some 100,000 years ago when cypress swamps were common over large parts of the region and now-extinct animals like mammoths roamed the landscape

6 Play Bocce Ball in Little Italy
Located on Stiles St., get a real flavor of the "old country" by watching some Little Italy locals play Bocce on the sandy courts in the evenings.

7 Discover Broadway Market
The Broadway Market in Fell's Point is one of several historic markets still servicing Baltimore residents.

8 Tour the Galleries at the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower
The Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower has been transformed into studio spaces for visual and literary artists. Take part in Open Studio Day and view impressive artwork from talented artists. During this free event, guests can visit artists’ studios, view or purchase works of art, and enjoy refreshments and light fare at the newly renovated Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower. 

9 Climb the Washington Monument
Climbing the 228 steps to the top of the first monument to George Washington provides an excellent view of the city from historic Mount Vernon where it is located. (A $1 donation is suggested, but not mandatory)

10 Walk through Cross Street Market
The Cross Street Market is a historic marketplace located in Federal Hill. The Charles Street end of the market is home to Nick's Seafood, where crab cakes, steamed shrimp, oysters, and sushi can be enjoyed along with a 32oz draft of your favorite beer. But you don’t need to spend a dime to enjoy this scene. Pull up a stool and check out the local flare.

11 Take a walk around the Cylburn Arboretum
The Cylburn Arboretum is a nature preserve and city park spanning about 207 acres.  Experience the feel of a grand estate in a rolling countryside, all within city limits. Collections of Japanese maples, Hollies, Conifers, Maryland Oaks, Tree Peonies, Maples and Magnolias stand on spacious lawns and luscious gardens surround the Victorian Mansion.  Explore trails that wind through the woodlands, where you can discover rare trees, native plants and wildflowers.

12 Watch wildlife at Druid Hill Park
The 745-acre Druid Hill Park ranks among the oldest landscaped public parks in the United States.

13 Visit the Edgar Allan Poe Grave
Most people are fascinated by strange and spooky places. Actually, though, this is a very serene and quiet spot in the middle of the city. Poe and Virginia Clemm rest in the Westminster Hall cemetery located at 519 West Fayette, the corner of Fayette and Greene, which has also been the resting place of prominent Maryland families.

14 Get a panoramic view from Federal Hill Park
A well-known lookout during the Civil War and the War of 1812, Federal Hill lies on the south side of the Inner Harbor. Now a historic park, it features fantastic views of the entire Baltimore Inner Harbor area.

15 Check out the scene in Fell’s Point
Experience the history and charm of this Colonial-era neighborhood on the harbor first hand.  Window-shop as you walk along the authentic cobblestone streets, but don’t miss the waterfront vista from the end of bustling Broadway Street.

16 Cruise the Fell’s Point Art Loop
Spend an evening mingling with artists, sampling cheese and wine, and soaking up the arts in Fell’s Point. On the first Friday of every month, the Fell’s Point Development Corporation presents the work of local artists. Thirteen galleries come together to display pieces from their artists. The types of art include, but are not limited to, woodworking, photography, sculpture and oil paintings. Restaurants offer specials and stay open late to accommodate visitors.

17 Read your favorite book under a tree at Fort McHenry
Even if military history is not your thing, visit on a sunny day and you'll still enjoy the view down the Patapsco River from these 43 waterside acres.

18 Free Movies Federal Hill, Fells Point, Charles Village, and Little Italy 
In locations all across Baltimore…grab a blanket or a folding chair and catch a free film after dusk.

19 Bike the Gwynns Falls trails
Get off the road and enjoy a leisurely (or rigorous) bike ride along the recently expanded 15 miles of trails.

20 Party the first Friday of the Month in Hampden
A frequent setting in John Waters' films, here is a neighborhood that still celebrates the bouffant and grilled-cheese charms of Charm City. Stop “down Hampden hon” for First Fridays--participating merchants host events, parties, special sales and stay open late, etc.

21 Visit the American Visionary Art Museum Sculpture Plaza and Wildflower Garden
The exterior of the American Visionary Art Museum is almost as interesting as what you'll find inside. The building is surrounded by unique and curious sculptures, which you can explore for FREE!

22 Visit the Hampton National Historic Site
Hampton preserves a vast estate from the 1700s. Its centerpiece is an elegantly furnished Georgian mansion set amid formal gardens and shade trees.

23 Take in an outdoor performance at the Harborplace Amphitheater
Located between the Harborplace Pavilions, the Amphitheater hosts free performances from singers, dancers, magicians and more.

24 Edgar Allen Poe Statue at University of Baltimore Law School
The last work of the great American sculptor Sir Moses Jacob Ezekiel, it was commissioned in 1907 by the Women's Literary Club of Baltimore. It was hoped that the statue would be ready by Poe's centennial in 1909, but a series of problems prevented its completion until 1916 and World War I delayed its arrival in Baltimore. The statue was dedicated in Wyman Park on October 20, 1921. It was moved, under the recommendation of the E. A. Poe Society of Baltimore, to the plaza of the University of Baltimore's Law School, where it now resides.

25 Feed the ducks at the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Waterfront Park
At the foot of the National Aquarium in Baltimore, you'll find a beautiful urban, waterfront park to relax between your other adventures.

26 Burn off your lunch exploring the Heritage Walk
Beginning in the Inner Harbor, this free, guided walking tour takes visitors off the beaten path and deep into Baltimore's history. Walkers visit little known but fascinating sites in the nearby neighborhoods of Little Italy, Jonestown and downtown. The tour begins at the Visitor Center in the Inner Harbor.

27 See the Holocaust Memorial
This open air memorial stands as a tribute to the Jews that lost their lives in Europe between 1933-1945.

