Flourishing with all of the attractions and conveniences of the Greater Baltimore Metropolitan Area, Maryland also offers the charm and tranquility of the Appalachian Mountains, Chesapeake Bay, and Atlantic Ocean. Below, you'll find a number of things to do in and around Baltimore. For more ideas, check out 50 Free Things To Do in Baltimore or read through the New York Times' recommendations for what to do with 36 hours in the city.

ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE

Maryland hosts a vast array of nightlife and entertainment venues that range from the mild to the totally wild.  In fact, Baltimore’s has many accolades, which include Best Scene of 2008, by Rolling Stone, One of the Top 10 Cities of the future, by FDI Magazine in 2007-2008, Ranked # 3 for America’s Top 10 cities for Employment, by TheSurvivorsclub.org and Ranked # 3 for Costal Living’s Top 10 Harbors!

The Charles and The Senator | Olde school theatres meet new school movies. Check out the latest blockbusters in style at The Charles or The Senator Theatres.

Historic Fell's Point | This locale boasts bars, bars, and MORE bars! Thrift shops, water taxis and pirates are also available.

The Lyric Opera House | Experience the cultural high life at Baltimore's premiere center for the performing arts.

Power Plant Live! | A renovated power plant hosts a nightlife extravaganza with restaurants, clubs, shows and more!

Sonar | Live Music Club

Club Hippo | LGBT Dance/Music Club

Ottobar | Live Music Rock Club

Baltimore offers a variety of attractions! If you don’t see anything you like, be sure to check out an additional list of attractions here!

WEAKNESS FOR GEEKNESS

Maryland hosts a number of events and meetings throughout the year of special interest to the more distinguished gaming community.

Baltimore IGDA Chapter | For the Wright-minded Half-Raph, the Baltimore Chapter of the International Game Developers Association meets close to BHG offices and is a great place to get to know your fellow game developers.

Otakon | The famous (and infamous) anime convention takes over the Inner Harbor for a few days as a celebration of Japanese animation, J-pop and East Asian culture. -=^_^=-

RenFest | If thou twouldst desireth to visit yon festival of Renaissance era heraldry, knightly challenges and verily partaketh of a mutton leg or two, then foresooth and hearken unto the beckoning of the RenFest!

MagFest | Annual Music & Gaming Festival – 4 days of non-stop Games & Concerts.

Wargaming | Enjoy miniatures wargaming? Join veterans from the gaming industry for weekly sessions on Thursday night for "classic" miniatures, or help playtest the latest products from local company Lost Battalion Games.

CULINARY DELIGHTS

Maryland offers a great variety of cuisine, from rustic seafood dishes and world famous steamed blue crabs to exotic fare from the far corners of the world. Some of the greatest food in the country can be found right here:

Bo Brooks | Voted Baltimore's Best Crab House, Bo Brooks offers steamed crabs and traditional seafood fare right on the waterfront.

Café Spice | Fantastic Indian Cuisine and a favorite of many here at BHG.

Charleston | An emphasis on personal choice in improvisational dining, the Charleston is a jazzy restaurant that has won many accolades.

Pazo | Baltimore's signature Mediterranean restaurant, Pazo also features a nightclub.

Tío Pepe | Spanish cuisine in a classic Old World style atmosphere.

SALT | A tiny 10-table dining room that will blow your taste bud’s mind!

Woodberry Kitchen | From the farm to the table, Woodberry Kitchen features seasonal best from local growers and emphasizes organic meats and sustainable agriculture.

An Poitn Stil | The infamous Irish Pub we themed our in-suite office bar after! The Stil is another BHG favorite!

Miss Shirley’s Cafe| Best Breakfast/Brunch in town!

Aldo’s | Little Italy’s Best Italian Restaurant, rated among one of Zagat’s highest scoring Italian restaurant in Maryland!

Chef’s Expressions | Baltimore’s Premiere Catering Company that BHG has used for over 5+ years! Planning an event? Call Bonny Opper!

Carry Out Menu | Baltimore’s restaurant delivery & catering service! Fast, tasty food delivered to your home or office.

SPORTS AND HOBBIES

Airsoft | Bring your FPS skills to a real playing field! Check out the Mid-Atlantic Airsoft Players Registry to get your game on!

College Sports | Maryland Terrapins

Fencing | Lunge! Parry! Riposte! Raise your rapier skill at the Baltimore Fencing Center, the best fencing club in the Baltimore area! (500 yards away from our offices)

Loch Raven Reservoir | Just a few miles North of Baltimore, Loch Raven Reservoir is a playground for running, biking, picnicking, boating, and fishing enthusiasts.

