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[quote=Anonymous]I'm a Baltimore mom, but my kids are younger (6, 3, and 1), so I may be slightly off on age-appropriate activities.  However, here are my thoughts:

- I agree with the PP who said not to go to Lexington Market unless you're looking for an eye-opening experience for your kids.  (I am not being sarcastic- it actually would be a good place to go if you want to spark some discussions with older children about poverty and injustice. . . but it doesn't sound like that is what you are aiming for with this trip.)

- Cross Street Market is probably not all that interesting for kids, either-- you can get a somewhat similar experience by going to Eastern Market.

- The free water taxi from Tide Point is part of the Baltimore Circulator (charmcitycirculator.com).  All of the routes are free, so you can find non-zoned street parking in Locust Point (the area around Tide Point) and leave your car for the whole day if you like.  You could take the boat over and then either walk or take the Green/Orange lines heading west toward the inner harbor.  Your kids should be old enough to walk most of that, especially if you stop at random places along the way.  Then hop back on the Banner Route, which runs from the Inner Harbor to Fort McHenry.

- If you think you might make it to Baltimore more than once or twice this year, consider getting a membership to one of the attractions (Science Center or Aquarium would probably be of most interest to your kids).  The Science Center has a great kids room for 8 & under, so if you are comfortable letting your older ones explore on their own, that'd be a place for the 2 year old to have some fun.  If you come a few times, it does pay for itself.

- Alternatively, consider coming up on a Friday and staying for one of the dollar nights at one of those attractions.  They can be crowded, but it's definitely a cheap way to see those places!  There is tons of info on discount nights, local happenings, and other harbor-area entertainment on this website: http://www.waterfrontpartnership.org/

- Labor Day weekend is the Grand Prix.  Only come to this area if you are intending to attend the event, because parking and everything else will be a nightmare.  If you want info on that, the website is: http://raceonbaltimore.com/

- The American Visionary Arts Museum (the "AVAM") has free admission on the first full weekend of the month for Bank of America account holders, so if that is your bank, come on up for a look around.  Even if you can't take advantage of that, there is some stuff outside that is free to look at.  It's walkable from the inner harbor, or the Circulator (Banner Route) stops basically right out front.

- Fed Hill Park is a neat place for visitors to have a picnic / see the city.  The playground would be fun for a 2 year old but probably not too exciting for an older kid; however, if you bring a ball or something, there's plenty of open space.

- Last but not least: one of my gripes about Baltimore is that there are not many public bathrooms, especially at parks and such.  There is a park on Fort Ave. (heading out toward Ft. McHenry, and near Tide Point) called Latrobe Park that has a rec center with a bathroom-- in case you just drove up from DC and need to use the facilities before setting off on adventures.

Hope that helps, and hope you enjoy Charm City![/quote]

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