SEPT. 19–20, 2018
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
About Baltimore – Fun Facts
• Baltimore’s Fort McHenry defended the Baltimore
harbor during the War of 1812 and is the birthplace
of the American National anthem, penned by Francis
Scott Key.
• Baltimore is home to the USS Constellation. This ship
is the last Civil War vessel afloat. It was built in 1854
and is the last all-sail warship built by the US Navy.
• Baltimore is home to the first cathedral in the United
States – the Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was recently
restored to its early 19th century roots and welcomes
thousands of visitors a year.
• Baltimore is the birthplace of the American Railroad.
Visitors to Baltimore can learn more about the
history of the railroad at the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad Museum located in Baltimore. The museum
features the most comprehensive collection in the
Western Hemisphere.
• Baltimore is home to the first monument dedicated to
George Washington.
• The Baltimore Museum of Art houses the world’s
largest collection of Matisse paintings in the world.
Visitors can enjoy the museum’s permanent collection
for free year-round.
• The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum was the
country’s first wax museum of African-American history.
• Baltimore is home to the The Star-Spangled Banner
Flag House. Founded in 1927, the Flag House has
been open to the public for 76 years and is dedicated
to the story of Mary Young Pickersgill who made the
enormous 30 × 42-foot Star-Spangled Banner that
flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and
inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that
became our National Anthem. Mary Pickersgill’s
flag still survives and now hangs at the Smithsonian
Institution’s National Museum of American History.
• Baltimore’s waterfront neighborhood of Fell’s Point
was the second largest point of immigration after
Ellis Island.
• Baltimore was home to a number of historic
African-Americans including Thurgood Marshall,
Frederick Douglass, Isaac Myers, Billie Holiday and
Cab Calloway.
• Baltimore is where Babe Ruth was born. Today his
memory is honored in Baltimore by the Babe Ruth
Museum. Baltimoreans’ favorite weekend pastime
is taking in a game of baseball at the famous Oriole
Park at Camden Yards, where Hall-of-Fame legend Cal
Ripken broke the record for continuous games played.
• Baltimore’s World Trade Center is the world’s tallest
five-sided building (located right at the Inner Harbor).
Visitors can get a great panoramic view of the city
from inside the World Trade Center at Top of the
World Observation Level on the building’s 27th floor.
• Baltimore is home to the Preakness Stakes, the
second jewel in racing’s triple crown held each year at
Pimlico Race Track.
• The state bird is the Baltimore Oriole, also the mascot
for its MLB team, the Baltimore Orioles. They play in
Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
• The state sport is jousting, while the state’s team
sport is lacrosse. Baltimore is home to The Lacrosse
Museum & National Hall of Fame where visitors
can discover and relive the origins of America’s
oldest sport.
Learn more about Baltimore at baltimore.org.
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