Baltimore has everything you want for the holidays.

Baltimore is bursting with holiday events, exhibitions and great hotel deals. There's the Holiday Festival of Trains, The Rockettes, The Grinch, 50 Years of Barbie and the Nutcracker. Plus, Baltimore's famous Lighted Boat Parade, the Ports America New Year's Eve Spectacular and more.

See below for a full list of holiday events and be sure to check out our Events Calendar to see what else is going on in Baltimore this holiday season.

Holiday Hotel Packages with Free Perks

Visitors to Baltimore this fall are cashing in on free offers at area hotels. Book your overnight stay and receive free perks ranging from chocolates and roses to parking to an extra free night! View the list of available packages.

Holiday Events

 

Baltimore's Miracle on
34th Street
November 29, 2008 - January 2, 2009
Christmas Street.
34th St. between Chestnut and Keswick in Hampden

This nightly display of lights along Hampden's 34th St. is a long-standing tradition in Baltimore. From the first Saturday following Thanksgiving through New Years, the community transforms this street into an astounding display of kitsch and lights. Take in this celebration of the holiday season and then pop around the corner to Cafe Hon for hot chocoloate or do some shopping at the many quirky boutiques and shops on Hampden's Main Street. 

 

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K'Nex: Building Thrill Rides
September 28, 2008 - January 4, 2009
Maryland Science Center
601 Light Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
Website

The K'NEX: Building Thrill Rides Exhibit offers hours of entertainment and exciting building fun for the entire family. The exhibit contains a Kid K'NEX building station for children ages 3-5, in addition to the ever popular K'NEX stations for children 6+.

 

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A Chorus Line
December 2-14, 2008
Hippodrome Theatre at The France -Merrick Performing Arts Center
12 N. Eutaw Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Website

In an empty theatre, on a bare stage, casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. For 17 dancers, this audition is the chance of a lifetime. It’s what they’ve worked for - with every drop of sweat, every hour of training, every day of their lives. It’s the one opportunity to do what they’ve always dreamed -- to have the chance to dance. This is A CHORUS LINE, the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all on the line. Winner of nine Tony Awards®, including “Best Musical” and the Pulitzer Prize for drama, this singular sensation is the longest-running American Broadway musical ever. Now A CHORUS LINE returns. Come meet the new generation of Broadway’s best. “A CHORUS LINE is back, and it’s thrilling!” - John Lahr, The New Yorker.

 

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The Polar Express 4-D Experience
November 15, 2008 - January 4, 2009
National Aquarium in Baltimore
501 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Website

The Polar Express 4-D Experience, a holiday classic transformed into a magical 15-minute journey. Embark on a cold winter’s journey that’s sure to warm your heart, and to make you believe.

 

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Holiday Festival of Trains at the B&O Railroad Museum
November 28, 2008 - December 30, 2008
B&O Railroad Museum
901 W. Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21223
Website

The B&O Railroad Museum's Holiday Festival of Trains will be better than ever for the 2008 holiday season. In addition to its already renowned rotating display of model railroads and holiday entertainment, the B&O is offering something brand new---a train ride with Santa! During weekends through December 21st, Santa and his helpers will be on the train handing out candy canes to visitors. Where else can you ride the rails with Santa but the B&O?! Another addition for 2008 is "Santa's Secret Shop" hidden within the museum, where children will have the opportunity to purchase their very own gifts for family and friends. There will also be holiday stories and videos, and a craft area for children.

Please note: The Museum is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

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The Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring the Rockettes
December 2, 2008 - December 7, 2008
1st Mariner Arena
201 W. Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Website

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the world famous Radio City Rockettes is an unparalleled show featuring the Rockettes' signature eye high kicks and precision choreography in multiple show stopping numbers including: the legendary "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," and "New York at Christmas," a dynamic holiday celebration. Families will be delighted as Santa flies high above the crowd and touched as the true meaning of Christmas is brought to life in the awe-inspiring "Living Nativity." This legendary Spectacular has dazzled and inspired over 65 million people for more than 75 years and continues to create memories that will last a lifetime.

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23rd Annual Union Square Cookie Tour
December 14, 2008 | 12:00PM
Union Square
Starts at 1401 Hollins Street
Baltimore, MD 21223
Website

The Union Square neighborhood invites you to our 23nd annual Christmas Cookie Tour. The park and the homes will all be decorated to celebrate the season. We offer you a special afternoon to stroll through our National Register of Historic Places district, and through the many fine 19th century homes opened for your pleasure. If you are new to our tour, you may be surprised to find that while we are very consistent in our views of proper Victorian streetscape, we vary widely in our concepts of interior decor. Our homes run the gamut of style from country to contemporary, with eclectic coexistence as a common rule.

 

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Annual Parade of Lighted Boats
Fell's Point
December 6, 2008

Baltimore’s nautical spirit is aglow as more than 50 boats and pleasure crafts, bedecked and sparkling in their holiday finery, make their way from the Inner Harbor to Fell’s Point after dark, festooned with holiday lights. Santa himself has been known to set sail for the occasion. 1-877-BALTIMORE.

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David DeBoy and the Hons in "Crabs for Christmas" 
Dec 18, 2008 at 7:30 pm
300 S. High Street, Little Italy
Website

Dec 18, 2008 at 7:30 pm
The Rockettes may be coming to Baltimore, but at the Cabaret at Germano's we are celebrating Christmas Bawlmer style. It's a Crazy Carnival of Crabby Christmas Carols, audience participation, surprises and fun for all ages. David DeBoy will be performing hits from his album "Crabs For Christmas for Twenty Years" plus premiering new songs. Joining David will be special guest Brent Hardesty, the novelty songwriter from WBAL Radio and creator of countless jingles you hear every day. Celebrate the season like a true Balti-moron! Doors open at 6 pm for pre-show dining.  $10 cover. $15 food/drink minimum.  Cabaret at Germano's, 300 S. High Street, Little Italy, 410.752.4515.

 

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Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker
December 19, 2008 - December 21, 2008
The Lyric Opera House
140 W. Mount Royal Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21201
Website

Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker returns to Baltimore's Lyric Opera House 12/19-21. Tickets are discounted during the pre-sale up to $20 per ticket for the best seats in the house.

 

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Barbie: Fifty Fashionable Years
December 20, 2008 - May 31, 2009
Geppi's Entertainment Museum
301 W Camden St
Baltimore, MD 21201
Website

Since her debut in a plain black-and-white swimsuit in 1959, Barbie has been a symbol of America’s changing and sometimes controversial perception of the role of women in our society. GEM looks at a half-century of dream houses, sports cars, shifting fashions and hairstyles, and how Barbara Millicent Roberts has changed the face of pop culture.

 

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Ports America New Year's Eve Spectacular
December 31, 2008 - January 1, 2009 | 9:00PM - 12:30AM
Inner Harbor

Inner Harbor Entertainment
Enjoy dynamic live music and non-stop fun at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater located at Pratt and Light streets.

Fireworks
At midnight, following a countdown led by Mayor Sheila Dixon, the largest Baltimore New Year's Eve fireworks show returns turning the sky over the Inner Harbor into a multitude of colors. The fireworks are choreographed to music. This glistening fireworks presentation by Zambelli Internationale officially welcomes in the New Year.