Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
The Inner Harbor in Baltimore lies within the Baltimore National Heritage Area. The city played a pivotal role in the war of 1812. Francis Scott Key wrote our national anthem here. My daughter and I spent a long weekend here with my sister and nephew on what turned out to be the hottest weekend of that summer. We spent our first day in town at Fort McHenry and toured more of the Baltimore Heritage Area the next day.
Seven Foot Knoll Light➤
The Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse sits on a pier close to the National Aquarium. It was built in 1855 and is the oldest screw-pile lighthouse in Maryland. It originally sat in Chesapeake Bay until it was replaced by a modern navigational aid. The Baltimore Maritime Museum moved it to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor as a museum exhibit. We were happy to find AC inside, interesting historical exhibits and great views from the top.
Baltimore Maritime Museum Ships➤
The Baltimore Maritime Museum contains several historic ships docked throughout Inner Harbor. Visible from the Aquarium are the bright red Lightship Chesapeake (1930, a floating navigational aid) and the USS Torsk (1944, a WWII submarine).
USS Constellation➤
The US Navy built the USS Constellation in 1853. It was the last sail-only warship constructed. It’s a National Landmark and rates a separate admission ticket from the Baltimore Maritime Museum ships. The folks at Historic Ships in Baltimore produced this virtual ship tour for You Tube.
Baltimore National Heritage Area Visitor Center➤
We waited here for our trolley tour to begin on a day that was almost 100 degrees. The staff was extremely helpful, one lady even tried to cheer up our cranky 2 year old. It was a great place to stop so everyone could use the restrooms, there were some fun interactive exhibits that kept the kids occupied for a bit. If we’d had a longer visit planned, we would have arranged some other tours at the front desk. They also have discounted aquarium tickets.
The building itself is a beautiful modern design with great photo ops of the inner harbor right outside their back door.
Baltimore Trolley Tour➤
This a great way to see all the points of interest in the city. A Park Ranger guided the tour. All of Baltimore’s inner harbor is technically part of the National Parks System. He was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained the entire 90 minutes.
Location: Inner Harbor, Baltimore
Designation: National Heritage Area
Date designated/established: March 30, 2009
Date of my visit: July 2013
