From ancient Egyptian mummies and medieval armor to Renaissance paintings and 19th-century decorative arts, the galleries showcase centuries of world history. A Baltimore institution since the ’80s, the menu features aromatic stews, tender lamb, fresh-baked flatbreads, and their famous kaddo borwani (pan-fried baby pumpkin with yogurt and garlic sauce).
The event features educational seminars, community support and uplifting dance parties.
It feels more like a private estate than a hotel, with just 18 individually designed rooms and suites boasting canopy beds, fireplaces, and soaking tubs. The Inner Harbor’s promenade has palpable energy from street performers, open-air markets, terraced restaurants serving fresh seafood and classic Maryland crab cakes, plus sweeping views of the water.
Highlights include invitation-only performances at the Baltimore Theatre Project where musicians—half local, half international—are paired in new, unpredictable ensembles nightly, creating music that’s daring, spontaneous, and unlike anything you’ve heard before.
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Day Trips from Baltimore
General Tips
Baltimore gets all four seasons, for better or worse. High Zero is a four-day dive into experimental, improvised music every September, starting mid-week and running through the weekend. For a luxury stay and a little TLC for yourself and/or a partner, The Ivy is Baltimore perfection.
Ulysses – For something that epitomizes the eccentric, art-forward side of Baltimore—while still being glamorous, albeit in a vintage way—Ulysses is another solid choice.
Rooms are individually decorated with classic furnishings, fireplaces, and homey touches. You might have heard of it! It also doubles as the address where filmmaker John Waters, the creator of cult-classics like Hairspray and Pink Flamingos, receives his fan mail. Rooms are bright and contemporary, with plush beds and spa-inspired bathrooms The on-site restaurant, Poets Modern Cocktails & Eats, serves up locally inspired dishes and craft drinks, while the location puts you within walking distance of Mount Vernon..
If you’re walking along Charles Street, it’s almost impossible to miss, since it looks more like an art installation than a restaurant, with its brightly painted exterior fronted by colorful mannequins and garish flowers. Expect a very diverse, polite and easygoing atmosphere.
Customers with drinks in front of the juke box at Club Charles cocktails in Baltimore, Maryland.
Club Charles is a 1940s-inspired cocktail lounge with period furnishings, a hipster vibe, great drinks and a nicely curated jukebox.
Set in a beautifully restored Victorian townhouse, Biddle Street Inn offers a cozy, more intimate stay than Baltimore’s larger hotels. General Tips 2. Hotel Revival is another fantastic LGBTQ+ friendly hotel. In a time of hyper-technology, there’s something therapeutic about flipping through vinyl as you wait for your order. To be in the center of it all, book a stay at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, which is conveniently located between scenic South Baltimore and the city’s artsy northern neighborhoods.
Recent shows include The Folks at Home, a lighthearted portrait of an interracial gay couple living in South Baltimore, and Thoughts of a Colored Man, an honest exploration of what it means to be Black and male in the 21st century. Named after a river in Afghanistan, The Helmand is more than a restaurant — it’s a cultural bridge that’s been introducing Baltimore to the richness of Afghan cuisine for decades.
Mera Kitchen Collective – A bright, worker-co-operative café serving rotating global dishes—from Latin America to West Africa.
With an LGBTQ+ badge from “Here Comes the Guide,” cozy, European-style accommodations and 3,722 square feet of flexible event space, the hotel is the perfect locale for a romanic weekend getaway or wedding celebration.
Mount Vernon’sHotel Indigo is a charming, eclectic hotel within easy reach of the city’s main attractions.
Mount Vernon’s The Manor is a swanky restaurant-lounge known for its extravagant drag brunches, which feature bottomless mimosas and must-try goat cheese croquettes. They even hold their own quirky recurring events like Lobsterama – where you can eat your fill of lobsters.
The Helmand – If you haven’t tried Afghan food, then you’re really missing out.