What's New in Baltimore?

Indulge Yourself with a New Baltimore Experience

Contact: Monee Cottman, 410-659-7301,  mcottman@baltimore.org


Baltimore is an ever-evolving destination. In fact, there is more growth and change taking place right now in Baltimore than at any other time since our world-famous Inner Harbor began welcoming visitors over 25 years ago. With nationally recognized restaurants, museums and attractions, Baltimore is a must-see destination.

STORY STARTERS:

The Curtain Goes Up - Baltimore's stages will be shining bright with live performances this season offering holiday favorites such as "The Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker" at the Lyric Opera House and "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical" at the legendary Hippodrome Theatre. Visitors can also start a new tradition by enjoying "The Polar Express" at the National Aquarium in Baltimore's 4D Immersion Theater.

Poe-centennial - The year 2009 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Edgar Allen Poe, one of the greatest writers in Western Civilization. In honor of his 200th birthday, the city of Baltimore has announced the city-wide celebration Nevermore 2009. The celebration includes hotel packages and signature events including Baltimore City's Edgar Allan Poe Bicentennial Birthday Celebration with a tribute by "The Addams Family" actor and Baltimore resident John Astin and a re-enactment of Poe's Funeral Service in October 2009.

A City of Neighborhoods - Many of Baltimore's best restaurants are located outside of the famed Inner Harbor, in bustling neighborhoods including Fell's Point, Harbor East, Hampden and Canton. Visitors who explore Baltimore's neighborhoods - and the great restaurants that make them lively - will discover their distinct personalities, reflected in the creative cuisine and laid-back atmosphere.

Everyone's a Kid - Find your inner child this season with fun exhibits and events! Also, stretch your holiday dollars with special Deal Driver promotion offering hotel, restaurant, shopping and attraction discounts at www.baltimore.org. Featured discounts include a complimentary dessert with a purchase of an entrée at a participating restaurant and buy one, get one free admission at popular attractions.

HOLIDAY EVENTS:

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical

November 11 - 23, 2008
Hippodrome Theatre
Re-discover the magic of Dr. Seuss' classic holiday tale as it comes to life on stage. Originally conceived by the three time Tony® Award winning Director Jack O'Brien, the whimsical world of Whoville is beautifully realized by an A-list creative team in this delightful musical production. Featuring the hit songs "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and "Welcome Christmas," The Grinch discovers there's more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heartwarming holiday classic. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is "two sizes too small", decides to steal Christmas away from the holiday loving Whos. Don't miss this record-breaking Broadway hit this holiday season. www.france-merrickpac.com

4D Immersion Theater: Polar Express

November 15, 2008 - January 4, 2009
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Back for the holidays, Polar Express will be shown on the 4D Theater at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  www.aqua.org

Miracle on 34th Street

700 block of 34th Street in Hampden (corner of Keswick Road and Chestnut Street)
One block in Hampden puts on a Christmas light display that is surely visible from space. Neighbors in this block of rowhouses string Christmas lights across 34th Street. Inflatable snowglobes, musical trains and blinking angels adorn homes. A few even allow visitors to peek inside. The lights are on every night from Thanksgiving weekend to January 1st, including all night on Christmas Eve. For more info, visit www.christmasstreet.com

Holiday Festival of Trains at the B&O

November 28, 2008 - December 30, 2008
B&O Railroad Museum
Holiday celebration of toy trains and model railroading layouts beginning with the arrival of Santa by locomotive on Friday, November 28, 2008. The festival features many different layouts including the Museum's "HO" model train layout in the B&0. #725 passenger car and the outdoor "G" scale layout. Children can visit with Santa on Saturdays and Sundays through the Festival. Please note: The Museum is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  www.borail.org  

A Monumental Occasion

December 4, 2008
Mount Vernon Place (600 Block of North Charles Street)
Christmastime in Baltimore begins with A Monumental Occasion...the lighting of our nation's first monument to our first president in the heart of Mount Vernon Place. Carolers, live music and holiday cheer abound, culminating in the ceremonial lighting of Baltimore's Washington Monument, complete with the mayor, celebrity guests and fireworks. Get there early for the best view! www.promotionandarts.com  

