Baltimore has 300 years of history to share, and a modern tale of urban renewal symbolized by its Inner Harbor. Redeveloped in the late 1970s, the Inner Harbor is the gem of Baltimore, a waterfront district featuring shopping, restaurants, museums and attractions. This festive heart of Baltimore is truly special—cruise boats, visiting tall ships, open-air concerts and fireworks are just a few of the delights. Thanks to its unique layout, Baltimore is very accessible. It offers visitors many attractions and neighborhoods within walking distance of each other—ideal for both doing business and touring the sights.

Timeline

• 1600s-1800s

Since 1600, Baltimore’s waterways have brought new cargo and new citizens to Charm City. In 1729, the town of Baltimore was established to meet the growing needs of area farmers. The city played a key role in American history. During the War of 1812, Fort McHenry was the site of a successful defensive against a British attack. Francis Scott Key later penned a poem in honor of the victory—today it is our national anthem.

• 1800s-1900s

Baltimore grew into the second largest city in the United States during the 1800s. To help compete economically, it built the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad which would stretch to Chicago by 1874. Canning and shipbuilding were major moneymakers for the city as the 1900s got underway. Despite a fire which ravaged the city’s business district in 1904, the city prospered once again until the Great Depression. When the economy improved after World War II, many city residents were able to move to areas beyond the city. For the first time, the city’s population shrank.

• 1970s/1980s

During the 1970s, the city began its ambitious efforts to bring downtown Baltimore alive again. During the revitalization, old wharves and warehouses on the waterfront were replaced with new homages to Maryland’s maritime past, such as the Maryland Science Center and The National Aquarium. In 980 Harborplace opened to great acclaim, and the Inner Harbor soon flourished with a myriad of attractions and hotels.

• Today

Today, Baltimore is a history with a bright future and a vivid past which welcomes more than 11 million business and leisure visitors annually. The city continues to evolve and expand, and a second renaissance can be expected with more than $1 billion in new planned development.

Modern Baltimore is a window into its diverse heritage. In fact, Baltimore’s airport is named for one of its many African American heroes, Thurgood Marshall, a Baltimore native who became the first African American Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967. A stone’s throw from the Inner Harbor, you can step inside the tapestry of cultures that make up Baltimore’s historic neighborhoods. Savor homemade pasta in Little Italy and mouthwatering baklava in Greektown. Tour the monuments of elegant Mount Vernon which include the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States. As a new millennium dawns, Baltimore’s pioneering spirit is still going strong. It’s no wonder this city was named one of the top 10 summer destinations in the world in 2005 by Frommer's.