Baltimore Inner Harbor – Things to Do with Kids

Our Spring Break was cut short this year due to all the snow days we had to make up from this horrendous winter.  With the time we had off, we decided a road trip to Baltimore Inner Harbor would be a perfect getaway!

On the Wednesday before Easter, we headed south about  3 1/2 hours to Baltimore, Maryland.

We arrived in time to drop our luggage at the hotel and walk a few blocks down to Camden Yards.

Baseball Game at Camden Yards:

This was the first time the kids attended a professional baseball game!

Let me tell you, there is no way we could have scored these awesome seats at Yankee Stadium!  We were right behind the dugout and only paid $49.00 – unheard of where we live!  Although, it was a little chilly that day, our seats were in full sun.  I must say, I was a little stressed about foul balls hitting us in the head.  Luckily, we all survived!

Afterwards, we walked back to our hotel.  Being centrally located, it was so convenient to have everything within walking distance.

As you can see (above), our room at the Sheraton had a wonderful harbor view!

Visit the Harbor:

Later that afternoon, we spent our time strolling around the harbor.

Although, we would have loved to paddle around in these dragon boats, it was a little chilly and getting late.  Since it was getting late we had just enough time to tour one of the historic ships before it closed for the day.

Tour the Warships:

For our tour, we chose the USS Constellation which is the last all-sail warship built by the US Navy.

As expected, the boys were fascinated by every inch of the ship.

And were surprised at how small even the captain’s quarters were!

Needless to say, the canons were a bit hit with both of them!

That night, we had dinner reservations with our friends from New Jersey who also happened to be in Baltimore at the same time.  We joined them at Morton’s Steak House which was located at the bottom floor of our hotel …very convenient for our exhausted family!

Visit the National Aquarium:

The next morning around 10:00 a.m., we headed to the National Aquarium forgetting that Easter week might be extra busy.  When we arrived, there was already a wait so we were given an entry time of 10:45.  With the free time, we toured the ship next to the aquarium, the Lightship 116 Chesapeake.

The boys got a lesson in navigation and learned about the importance of lighthouses.  They also loved climbing around the deck of the ship.

Then we spent a few hours exploring the very crowded aquarium. Even with the crowds, the kids loved it.  I think the sharks were their favorites.

From there, we walked to the other side of the harbor for a late lunch at the Rusty Scupper.

I felt like we were dressed a little too casual because most of the clientele were business people and lunching ladies.  Probably the more touristy restaurants near the aquarium and other attractions would have been more appropriate but, oh well!  The food was great and the views were gorgeous!

Visit the Baltimore Railroad Museum:

Then we took a taxi to the Baltimore Railroad Museum. Now with boys, I get dragged to railroad attractions all the time but I must say, this one was really impressive!

Many of the old trains were kept in a huge roundhouse.

The extensive collection included historic trains from a variety of periods.

Along with a couple areas dedicated to model trains. The boys explored every inch of the place.

Dine at a Family Friendly Restaurant:

That night, we walked just a block down to the Kona Grill.

Since I read on Opentable.com that the restaurant was loud and kid friendly, I thought it would be the perfect place to dine!

Normally, we have a “no screen rule” at dinner but we allowed the “screens” that the restaurant provided!

Remember these?!!  Such a cute idea. Oh – and the food was excellent there too!

Explore the Maryland Science Center:

After the huge line at the aquarium the day before, we made it a point to get to the Maryland Science Center early enough the next morning.  Luckily, we only waited a few minutes in line when it opened at 10:00 a.m.. It’s a good thing we got there when we did!  The line behind us stretched out the door!

This picture was taken when we were leaving a few hours later. As you can see, the line was still very long!

Inside, the kids occupied themselves for hours. The bed of nails was a huge hit!

And all the interactive exhibits kept them busy.

They absolutely loved the place and said it was their favorite part of the trip!

We drove home Friday afternoon but plan to go back again someday!

Baltimore was a wonderful place to spend a few days with family.

Here are a few things we didn’t get to see but would be great for kids:
Fort McHenry National Monument – the fort that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem.
The rest of the Historic Ships since we only toured 2 of them.
Baltimore Water Taxi – my kids really wanted a ride in the water taxi but it never worked out for us time-wise.
Ripley’s Believe it or Not – The kids had this on their list and it’s located right near the ships but we never made it there.

You can also click over to TripAdvisor for more ideas.  I use that excellent site all the time when planning a vacation.

Have you been to Baltimore Inner Harbor with your kids?

I’d love for you to follow along so you don’t miss a post!

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13 Comments

  1. We have taken the kiddos up to Baltimore for several day trips. It really is a wonderful small city to explore with children. So family friendly!

  2. So glad you enjoyed your trip to Baltimore! We are only about an hour away and both of our children live in the city, just blocks from the harbor. There is so much to see and do. And I love just wandering around the neighborhoods checking out the houses too! Sounds like your trip was fun and educational!

  3. That looks like a fabulous place for a family trip, Shelley! Thanks for sharing; glad you had a great getaway!!

  4. What a wonderful break for your family! Especially for your boys! I love doing things out of the ordinary…which for us is anything besides going to the beach! I have to remind myself that there is life outside of the beach and it is really quite fun! My children have never loved the beach as much as I do…except for Holly! They would have LOVED a spring break like this! So glad you had fun!

  5. We just got invited to a baptism reception at the Rusty Scupper…glad to hear it was delish. That bed of nails looks interesting too!!

  6. Shelley you crack me up! Do you know that I've had the same nervousness about getting hit by foul balls too? I swear the last time we went to a game I had to duck and one hit the back of my chair. Seriously. Everyone in my family thinks I'm nuts but there's a reason I'm nuts. hahaha…this sounds like the PERFECT family getaway. I bet the boys loved it!

  7. Oh, it looks like you had a fun family trip! I live in Maryland, not far from Baltimore and I'm kind of ashamed to admit I'haven't visited many of these wonderful places! Thanks for the links, I'm saving them and planning on visiting Baltimore this Summer!

  8. What a fun idea for a mini trip! We only live a few hours from Baltimore as well, so I'm definitely pinning this as a vacation idea. Thanks for sharing at Fridays Unfolded!AlisonNancherrow

  9. I'm ten minutes outside of Charm City and loved your 3-day whirlwind tour. Great photos! Jo @ Let's Face the Music

  10. Thank you for the tour!! We live about an hour away. You know how that goes, you forget what gems are near by!

  11. My husband's and my first kiss was in the Baltimore Aquarium! That was 25+ years ago. It's even more cool there now. We need to plan a trip there again:) Pinning to my travel board.

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