Radio City Holiday Spectacular

December 4 - 7, 2008
1st Mariner Arena
Since 1994 the Radio City Christmas Spectacular has also toured theaters in North America, bringing the World Famous Rockettes precision choreography to over nine million people. This year the theatrical tour will return to five select cities. Show stopping numbers in both productions include the legendary "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and "New York at Christmas," a dynamic holiday celebration. Families will be delighted and touched as Santa and his reindeer fly, teddy bears dance and the true meaning of Christmas comes to life in the awe-inspiring "Living Nativity". Join us as for a Spectacular event sure to create family memories that last a lifetime. www.baltimorearena.com  

Annual Parade of Lighted Boats

December 6, 2008
Inner Harbor and Fell's Point
Baltimore's nautical spirit is all aglow for the annual Parade of Lighted Boats. More than 50 boats and pleasure crafts, bedecked and sparkling in their holiday finery, make their way from Baltimore's world-famous Inner Harbor to Fells Point, festooned with holiday lights. Santa Claus himself has been known to set sail for the occasion!

Dollar Days

December 6 - 7, 2008
Every year for one weekend in December, downtown Baltimore attractions, led by the National Aquarium in Baltimore, drop admission prices to $1 or even less. www.godowntownbaltimore.com  

BSO Holiday Spectacular

December 12 - 14, 17 - 21, and 23, 2008
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Baltimore's favorite holiday tradition! Whirl into a winter wonderland with audience favorite Sandi Patty as she hosts this musical extravaganza. Dazzle your senses with over 100 singers, dancers, flying reindeer, tap-dancing Santa's and more. Jack Everly and the BSO also welcome special guest the African Children's Choir, made famous on American Idol's "Idol Gives Back" and The Tonight Show. www.bsomusic.org

New Year's Eve Spectacular

December 31, 2008
Inner Harbor
Ring in the new year the Baltimore way with music and entertainment at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater, family activities at the Top of the World Observation Level and good cheer all around Baltimore's world-famous waterfront throughout the final hours of this year. At midnight, an amazing New Year's Eve fireworks show by Zambelli Internationale, the "First Family of Fireworks," erupts, filling the Baltimore skyline with a dazzling array of sparkling colors. Watch the pyrotechnics reflect upon the waters of the Inner Harbor, officially welcoming in the New Year. www.promotionandarts.com  

PERFORMING ARTS:

Norma

November 15, 19, 21 & 23, 2008
Baltimore Opera Company
A Druid priestess contracts Roman fever after stepping under the mistletoe with a Roman centurion. Norma has secretly borne two children by the Roman enemy Pollione. His dalliance with her fellow priestess Adalgisa sets off a series of political and familial crises, culminating in Norma's fiery destruction.  www.baltimoreopera.com  

A Chorus Line

December 2 - 14, 2008
Hippodrome Theatre
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. www.france-merrickpac.com  

Caroline, or Change

December 10, 2008 - January 18, 2009
CENTERSTAGE
Louisiana, 1963. Can the promises of the Civil Rights Movement reach as deep as the overheated basement domain of Caroline Thibodeaux, a maid who works for the well-meaning Gellmans and struggles to keep her bitterness in check? This thrilling, award-winning musical takes on race, faith, money, latkes, and change-powerful, terrifying, and loose. And the washing machine sings a mean Motown. www.centerstage.org  

SPECIAL EVENTS:

50 Fashionable Years

December 20, 2008 - May 31, 2009
Geppi's Entertainment Museum
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. The Geppi's Entertainment Museum looks at a half-century of dream houses, sports cars, shifting fashions and hairstyles, and how Barbara Millicent Roberts has changes the face of pop culture. www.geppismuseum.com  

Scrooged!

December 20, 2008 - June 1, 2009
Geppi's Entertainment Museum
Celebrate the legacy of the "Good Duck Artist," Carl Barks (1901-2000), through a unique exhibition of original oil paintings, artwork and other memorabilia starring the likes of Uncle Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck, and the rest of their orange-billed family.
www.geppismuseum.com  

Nevermore 2009

January 1, 2009 - January 30, 2010
Baltimore celebrates the 200th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe in 2009. The festival will officially kick off in January 2009 with a variety of events to celebrate Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, and will be followed by a year of lectures, wine tastings, art exhibitions, theatrical performances, special tours and more, all to commemorate the life and works of Poe. The running list of participating events, hotel packages and attractions can be found on the new, dedicated website www.nevermore2009.com  

NEW IN BALTIMORE:

Out of the Box

Through December 7, 2008 | Geppi's Entertainment Museum
Get hands-on with pop culture! Take an up-close look at the characters that are popular today with toys that you can actually touch and play within the Special Edition gallery. The future of pop culture collecting is out of the box and in your hands at GEM! HYPERLINK "http://www.geppismuseum.com" www.geppismuseum.com

