When to Visit - Arts and Events

Baltimore has a thriving artistic community and this is illustrated by the number of impressive museums to be found in the city. The Baltimore Museum of Art is right at the heart of the local scene, an institution that not only houses a vast number of works from past eras but also has the second largest Andy Warhol collection in the world.

As the name would suggest, Baltimore is also the home of the famous Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Their base at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall is one of the finest musical venues in America in terms of both acoustics and atmosphere.

Baltimore Dining

To discover a little about local produce before setting out to dine, visitors to Baltimore can do no better than take a trip to Lexington Market, said to be North America's oldest marketplace and locally referred to as Lex Market. It's an atmospheric scene where vendors extol their wares and local residents lunch on oysters and clams. With its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, seafood is big news in Baltimore and the biggest news of all is crab. Nothing beats a serving of steamed crab, smothered in fiery 'Old Bay' dressing, particularly during prime crabbing season, from March to September. Some of the city's finest restaurants can be found in picturesque neighbourhoods such as Charles Street, which is packed with excellent ethnic restaurants, and Fells Point, a haven for lovers of seafood.

Baltimore Tipping Advice

As in most American cities, tipping is common practice in Baltimore because gratuities are not added to the bill. In restaurants, tip waiters about 15% and as much as 20% if you are more than satisfied with the food and service. The same applies to Baltimore's bartenders, taxi drivers and hairdressers. Tip USD 1.00 per coat at a coat check, USD 1.00 a day for chambermaids in upmarket hotels and USD 0.50 cents per bag for porters.