George Grall, National Aquarium

The National Aquarium overlooks the Inner Harbor

Charm City. Bawlmer (if you're a native). Call it what you will. Baltimore birthed Babe Ruth, H.L. Mencken and Cal Ripken. The NFL's Baltimore Ravens, Orioles baseball and the Preakness (part of the Triple Crown) call it home. The flag that inspired Francis Scott Key was stitched mere blocks from the harbor. And on Sept. 13, 1841, while dodging cannon fire at Fort McHenry, Key penned the poem that would become the lyrics of our national anthem. Not bad for an evening’s work.

Baltimore boasts world-class museums, a bustling port, one of the country’s top symphony orchestras, and a thriving theater scene. Colorful ethnic neighborhoods, immortalized in film by Barry Levinson and John Waters, help to give Baltimore its unique character and charm. And let's not forget the city's reputation for fine dining, waterside crab houses and the best corned beef south of New York. Yes indeed, charm galore!

And Baltimore is not just for grown-ups. The city's charm rubs off on youngsters too. Sightseeing, shopping and dining opportunities (with kids' menus in most eateries), cruises and maritime tours, museums and ongoing entertainment cluster around a natural harbor on the Patapsco River. Known as the Inner Harbor, the area is extremely kid-friendly. One can park, then hoof it or board a water taxi to most attractions and many historic neighborhoods, such as Fells Point (the oldest part of the city), Federal Hill and Little Italy. Further afield are two of the city’s top kids attractions: the Maryland Zoo and the iconoclastic American Visionary Art Museum.

As a family destination, Baltimore is tough to beat. You could easily spend a week here with kids in tow. Lacking that luxury, you can cover a lot of ground in a day.

To help you plan and make the most of your visit, I offer an hors d’oeuverie of Baltimore's top family attractions.

American Visionary Art Museum You have to see this place to believe the art in various media by the self-taught and those on society's fringe. The museum is curiously appealing to kids, probably because it is so unorthodox and irreverent. Among the special events are a "Big Kaboom!" celebration on July 4th and numerous other wacky, family activities throughout the year. The Joy America Cafe atop the museum has a kids' menu and a spectacular terrace view of the harbor. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10- 6. (800 Key Highway, 410/244-1900. www.avam.org.)

Baltimore Maritime Museum This dockside museum is a package deal—you get four for the price of one. Tour the lightship Chesapeake, submarine USS Torsk (kids love the jagged-tooth “smile” on the hull). The Torsk prowled the Pacific during WWII. Step aboard the 327-foot Coast Guard cutter Taney, and inspect the 7-Foot Knoll Lighthouse, which once guided mariners at the mouth of the Patapsco River. Open daily 10am-5pm, with extended summer hours. Closed major holidays. (Piers 3 and 5, Pratt and Gay streets. 410/396-3453. baltimoremaritimemuseum.org.)

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum Little toots get steamed over the HO gauge (between regular size and miniature) train displays and roundhouse full of freight and passenger cars and locomotives. In 1830 the first passenger ticket was issued here—the country's first train station. Movies and special events take place most weekends at this historic 40-acre site. A short drive from the Inner Harbour, I do not recommend walking. It is open daily with the following exceptions: Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas eve and day, and New Year’s eve and day. (901 W. Pratt St., at Poppleton. 410/752-2490. www.borail.org.)

Courtesy Port Discovery

Kids create art in Port Discovery studio.

Baltimore Museum of Industry Youngsters learn by doing in this hands-on museum dedicated to the city's industrial history. Celebrating 25 years in 2006, the museum has a scaled-down cannery and assembly line in the former Platt Oyster Cannery. Weekends, kids can shuck oysters and partake of other industrial-related activities. Like factory workers everywhere, the children work hard for the money— brass tokens they can spend in the company store. The museum is open daily, except for major holidays. (1415 Key Highway. 410/727-4808. www.thebmi.org).

Ducks of Baltimore Board a pontoon-like vessel with wheels for an 80-minute tour of local sights, including Inner Harbor attractions and the other Washington Monument. The tour begins on land then takes the plunge for a cruise—worth the price of admission, in my opinion—for a duck's-eye view of the Inner Harbor. A licensed U.S.C.G. captain steers a steady course while commenting on local history and points of interest. Ducks operates several times a day from April through October. If the tour doesn't quack you up, let me know. Purchase tickets at the kiosk outside the Light Street Pavilion, next to the Discover Channel store entrance. (Corner of Conway and Light streets. 410/727-DUCK. www.baltimoreducks.com.)

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine On September 11, 1814—with the British firing on 1,000 American soldiers defending Fort McHenry during the War of 1812—Francis Scott Key penned what would become our national anthem. Kids 8 to 14 can earn Junior Ranger badges after completing activity worksheets. View the orientation film and tour the underground dungeons and gun collection at this park-fortress with a spectacular setting on the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay. Drive or take the water taxi from the Inner Harbor. Open daily, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, with extended evening hours June-August. (End of East Fort Avenue. 410/563-3524. www.nps.gov/fomc).