How People Make Things

Through January 3, 2009 | Port Discovery Children's Museum
How People Make Things, inspired by the factory tour segments from the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television series, offers hands-on activities using real factory tools and machines to create objects with four manufacturing processes - molding, cutting, deforming and assembly. Many common manufactured products help tell the story of how people, ideas and technology transform raw materials into finished products. www.portdiscovery.org  

Franz West, To Build a House You Start with the Roof: Work, 1972-2008

Through January 4, 2009 | Baltimore Museum of Art
The Baltimore Museum of Art presents the first major U.S. retrospective on Franz West (b. 1947), an Austrian artist of international stature whose singular vision has resulted in one of the most remarkable bodies of work produced since the 1960s. The exhibition includes more than 120 objects that reflect his innovations in sculpture, design, and works on paper - ranging from early interactive works from the 1970s to recent giant aluminum and epoxy objects that dramatize their surroundings with bold colors and oversize scale. www.artbma.org  

Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry

Through January 4, 2009 | The Walters Art Museum
Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry will highlight more than 200 pieces from the Walters Art Museum. The exhibition will feature some of the Walters' greatest masterpieces as well as many hidden treasures on view for the first time. Exhibit highlights include a Tiffany & Co. iris corsage ornament decorated with 139 sapphires, diamonds and other gems, which was a grand prize winner at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle; a gold bracelet from the first century B.C. encrusted with precious stones and multi-colored enamel inlay discovered in a tomb in the Greek colony of Olbia (present-day Ukraine); and nineteenth-century Imperial, ceremonial Chinese headdress with designs of phoenixes, butterflies and peaches and crafted of gilded silver, kingfisher feathers, silk thread, pearls, rubies and glass beads.  www.thewalters.org  

K'NEX: Building Thrill Rides

Through January 4, 2009 | Maryland Science Center
The K'NEX: Building Thrill Rides exhibit offers hours of entertainment and exciting building fun for the entire family.  www.mdsci.org  

Lift Every Voice: Portraits of African American Musicians by Russ Moss

Through January 25, 2009 | Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture
This exhibition features black-and-white photographs of Baltimore's African American musicians. The selected photographs were originally created for "Sounds & Stories: The Musical Life of Maryland's African American Communities," an oral history project developed by the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. Moss's candid portraits present a visual legacy of their lives in music. www.africanamericanculture.org  

Courage: The Vision to End Segregation, the Guts to Fight for It

Through March 1, 2009 | Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture
This groundbreaking new exhibit tells the story of ordinary people - people outside the traditional power structure, without wealth and often with little classroom education - and how they worked together to begin the process that ended legal segregation of the races in America's schools.  www.africanamericanculture.org  

The Marriage of Art, Science & Philosophy

Through September 6, 2009 | American Visionary Art Museum
The American Visionary Art Museum's 14th original mega art exhibition, the Marriage of Art, Science & Philosophy, is a wedding of playfulness, imagination, intuition and desire - partners common to creative invention and understanding. The exhibition's 50 visionary artists take a fresh look at the very notion of sound, color, number and scale in their pursuit of wonder. From fractal quilts to extolling the role sci-fi plays in inspiring real science, this is a nuptial dance fit for adults and children of all ages.  www.avam.org   

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Through November 30, 2008 | CENTERSTAGE
Written by Edward Albee | Directed by Ethan McSweeny
It's 2 a.m. and the party just won't end. When George and Martha invite newlyweds Nick and Honey for late-night cocktails, the older couple becomes the host and hostess from hell as games and gossip give way to private grievances and painful secrets. Albee's harrowing masterpiece is a wickedly funny and shamelessly in-your-face look at marital cold war turned hot.  www.centerstage.org 

 

NEW RESTAURANTS:

Miss Shirley's | October 2008

Miss Shirley's recently opened its second location in the heart of downtown Baltimore. This popular hotspot serves American, southern style breakfast and lunch. www.missshirleys.com  

Diamond Tavern | August 2008

Diamond Tavern, located in the newly opened Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel, boasts new American cuisine amid a sophisticated yet comfortable setting. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant also hosts 20 high-definition televisions ideal for catching any exciting sporting event throughout the year. www.Hilton.com  

For more information about what's new in Baltimore this fall, visit www.Baltimore.org.  

To request media trips to Baltimore, contact Moneé Cottman at mcottman@baltimore.org .

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