Maryland Official Visitors Guide • 2019 Maryland Official Visitors Guide • Central Maryland

Urban adventures, hometown heart and Chesapeake charm welcome you to your own home away from home in Maryland’s monumental Central Region.

Home to Maryland’s biggest cities, small towns with wide-open green spaces, sailing routes that go straight into the harbor and uncompromising style amplified in memorable local cuisines and bay culture, the Central Region is simply amazing—so make it your own unforgettable destination.

Eat & Drink

The Food Network calls it “Baltimore Style BBQ,” locals call it “Pit Beef,” and it’s one serious sandwich. Start with grilled bottom round, sliced razor thin and piled higher than foul-pole at Camden Yards. Guy Fieri is partial to Chaps Pit Beef in Baltimore, while Pioneer Pit Beef in Catonsville and Fast Eddie’s Pit Beef in Fallston are local favorites.

You’ve had steamed crabs, crab cakes, but crab fluff? It’s a crab cake dipped in rich batter and deep fried. Or try fried hard crab—steamed, then stuffed with Crab Imperial and fried golden brown. Spots like Kahler’s Crab House in Rosedale, Cantler’s Riverside Inn in Annapolis, Faidley Seafood in Baltimore, Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn in Dundalk and Captain Dan’s Crabhouse in Eldersburg serve crab the traditional Maryland way.

Chef Chad Wells at Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia serves up famous comfort food from Wild Boar Grilled Cheese to unforgettable duck poutine. Chef Michael Matassa of Alchemy Elements in Bel Air has won raves with the house specialty Steak Alchemy, and James Beard award-winning Woodberry Kitchen is Spike Gjerde’s flagship restaurant that has been setting the standard for fine dining in the region for more than a decade.

Evenings are all about chivalry, rivalry and revelry at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament. Cheer on daring knights, as they sword fight and joust on horseback, while feasting on scrumptious roast chicken and hearty Middle Age fixings.

See & Do

Take a public cruise or romantic sunset sail, join a thrilling schooner race or take a day’s charter cruise on a classic sailing yacht like the Schooner Woodwind, departing daily from the Annapolis docks.

The Baltimore Museum of Art hosts a phenomenal display of 19th-century and contemporary art, including the world’s largest collection of works by Matisse, while Walters Art Museum holds works from different ages and places across the globe. The American Visionary Art Museum only adds flavor to the mix with an unusual, imaginative and eclectic side to its galleries.

Explore an extensive collection at the African Art Museum of Maryland in Fulton. Come face to face with American heroes like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman at the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and discover the breadth of the African-American experience at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum and the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore. Or get in touch with history at the Howard County Center of African American Culture and The Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum in Oella.

Everyone must see the National Aquarium, with its soaring glass pyramids rising above the harbor like shark fins. Try a “Fly & Dive Package” by Charm City Helicopters for an unforgettable journey that combines an aerial tour of Baltimore with a rare chance to scuba dive with sharks, rays and more in the aquarium’s 335,000-gallon Atlantic Coral Bo Brooks Restaurant, Baltimore Reef tank.

With a mild climate, rich piedmont soil and a varying topography that makes a rich diversity of styles possible, it’s no wonder five Maryland Wine Trails cross this region. Spring, summer and fall weekends mean concerts and gatherings at idyllic local vineyards and exceptional tastings year-round.

A five-mile stretch of highway in Ellicott City is the perfect place to familiarize yourself with Korean culture between 166 Korean specialty shops, eateries and recreational activities. Connect with the local population by making it a spa day, diving into Korean-style cuisine and sweet treats or singing along to karaoke in the evenings.

Everyone knows about Baltimore’s annual Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of Thoroughbred Horse Racing’s Triple Crown, with its legendary InfieldFest concert and beautiful Preakness Balloon Festival. But horse lovers will also tell you about Maryland’s steeplechase races, bringing together the world’s best cross-country equine athletes for a thrilling series.

Bulle Rock is a Pete Dye-designed course that once hosted the LPGA championship. This vast green in Havre de Grace is an ideal place to test your skills across 18 holes with challenging terrains and serene leisure scenes.

The U.S. National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum in Baltimore tells the story of lacrosse, America’s oldest sport, and honors notable men and women for their contributions. Follow along with a field and exhibits that recollect the history of this popular pastime originating with the Native Americans.