Mountain Biking | Forget about force feedback controllers! Nothing compares to the thrilling rides along Maryland's best mountain biking trails!

Preakness | A horse is a horse, of course, of course. Unless, of course, that particular horse is racing in the Preakness. Be sure to wear a Black-Eyed Susan (or drink one) when you attend!

Pro Sports | Baltimore Ravens (NFL), Baltimore Orioles (MLB), Baltimore Blast (MISL)

Rock Climbing | Increase your strength attribute at Earth Treks' Climbing Center, one of the largest interior climbing gyms in the country! (one block from our offices)

Shooting Range | Sharpen your aim for that next deathmatch at Continental Arms, Maryland's best indoor pistol range! (only 3 minutes from our offices)

Snowboarding / Skiing | Whether you want to throw a Method Air or a Frontside 720 on the halfpipe, or attempt a record breaking downhill time, Baltimore is close to three ski resorts: Liberty Mountain Resort&Conference Center, WhiteTail Resort, and Ski Roundtop.

Ultimate Frisbee | Satisfy your primal urge to throw discs at other people as a member of the Central Maryland Ultimate Association.

POINTS OF INTEREST

B&O Railroad Museum : These original tycoons didn't use cheat codes. Come see the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad immortalized in this great museum!

Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum : Plan your next bash at the Babe Ruth Museum, now with two locations for events, meetings, birthday parties, and pre-game gatherings. Book a legendary event of historic proportions at the best sports museum in America!

Civil War Sites : Explore the really real side of real-time strategy at the battlefields of some of our country's most historical battlegrounds. Antietam, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Harper's Ferry, and Manassas are all within daytrip distance of Baltimore!

Edgar Allen Poe House : Welcome to the Edgar Allen Poe House (and Museum!) The primary item on display is the house itself. In addition, a number of pieces related to Poe are exhibited on two floors.

Fort McHenry National Monument : Visit this historic fort of great import that inspired America's National Anthem!

Harborplace : Shop till you drop at this center of commerce and cuisine!

Maryland Science Center : You know that big cone shaped thing you can toss a quarter in and watch it circle around in concentric circles getting faster and faster before it finally hits the bottom of the hole? Oh yeah, they've got that. They also have a planetarium and an IMAX theatre!

National Aquarium in Baltimore : They've got fish! Not the eating kind, but the looking kind!

USS Constellation : The last all-sail warship built by the US Navy is open to the public as a museum in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The USS Constellation Museum invites guests to discover life on board the only Civil War era vessel still afloat and explore the ship's maritime history.

USS Torsk : This Maryland Submarine Memorial can now be found in berth next to the National Aquarium in Baltimore at the Inner Harbor.

The Walters Art Museum : Internationally renowned, the Walters boasts a sizable collection of impressive, classic works of art.

Visit Baltimore.org for more information!

 

REGIONAL

Annapolis, MD : Maryland's state capital and America's sailing capital, Annapolis is rich in maritime heritage and only 30 miles away from downtown Baltimore.

Lancaster County, PA : Baltimore is within an hour and a half drive of Lancaster County, PA, home of Cherry Crest Farm, Dutch Wonderland, and the Strasburg Railroad.

Ocean City, MD : Maryland's premiere vacation resort, Ocean City offers its visitors warm sunshine, expansive beaches, and rolling waves in addition to a bustling boardwalk lined with eateries, bars, shops, arcades, and amusement rides.

Philadelphia, PA : Birthplace of the cheese steak and lesser known as our Nation's First Capital, Philly is a mere 2 hours away from Baltimore.

Washington, DC : Baltimore's climate remains mild due to the hot air that blows in from in DeeCee, which is only 1 hour away!

QUALITY OF LIFE

Diversity of Lifestyles : Because Maryland is comprised of multiple rural, urban and suburban centers, it features a greater spectrum of diversity in lifestyle and cultures. Big Huge Games has employees that live in Downtown Baltimore and hop the Light Rail to work as well as employees that live on the fertile farmlands of Southern Pennsylvania, 25 minutes to the north.

Health Care : Maryland hosts some of the greatest healthcare facilities in the world, including the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital and the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center.

Education : Johns Hopkins University, Loyola College in Maryland, Maryland Institute College of Art, Towson University, and University of Maryland are just a few of the institutes of higher learning that call Maryland home.