What's New in Baltimore?

Indulge Yourself with a New Baltimore Experience

Contact: Monee Cottman, 410-659-7301, mcottman@baltimore.org

Baltimore is an ever-evolving destination. In fact, there is more growth and change taking place right now in Baltimore than at any other time since our world-famous Inner Harbor began welcoming visitors over 25 years ago. With nationally recognized restaurants, museums and attractions, Baltimore is a must-see destination.

COMING SOON:

How People Make Things
September 27 - January 3, 2009 | Port Discovery Children's Museum

How People Make Things, inspired by the factory tour segments from the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television series, offers hands-on activities using real factory tools and machines to create objects with four manufacturing processes - molding, cutting, deforming and assembly. Many common manufactured products help tell the story of how people, ideas and technology transform raw materials into finished products. For more information, visit www.portdiscovery.org.

Free Fall Baltimore
October 1 - 31, 2008 | Citywide

Baltimore residents and visitors can enjoy the excitement of live music, dance, theater, museum exhibitions, classes, lectures and more, for free, in venues throughout Baltimore City. In 2007, more than 85 arts organizations presented over 300 free events including performances, lectures, workshops and hands-on creative experiences. This year's participants include the Baltimore Museum of Art, The Walters Art Museum, Top of the World Observation Level, American Visionary Art Museum, USS Constellation and Frederick Douglass-Isaac Meyers Maritime Park and Museum. For more information, visit www.FreeFallBaltimore.com.

Fell's Point Fun Festival
October 4 - 5, 2008 | 812 S. Ann Street

The Fell's Point Fun Festival showcases the nautical history, enduring charm and vibrant spirit of one of Baltimore's oldest downtown neighborhoods. Join locals and visitors alike as they peruse the flea market and crafts vendors, enjoy live music and entertainment and patronize Fell's Point's eclectic collection of taverns, shops and merchants. Five stages featuring music, dancing, and entertainment and activities for children of all ages are set up throughout the neighborhood, and delicacies and libations from all over the world are available on every corner. Don't miss one of Baltimore's largest and most popular summer festivals! For more information, visit www.preservationsociety.com.

The Marriage of Art, Science & Philosophy
October 4, 2008 - September 6, 2009 | American Visionary Art Museum

The American Visionary Art Museum's 14th original mega art exhibition, the Marriage of Art, Science & Philosophy, is a wedding of playfulness, imagination, intuition and desire - partners common to creative invention and understanding. The exhibition's 50 visionary artists take a fresh look at the very notion of sound, color, number and scale in their pursuit of wonder. From fractural quilts to extolling the role sci-fi plays in inspiring real science, this is a nuptial dance fir for adults and children of all ages. www.avam.org

Franz West, To Build a House You Start with the Roof: Work, 1972-2008
October 12, 2008 - January 4, 2009 | Baltimore Museum of Art

The Baltimore Museum of Art presents the first major U.S. retrospective on Franz West (b. 1947), an Austrian artist of international stature whose singular vision has resulted in one of the most remarkable bodies of work produced since the 1960s. The exhibition includes more than 120 objects that reflect his innovations in sculpture, design, and works on paper-ranging from early interactive works from the 1970s to recent giant aluminum and epoxy objects that dramatize their surroundings with bold colors and oversize scale. For more information, visit www.artbma.org.

Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry
October 19, 2008 - January 4, 2009 | The Walters Art Museum

Bedazzled:5,000 Years of Jewelry will highlight more than 200 pieces from the Walters Art Museum. The exhibition will feature some of the Walters' greatest masterpieces as well as many hidden treasures on view for the first time. Exhibit highlights includes Tiffany & Co. iris corsage ornament decorated with 139 sapphires, diamonds and other gems, which was a grand prize winner at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle; Gold bracelet from the first century B.C. encrusted with precious stones and multi-colored enamel inlay discovered in a tomb in the Greek colony of Olbia (present-day Ukraine); and Nineteenth-century imperial, ceremonial Chinese headdress with designs of phoenixes, butterflies and peaches and crafted of gilded silver, kingfisher feathers, silk thread, pearls, rubies and glass beads. For more information, visit www.thewalters.org.

FEATURED EVENTS:

Urban Pirates
Tours Began May 2008

Baltimore's first pirate ship has arrived in historic Fells Point! With a lively crew, you will learn to dress, talk and tie ropes like a pirate; fight enemies with water cannons; navigate treacherous waters; and discover hidden treasures during an interactive excursion around the Inner Harbor. The 48' long ship with a 17-foot beam and 3-foot draft can accommodate up to 49 passengers. Tours begin weekends in May and everyday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. For more information, call 410-327-8378 or visit www.urbanpirates.us.

