Mt. Vernon/Midtown
What to Do
Graffiti Alley
Graffiti Alley offers so much color, talent, and makes for a great photo backdrop. As my cousin said, “Looks like my uncle is about to drop a 2020 rap album.” This alley allows graffiti artists to self-express legally and is a really fun place to take people when in Baltimore to help eliminate misconceptions.
Walters Art Museum
This museum is located very close to the Baltimore Basilica, Peabody Library, and the Washington Monument. It opened its doors in 1934 and is free, thanks to donors and city grants. One of the best parts about this museum is that it is connected to a historic mansion. When you walk in this section, there is a beautiful stained-glass dome at the very top of a spiral staircase. Also, the Sculpture Court in the museum is breath-taking; a lot of weddings are held here.
Engineers Club
History of the Engineers Club
The Great Baltimore Fire in 1904 started the Engineers Club the next year with needing an exchange of ideas to prevent more fires from expanding, while building back Baltimore. Now, it promotes a relaxing and social environment for Baltimore professionals, to allow for business interactions, and for entertaining family and friends. The Club has resided at the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion since 1961. The mansion is now also a popular wedding venue.
History of the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion
The mansion was built in 1853. The President of the B&O Railroad during the Civil War, purchased the mansion for his son, Robert Garrett, as a wedding gift for his marriage with Mary Frick in 1872. Mary was a descendant of a Virginian governor. In 1896, Robert died, and then Mary married his physician, Dr. Barton Jacobs in 1902. Mary died in 1936, and many of the household artwork was donated to the Baltimore Museum of Art. Dr. Jacobs died in 1939. Mary was known for her entertaining in this massive, elaborate mansion, and for her philanthropy. She left much of her fortune to the medical care for children, as she herself did not have any children.
Event: The Washington Monument Lighting
History of the Lighting Event
In Mt. Vernon Place, Baltimore, the Washington Monument holiday lighting has been a crowd-pleaser for 50 years now! It is full of live entertainment, music, food trucks, and beautiful scenery. The finale of this outdoor party is the lighting the of the monument with fireworks and holiday music. This Baltimore tradition started in 1972 when then-mayor Donald Schaeffer visited Indiana and saw their city was full of lights. He wanted the same thing with our Charm City, and so this tradition began.
History of the Monument
Baltimore’s Washington Monument was built in 1815, which is older than our nation’s capital’s monument. There is a gallery in the bottom of the monument, and you can climb the steps to take pictures at the top. When visiting, be sure to check out the nearby Walters Art Museum, and the Peabody Library.
The Lyric
The Lyric hosts many events. We saw Sebastian Maniscalco. Our seats were up high but they did a great job of having large screens so we could see his hilarious facial expressions close-up.
32nd Street Farmers Market
The large 32nd Street Farmers Market in the Baltimore town of Waverly is close to Union Memorial Hospital. When parking, there are a few spots on the actual premises of the market, but you can safely parallel park around the few blocks south of the market. If you are driving from the south, check out the beautiful homes along Calvert Street before you get to 32nd Street (pictured below). We also drove around Bolton Hill just to see the beautiful brownstone homes and gardens. That neighborhood reminded us of a mix between NYC and Otterbein (which is in South Baltimore/Federal Hill).
The Baltimore Basilica
The Baltimore Basilica was constructed from 1806-1821 led by Bishop John Carroll (cousin of Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence) and Benjamin Henry Latrobe (he was also the architect for the U.S. Capitol during Thomas Jefferson's presidency). They wanted the church to be uniquely "American." At the time, it was the most advanced building in the country, next to the Capitol. It is the first Catholic Cathedral in the U.S.
Pope John Paul II visited the Basilica in the 1990s, as well as Mother Theresa. On the 200th anniversary of the Basilica, there was a 24-hour adoration chapel in the crypts built and dedication to Pope John Paul II. There is a kneeler in the chapel in which he knelt and prayed. There is a relic of his, as well. It is one of the most peaceful and quiet places in the city.
Where to Eat
The Owl Bar
The Owl Bar is located inside of the Belvedere Hotel, which opened in 1903. It has hosted an innumerable amount of famous people, which they showcase on some of their walls leading to the Bar.