Harborplace Baltimore’s top tourist draw at the Inner Harbor consists of the Light Street Pavilion (Food Hall, restaurants and shops), Pratt Street Pavilion (retail stores and more sit-down restaurants), and the Gallery (multi-story mall). Entertainment is free on the waterfront promenade. When you tire of shopping and eating, rent a paddle boat or embark on a harbor cruise. Find out about special events—rowing regattas, band concerts, crab races and such—at the Light Street information kiosk. (Pratt, Light and Calvert streets. 410/332-4191. www.harborplace.org.)

Maryland Science Center Learning is strictly hands on with scores of exhibits kids can touch in their exploration of technology, physics, geology, biology and botany. On the third floor they can let off steam on the jungle gym and slide in the Kids’ Room. Allow time to catch a movie about the natural world on the five-story-high Imax screen. Or maybe you'd prefer to leave Earth completely behind in the Davis Planetarium. The carousel next to the center goes 'round weekends. Purchase tickets at the box office or online at the Web site. (Inner Harbor, 601 Light St., at Key Highway. 410/685-5225. www.mdsci.org.)

Maryland Zoo in Baltimore Kids can meet 2,000 animals in this highly interactive zoo. (No, I didn’t take a head count but I trust my source.) Explore the Maryland Wilderness and the Children’s Zoo where young ones can ride a pony, slide down a silo, watch a cow-milking demonstration or climb into an oriole's nest. A ride on the antique carousel or train is a must. Special family activities and weekend events are ongoing. The zoo sponsors a summer camp for local kids who can also celebrate their birthdays here (April through September). The zoo is closed January and February, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Otherwise, it is open daily. (Druid Park Lake Drive, 410/366-LION. www.marylandzoo.org.).

George Grall, National Aquarium

Meet the frilled lizard at the Aquarium

National Aquarium The new multi-story Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes exhibit is a stunner, depicting a North Australian, river gorge landscape. I suggest seeing the short introductory movie first. Exotic species such as archerfish (which spew poison onto their victims) , spiny-tailed monitor lizards, and freshwater crocs known to speed on land at 18 mph are behind glass walls that extend to the floor—a boon to youngsters. If you have field glasses, bring ‘em to get a closer look at the brilliantly hued tropical birds, such as the rainbow lorikeet. Elsewhere, the main Aquarium Pavilion has ring tanks full of tropical fish, rays and sharks and a spectacular re-creation of a South American Rain Forest. The Marine Mammal Pavilion features half-hour demonstrations by Atlantic bottlenose dolphins—a must see for the entire family! Even big kids like to get their hands wet in the Children's Cove touch pool. Soon as you arrive, ask about daily feeding times, a highlight of any visit. I urge you to arrive early or late in the day. Weekends, weekdays between 10:30 and 3pm, and school holidays this place is packed. Avoid long lines at peak times and purchase tickets online. (Pier 3, 501 E. Pratt St., adjacent to Harborplace. 410/576-3800. www.aqua.org).

Port Discovery Drop your kids here, return a week later and they will not have missed you. (Tempting as it may sound, the museum is not in the childcare business.) Opportunities abound for toddlers to pre-teens to climb, jump, slide, and explore at this high-tech kids' playhouse. Some kids never make it past the Indoor Soccer Field. The museum recently added more activities for the 2-to-5 set. The Diner (reproduction) is a draw and features a cooking demo the first Saturday of the month. I urge you to arrive when it opens or two hours before it closes. A McDonald's is off the first-floor atrium. Several eateries are a few yards away at Market Place. Port Discovery is open every day but Monday. (35 Market Place, at Lombard Street. 410/727-8120. www.portdiscovery.org.)

Star-Spangled Banner Flag House and Museum In this 1793 row house and a nearby malt house, Mary Pickersgill (not exactly a household name) pieced together the 30-by-42-foot flag that inspired Francis Scot Key to put pen top paper. Stroll down Pratt Street from the Inner Harbor to learn more about Miss Pickersgill and the flag in the adjacent museum with its Hands-On Children's Gallery. The flag window is the same size and colors as the original in the Smithsonian's Museum of American History. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am to 4pm. (844 E. Pratt St., at Albemarle Street. 410/837-1793. www.flaghouse.org.)

U.S.S. Constellation The last navy ship powered entirely by sail, and the only Civil War-era ship still afloat, the U.S.S. Constellation was built in 1854 and retired in 1945. Friendly cannon fire heralded its return to the Inner Harbor in 1999 after 3 years of rehab. The crew invites landlubbers to take the self-guided tour of this majestic sloop of war, and to participate in special events and weekend activities. Kids 10 and up can take the hands-on Powder Monkey Tour to experience firsthand a sailor’s daily duties. (Pier 1, Pratt and Light streets. 410/539-1797. www.constellation.org.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Baltimore Convention and Visitor Association, 100 Light St 1-888-BALTIMORE. www.baltimore.org.
Special Events: 410/837-4636; www.baltimoreevents.org.
Water taxi: 410/536-3901 or 1/800-658-8947; www.thewatertaxi.com.

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