BODY WORLDS 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies
Through September 1, 2008 | Maryland Science Center

Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies takes a close look into the human anatomy, physiology and effects of lifestyle choices through scientific and enlightening displays of whole bodies, individual organs and transparent body slices. This extraordinary exhibition has attracted more than 22 million visitors worldwide. The specimens on display were preserved through Plastination, the revolutionary preservation process invented by von Hagens, a German anatomist and physician. The Science Center has also developed educational programs and events related to BODY WORLDS 2 along with topics pertaining to life science. For more information, call 410-685-2370 or visit www.mdsci.org.

A People's Geography: The Spaces of African American Life
Through September 7, 2008 | Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture

A People's Geography focuses on the relationships African Americans have to the geography of their environment. The exhibition includes photography, film, and installations that reveal spaces sacred and profane, architectural and anatomical, public and private, which shape the legacy of Africans in the Americas. For more information, visit www.africanamericanculture.org.

Faces of Ancient Arabia: The Giraud & Carolyn Foster Collection of South Arabian Art
Through September 7, 2008 | The Walters Art Museum

Visitors can discover the artistic sophistication and visual splendor of South Arabian art through Faces of Ancient Arabia: The Giraud and Carolyn Foster Collection of Southern Arabian Art. Faces of Ancient Arabia includes more than 70 ancient sculptures, statues, relief carvings and inscribed blocks-drawn primarily from a recent gift to the Walters of 61 pieces from the Giraud and Carolyn Foster collection. For more information, call 410-547-9000 or visit www.thewalters.org.

Robots: An Interactive Exhibition
Through September 8, 2008 | Port Discovery Children's Museum

With more than 15 hands-on displays, Port Discovery Children's Museum goes robotic, exploring the wildly imaginative world of robots, as depicted in the 20th Century Fox animated feature, "Robots". For more information, call 410-727-8120 or visit www.portdiscovery.org.

Out of the Box
Through December 7, 2008 | Geppi's Entertainment Museum
Get hands-on with pop culture! Take an up-close look at the characters that are popular today with toys that you can actually touch and play within the Special Edition gallery. The future of pop culture collecting is out of the box and in your hands at GEM! For more information, call 410-625-7060 or visit www.geppismuseum.com.

Wonders of Water
Permanent Installation; Opened January 2008 | Port Discovery Children's Museum
Wonders of Water is the first permanent exhibit to be on display at the museum since it opened in 1998. Wonders of Water allows children to explore and understand everything that water can provide for the human body, environment, and economy. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit allows children a chance to load objects into water using a crane in an attempt to see if the objects float or sink and why. The exhibit features interactive water experiences for children ages 2-10. Port Discovery Children's Museum provides experiences that ignite imagination, inspire learning and nurture growth through play. For more information, call 410-727-8120 or visit www.portdiscovery.org.

4D Immersion Theater
Opened December 2007 | National Aquarium in Baltimore
On December 1, the National Aquarium in Baltimore unveiled a new 4D Immersion Theater allowing visitors to get even closer to the sights, sounds, and smells of the action. The theater combines high-definition drama with special sensory effects that will bring on-screen images to life. "The Polar Express 4D Experience" was the first movie. "Planet Earth" is currently being screened. For more information, call 410-576-3800 or visit www.aqua.org.

RECENT RESTAURANT OPENINGS:

FIN
May 2008

Fin Steak & Seafood is Fell's Point's newest dining experience. The restaurant specializes in certified Angus beef and fresh seafood selections. Chef Cohen has embarked on a mission to incorporate his extensive fine dining resume' and passion for creative recipes. House specialty items include a European Bistro Cut steak, grilled calamari, and grilled strawberry shortcake. For more information, call 410-522-2195 or visit www.fin-restaurant.com.

Meli
February 2008

Meli, a new European-style café, recently opened in historic Fell's Point. The café, which is attached to the Admiral Fell Inn, will provide a fully operational restaurant and late-night menu for its guests. As the newest addition to Kali's Restaurant Group, Meli provides a great alternative to the bar scene, allowing those dining to sit, relax, enjoy a pastry and talk with their friends. Visitors to the café will also have the chance to choose from a fresh market that includes honey, cheese and other specialty items. Guests staying at the Admiral Fell Inn will be able to enter Meli through the lobby of the hotel and charge their food directly to their room. For more information, call 410-534-6354.

RA Sushi
January 2008
Ra Sushi opened its first mid-Atlantic location in Baltimore's Harbor East. There's never a dull moment at RA Sushi - the music is pumping, the mood is upbeat and the atmosphere is as stimulating as a big bite of wasabi. RA is the perfect place to cut loose with good friends and family and enjoy the best sushi the ocean has to offer. It offers a full menu of Pacific-Rim dishes to satisfy any taste. For more information, call 410-522-3200 or visit www.rasushi.com.

Woodberry Kitchen
December 2007
Located in a historic 19th-century foundry, Woodberry Kitchen is a green restaurant that features the seasonal best from local growers and emphasizes organic meats and sustainable agriculture. Using recycled materials whenever possible, the restaurant is dedicated to eco-principles and supporting local growers while delivering outstanding menu selections. For more information, call 410-464-8000 or visit www.woodberrykitchen.com