28 Walk the Inner Harbor Baltimore Waterfront promenade
Baltimore's Inner Harbor is one of America's oldest seaports - and one of the world's newest travel destinations."

29 Visit the Kaytn Memorial
Located on the circle in Harbor East, the Kaytn Memorial stands in honor of Polish military officers, policemen and civilian prisoners of war executed by Soviet authorities on March 1940.

30 Take in the enticing sites, sounds and smells at Lexington Market
For absolutely no money, you can enter the Market, walk around, watch butchers and fishmongers at work, and smell wonderful food cooking. You'll get a feel for what doing the food shopping used to be like.

31 Discover the charm of Little Italy
Washington is just a bit too Southern to have any proper ethnic neighborhoods. Not so in Baltimore, second only to Ellis Island as a late 19th-century immigration port. You'll get fierce opinions on which, of more than 20 restaurants, is the best-of-the-moment. Enjoy a stroll through the neighborhood on your way to one of the charming trattorias, to watch a bocce ball contest, or to catch a neighborhood roller blade street hockey game.

32 Be an art critic for a day at Maryland Institute College of Art
Enjoy the free exhibits in all of the galleries on the campus at MICA.

33 Explore the Farmer's Market
The 31st annual Baltimore Farmers' Market offers the best deals on produce, herbs, flowers, fruit and more.  The Baltimore Farmers' Market is the largest producers-only market in Maryland. If you’re lucky you might just get some free samples!  

34 Enjoy a picnic at Patapsco Valley State Park
Recreational opportunities include hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, horseback and mountain bike trails, as well as picnicking for individuals or large groups in the park's many popular pavilions.

35 Walk  around Patterson Park
Now 155 acres strong, Patterson Park is one of the largest parks in Baltimore City with public walkways, romantic paths, pavilions, trees, fountains, a mansion and two lakes.

36 Read a good book or browse handmade jewelry collections at Red Canoe
A cool little children's bookstore with live events, a jewelry store upstairs and a small café with outdoor seating for meeting up with fellow parents and kids.

37 Ride your bike
Check out Baltimore's Jones Falls bike trails and see the city from an angle you've never seen before.

38 Tour School 33 Art Center
Baltimore’s visual artists—they’re brilliant, inspired, and dazzling. Now this fall, you’ll have the rare chance to step into their studios and their worlds, during School 33 Art Center’s Annual Open Studio Tour, October 18-19, 2008.

39 Work on your nose grind at the Skate park in Carroll Park
Carroll Park plays home to a free skate park where locals and visitors alike can practice their moves and aspire to the AST Dew Tour, which comes to Baltimore each June.

40 Sharpen your photography skills at Sherwood Gardens
Take a shot at photography while at Sherwood Gardens. Photograph and admire the fabulous mansions and take in the expansive variety of flora and fauna. If you go, take a detour to Blythewood, between Charles Street and Wyndhurst Street--one of the nicest streets in Baltimore, with architecturally eclectic mansions.

41 Sing at The Fudgery
Watch and listen as the staff of The Fudgery sing acapella while turning and making fudge. Famous former employees include Baltimore native Sisquo and the rest of Dru Hill.

42 Enjoy Smooth Jazz at the Tremont Park
Set aside Friday and Saturday evenings to hear Smooth Live Jazz at the Celebrities Lounge of the Tremont Park Hotel. Performances run from 6-9 PM on Fridays and 7-10 PM on Saturdays. Admission is free with door prizes and drink specials. Great music, great food, great fun in an intimate setting. Tremont Park Hotel, 8 East Pleasant Street, call 410-576-1200 for more information.

43 Do yoga in St. Mary's Park
St. Mary's Park, which once was home to old St. Mary's Seminary, is an island of green and quiet in the city. You can walk, sit and enjoy the sun, collect leaves, watch squirrels load up on acorns, look for apple windfalls, bring a picnic lunch, and enjoy the singing of local birds-everything from sparrows to crows.

44 Find your next great read at The Book Thing
Open only on weekends, the mission is to find new homes for books that were no longer wanted by their owners. While you can donate your own books, you don't have to in order to browse the offerings and stock up on free reads.

45 Tour the Enoch Pratt Free Library
One of the first to be built with an accessible street level entrance. Over 60 years old, the Enoch Pratt Library continues to enchant book lovers of all ages with its immensity-it's just so darned BIG-an entire block in length.

46 Explore the Walters Art Museum
Free general admission except for special exhibits. Children will enjoy the displays of knights' armor, the statues, the colorful paintings, the furniture, the many small and lovely trinkets-including Faberge eggs. The museum actually owns more than 25,00 pieces of art.

47 Stroll Tyson Street
These elegant but tiny renovated homes once housed Irish Immigrants - most were built around 1830. The shady block to the north of Read is particularly beautiful; the houses are in a variety of colors. You can peak through the breezeways to see the gardens behind. Read Street itself used to be a thriving, slightly bohemian Walkway - there are several good places to eat on the street. The Designer Bathroom window is a great place for children to browse shiny brass drawer handles and classy toilet seats.

48 Join a local game of Baseball or Soccer at Riverside Park
This small park just south of the Inner Harbor offers a public soccer field and baseball diamond, as well as a gigantic, well-kept public swimming pool, where neighborhood children swim for a dollar a day during July and August. There are also plenty of benches, and a small gazebo offers a shady spot for a picnic lunch.

49 Visit Weber's Cider Mill Farm
Farm market, bakery, gift shop, pick-your-own apples and special fall festivals like the Johnny Appleseed Festival and Halloween activities!

50 Play Volleyball at Rash Field
Check out “Baltimore Beach” and its 7 volleyball courts made up of 1000 tons of sand located at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  A place where local and visitor, beginner to expert can meet and play organized games.