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Long a gritty shipping and industrial town, Charm City has enjoyed a rebirth as new development in the Inner Harbor area spreads east along the waterfront and outlying neighborhoods are revitalized. Featuring a diverse array of food, shopping and attractions, the Inner Harbor is easily Baltimore's most popular destination. There, visitors can see the National Aquarium and Maryland Science Center, or get in touch with the city's seafaring roots at the Baltimore Maritime Museum and USS Constellation.

With the majority of activity in Baltimore localized on the waterfront, it's easiest to get around on foot. The Inner Harbor promenade runs along the water east through the restaurant- and bar-packed neighborhood of Fells Point to Canton Waterfront Park. Both a subway (Metro) and an above-ground rail line (Light Rail) operate in the downtown area and into the suburbs, with one-way trips costing $1.60 or day passes valid on both systems available for $3.50.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport is 10 miles south of downtown and offers Light Rail service to Baltimore directly from the terminal. Also available are free shuttles to the BWI rail station, where travelers can catch the MARC ($4) or Amtrak ($15) trains to Baltimore's Penn Station. Taxis are metered, with fares running approximately $32 to downtown, depending on traffic and destination.

Celebrate Preakness Week
Baltimore gears up for the middle jewel in horse racing's Triple Crown with a week's worth of partying, including concerts, benefits, fireworks and a parade. It all culminates on Preakness Day, the third Saturday in May, when nearly 100,000 fans gather for the annual running of the Preakness Stakes, held at Pimlico Race Course since 1873. (Barbaro's memory beckons)

Take in a Game at Camden Yards
When Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in 1992, it ushered in a new era of throwback baseball-only facilities, and it remains among the best. Grab a seat in the bleachers during batting practice and watch major leaguers try to hit the old B&O Railroad warehouse beyond the right-field wall, 439 feet from home plate.

Discover North America's Oldest Sport
With artifacts and documents, the Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame traces the sport to its origins with Native Americans, who played an early forerunner of the game even prior to the arrival of Europeans. Then see the action live with Major League Lacrosse's Washington Bayhawks, who play their home games at Georgetown University.

Visit the Home of the Sultan of Swat
The Baltimore row house where Babe Ruth was born in 1895 was slated for demolition in the 1960s, but community leaders saved the structure and created a shrine to the baseball legend that now features exhibits and memorabilia from the Babe's childhood through his extraordinary career. Also check out the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards; click here to learn more.

Get Medieval
Jousting – it's true – is Maryland's official sport, and there are several clubs throughout the state that hold demonstrations and tournaments during the spring and summer. Approximately 65 miles west of Baltimore, Petersville Farmer's Woods near Brunswick hosts the Maryland State Jousting Championship each October. Call 410-795-5067 for more information.

Try Duckpin Bowling
According to legend, duckpin bowling – a variation on 10-pin bowling using a smaller ball and shorter, fatter pins – was born in 1900 at a bowling alley owned by two Orioles players. It remains relatively popular in the Baltimore-D.C. region and there are several alleys in the city that offer the opportunity to play.

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
East Fort Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230
In September 1814, at the height of the War of 1812, the British Navy attacked this fort, which guarded Baltimore. For 25 hours, the soldiers in the fort withstood the shelling. When Washington, D.C. lawyer Francis Scott Key saw the American flag still waving, he wrote a poem he titled The Star Spangled Banner, which later became the U.S. national anthem. The exhibit recounts the history of the great battle and the poem it inspired.
http://www.nps.gov/fomc/

Inner Harbor Promenade
Inner Harbor District (bordered by Lombard and Gay streets, Key Highway and Greene and Pace steets)
The harbor, one of America's earliest seaports, dates to the 1600s. Beautifully restored, it is now a downtown district of museums, shops and restaurants. Follow its brick pathway past the National Aquarium, USS Constellation (the last all-sail warship built by the Navy and the only Civil War service vessel still afloat), Baltimore Maritime Museum and Maryland Science Center.
http://www.waterfrontpartnership.org/promenade_home.html

Baltimore Museum of Art
10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218
443-573-1700
The museum is best known for its Matisse collection, among the most impressive in the U.S. The 2.7-acre sculpture garden features 35 major pieces by Alexander Calder, Henry Moore and others. The West Wing for Contemporary Art displays works by Warhol and Jasper Johns.
http://www.artbma.org/

B&O Railroad Museum
901 W. Pratt St., Baltimore, Md. 21223
This 40-acre site is generally recognized as the birthplace of American railroading. The first commercial track was laid here, in 1829. It is where the first U.S. railroad station was built. Visit the museum, which has a superb collection of early steam engines and rolling stock. Then tour the rail yards, where train work has been done here for more than 130 years.
http://www.borail.org/historic-site.shtml

National Aquarium in Baltimore
501 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, Md. 21202
The best exhibits in this, one of the nation's premier aquariums, are the Coral Reef and Open Ocean (shark) tanks. Both tanks are donut-shaped with a circular rotunda in the middle, giving visitors the feel of being in the water with the sea life.
http://www.aqua.org/

2002 University of Maryland (NCAA Basketball National Championship).
2001 Baltimore Ravens (defeated New York Giants, 34-7).
1983 Baltimore Orioles (defeated Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 1).
1971 Baltimore Colts (defeated Dallas Cowboys, 16-13).
1970 Baltimore Orioles (defeated Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 1).
1966 Baltimore Orioles (defeated Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 0).
1959 Baltimore Colts (defeated New York Giants, 31-16).
1958 Baltimore Colts (defeated New York Giants, 23-17).
1953 University of Maryland (NCAA Football National Championship).
1948 Baltimore Bullets (defeated Philadelphia Warriors, 4 games to 2).