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Mount Vernon Cultural District

In the Mount Vernon Cultural District, you will find 11 cultural institutions, all within three blocks of the Washington Monument. Begin your tour by visiting the Washington Monument Mount Vernon Place for a quick overview of Mount Vernon and its history. Your reward for climbing the 228 steps to the top of the monument is a magnificent view of Baltimore and the harbor. Take a few minutes to stroll through the parks of Mount Vernon Place to enjoy the European ambiance created by the sparkling fountains, magnificent bronze sculptures, memorials, marble balustrades and beautiful landscaping.

The Walters Art Museum's fabulous collection of art, spanning 5000 years and five continents, is located just steps from the Monument. Also located at Mount Vernon PlaceMount Vernon Place is the Engineers Club in the Garrett Jacobs Mansion. This opulent mansion, built for the social arbiter of Baltimore in the 19th Century, is open for tours and lunch by reservation. and Museum at are the Peabody Institute and the George Peabody Library. The Peabody Institute boasts an extensive program of classical, jazz, opera, and dance performances throughout the school year. The interior of the George Peabody Library is exquisite, but don't let the splendid architecture distract you from browsing the current exhibition or researching an arcane interest. A must see visit on

Walk one block east of Mount Vernon Place to pick up tickets for a matinee or evening performance at Center Stage, Maryland's official State Theater. Or walk one block west to Cathedral Street, where just a few steps north is the Baltimore School for the Arts' Alcazar Gallery, which showcases student artwork.

Two blocks south on Cathedral Street is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption, the first Catholic Cathedral in the United States, designed by Benjamin Latrobe, architect for the U.S. Capitol and the Enoch Pratt Free Library. The Basilica holds daily Masses and regular tours. Visit the Basilica Library, the first to promote browsing among the books to view its marble entrance hall and murals, as well as its current special exhibit.

When you head back to Mount Vernon Place, walk one block west to the Maryland Historical Society and Library, the repository of Maryland's past. Displaying artifacts from the mundane to the magnificent, this is an excellent way for children and adults to learn about Maryland’s history. One block to the west, find the Eubie Blake Center on Howard Street. Recently relocated in its new home, the Center has a fascinating collection of jazz memorabilia and frequent exhibitions of jazz-inspired art.