Catch a Baltimore Orioles baseball game in Oriole Park at Camden Yards or watch budding Minor League teams like the Aberdeen IronBirds. Kids will cheer when they hear fans of the Orioles under 9 years of age can attend games for free.

Baltimore offers a world of scientific exploration for kids at Port Discovery Children’s Museum with multiple floors of adventurous hands-on activities, while the Maryland Science Center hosts ten full-sized dinosaurs for aspiring paleontologists. Kids also love the interactive exhibits and old antiques and relics of firefighting past at the Fire Museum in the Lutherville, the third-largest of its kind in the world.

Places to Stay

Enjoy the uncompromised elegance of Sagamore Pendry Baltimore on the pier in Fells Point and walk the waterfront promenade to the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court. Luxuriate at the Westin Annapolis or embrace the elegant side of Charm City at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco at Baltimore Inner Harbor.

Events

How about three days in Columbia’s unparalleled Merriweather Post Pavilion with the most influential, cutting-edge and legendary performers in jazz, funk, soul and R&B? You can have it all at the Capital Jazz Fest, the annual jazz festival with soul.

Now in its 36th year, and held at the idyllic Carroll County Farm Museum, Maryland Wine Festival is a celebration of all things vino each September with more than 150 Maryland wines on hand along with local cheese makers, artisans and great Maryland music.

Artscape has been a part of Baltimore since 1982. Once called “The Little Festival that Could,” Artscape has grown to become the largest free arts festival in the U.S., welcoming more than 350,000 curious minds to this massive, 16-block, three-daylong art, music and food extravaganza in July.

For the first time in 2019, Light City and Baltimore Book Festival are joining forces to bring you ten days of one-of-a-kind arts and literary festivities at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Watch Charm City turn its iconic waterfront into a living tapestry of art and music during Light City—the largest light festival on the continent—alongside an expo of 100+ book exhibits, authors and street theater acts this November.

One of America’s most unusual art competitions, PEEPshow at Carroll County Arts Center takes place within a restored historic theater in early spring and hosts kid-friendly sculptures created using marshmallow PEEPs^®.

The AFRAM (African American) Festival takes place each summer in Baltimore, drawing celebrities along with emerging artists to celebrate African-American life, music and culture. Attendees can also get tips on wellness, genealogy and networking while browsing a variety of local vendors.

Shop

Bargains and big fun define Arundel Mills, the largest shopping center in Maryland. It has more than 200 retail shops and restaurants, plus a movie theater, a massive Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World with a giant aquarium and a 500-seat entertainment venue and casino on site at Live! Casino & Hotel.

Indie boutiques, art galleries and antiques are housed within historic Savage Mill, a former textile mill. Architectural vestiges of its former life, like charming brick walls, are found in the details. Restaurants include Bonaparte Breads, an organic bakery prized for its pastries and tarts, along with Rams Head Tavern, a brewpub serving up hundreds of beers and a flourishing music scene.

Cities & Towns

The Monumental City, Smalltimore, Charm City—no matter what you call it, one thing’s for sure, Baltimore will earn a special place in your heart. Combining Southern charm with urban sophistication and big-city fun with a hometown feel, Baltimore is the crown jewel of the Chesapeake.

Beautiful, walkable, welcoming Annapolis is the perfect spot for a family adventure or a romantic getaway. Walk and shop the bricked main streets, see the yachts at Ego Alley and tour the U.S. Naval Academy at this Sailing Capital of the World.

With its 19th-century downtown nestled in the heart of rolling farmland, Westminster is the quintessential American town. Explore local orchards, take an afternoon ride out of Misty Manor Riding Stable, hike the impeccably groomed trails at the Bear Branch Nature Center and mingle with living historians at the Carroll County Farm Museum.

Hit the Jackpot at Maryland Casinos

When it comes to world-class nightlife, fantastic food and great gaming, three is the magic number in Maryland’s Central Region.

Maryland Live! brings 2,200 slots, high-rolling table games and an elegant 17-story hotel to Arundel Mills. Don’t miss the baccarat table to live out your James Bond dreams. Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino ups the culinary ante with restaurants by celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri and Giada De Laurentiis. And Hollywood Casino Perryville rolls out the red carpet with topflight entertainment featuring world-class comedy and music.

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Let five-star luxury in Baltimore Harbor, quiet retreats nestled in horse country and historic B&Bs by the Annapolis City Dock enhance your getaway.