Maryland Science Center
Three floors of exhibits include the popular Outer Space Place, home of the Hubble Space Telescope National Visitor Center and Space Link, which offers a live connection to NASA. Sometimes the exhibits are too crowded or have limited interest, but the IMAX theater and planetarium are always worth a visit. The IMAX theater presents shows as diverse as Beauty and the Beast and Space Station 3D. IMAX is so popular, extra screenings are available Friday and Saturday evenings for $9 per ticket. A new wing opened in May 2004 with DinoQuest, an exhibit devoted to the study of fossils and the lives of dinosaurs, a health and human body exhibit, plus room for traveling exhibits. The stars are on display at the Davis Planetarium or the Crosby Ramsey Memorial Observatory (open Thurs and Sun nights free of charge).

Irish Shrine at Lemmon Street
The B&O Railroad Museum may be closed for repair, but this new museum takes visitors to the family homes of the men who built the engines down on Pratt Street. Just two brick rowhouses on a narrow street still populated by everyday Baltimoreans, the houses are furnished as they might have been when the families lived there in the 1840s. These streets were home to many Irish immigrants and their families in those days. The tour is self-guided, but the organizations sponsoring this museum also offer an occasional tour of the neighborhood, including a church and neighborhood market. Call tel. 410/669-8154 for a free reservation.

Baltimore Museum of Industry
Housed in a former cannery in a still-industrial part of Baltimore, the museum gives visitors a look at industries that made Baltimore a manufacturing capital in the 1880s -- canning, printing, and clothing. This museum is geared to children. Wall-size pictures recall the days before child labor laws, and exhibits are set up so kids can get their hands on oyster-shucking stations, antique irons, and moveable type. Tour guides are sensitive to children's attention spans and adjust their talks toward the younger visitor. You can wander the museum without a guide, but the exhibits aren't as interesting without the stories the guides can tell. Other exhibits include one of only two working steam tugboats in the country. The museum is a few blocks from Fort McHenry; a visit to both -- with a picnic on Fort McHenry's lawn -- could make a great day. One of the city's least known museums, it's one of the best for children and anyone who loves industrial history.

Americas Best Inns-Baltimore
Americas Best Inn is a moderate hotel conveniently located close to major attractions in downtown Baltimore, ideal for tourists and tour ...

Hyatt Regency Baltimore
* Near Penn Station * 2 miles from Amtrak Station (about 17 blocks) * 12 miles from Baltimore-Washington International ...

Comfort Inn Bwi Airport
Free full breakfast buffet. 24 hour airport shuttle to BWI Airport. WIFI high speed internet access available. Full service restaurant on premises. Baltimore Light Rail adjacent to hotel. 2.5 miles from BWI. Exercise room on premises. Parking limit: Length of stay only (unless parking ...