Once you get to Downtown Baltimore, you will be pleasantly surprised by the amazing mosaic of attractions, events and lifestyles. Everything that makes travel exciting comes together in this appropriately-named Charm City. Whether it's showing your children the dolphins jumping as high as the ceiling at the National Aquarium, or enjoying the latest 3-D movie in the IMAX Theater, or being inspired by the Old Masters’ paintings, you'll find that everything is within walking distance of the historic Mount Vernon Cultural District.

Located a mile north of the Inner Harbor, between Saratoga Street and Mt. Royal Avenue, the Mount Vernon Cultural District offers the majestic monument of George Washington, statuary of distinguished Baltimorians, European-style gardens, the Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Institute and Library, the Maryland Historical Society, and a slew of other cultural and historical landmarks. All in all, within a one-mile radius you will encounter mankind’s artistic and historical treasures spanning 55 centuries, including 350 years of Maryland history.

The internationally renowned Walters Art Museum is an art lover’s paradise. As a museum member, I visit the Walters often and always discover something new and exciting to see and hear – it is a never-ending stream of inspiration and education. Not only does the museum feature permanent collections, but also traveling exhibitions from museums throughout the world, and exciting seminars, courses and lectures. It also publishes the colorful and informative Walters Magazine.

The Walters boasts over 30,000 works of art from five continents, going as far back as 5,500 years. All the great civilizations that ever existed on the face of this planet are represented here: from Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Etruscan, Russian and Asian art to 20th-century European and American. As you stroll through the four floors of exhibits, mankind’s past emerges before your eyes. Those painstakingly crafted busts and statues in the Sculpture Court are so well executed in detail that they seem almost alive, telling you the stories of their lives through their postures and the expressions on their faces. The plaques beside each object are not only informative, but they also bond you with once-living personae from the distant past. And there is more.

The museum gives you an opportunity to observe the peculiar traditions of different cultures. The wealthy citizens of the Roman Empire, for example, used sarcophagi to decorate their elaborate tombs. The Greeks produced many exquisite vases and sculptures. The Etruscans were known for their bronzes. The Russian aristocrats and the czars admired intricate utensils, jewelry, silverware and gold; Faberge eggs are a good example of the Russian royalty’s love affair with ornate gifts.

And we have barely scratched the surface. Yet to be seen are Medieval art, the Old Masters’ paintings, Chinese and Japanese art, Asian art, Art Deco, Islamic art and armor, manuscripts and rare books, French impressionism … all this and more. At some point you will come across a room that reveals why the museum is called "The Walters Art Museum." William and Henry Walters, father and son, devoted their lives to amassing this art collection, which opened to the public in 1934. Altogether, the Walters will engage your curiosity and imagination.

After touring the museum for a few hours, you may feel in the need for food and rest. The museum's friendly folks have thought of this, too. The Museum Café offers great light fare, coffee and drinks. Afterwards, use that burst of new energy to complete your artistic journey. For a grand finale, visit the Museum Store, which has a great selection of posters, catalogs, books, jewelry, figurines and exotic souvenirs.

A block north of the Walters Art Museum, step into a microcosm of the 19th century – the urban square of Mount Vernon Place, which was once the wealthiest neighborhood in Baltimore. Everything from those days has been well preserved, and today’s affluent and fashionable residents also call Mount Vernon their home.

The first architectural masterpiece that strikes your imagination in Mount Vernon is the monument honoring George Washington. It is colossal! You may want to kick back on one of the benches and study the majesty of the monument. A 350-ton George Washington, dressed like the Roman warrior Cincinnatus, observes the city from the top of a 178-foot-tall marble column. It is truly a marvel of engineering and architecture. How was it possible to lift such an enormous statue up so high and fasten it securely to withstand winds, rain, snow and extremes of temperature? This was accomplished in 1829, when our modern technology did not exist yet. Indeed, the American architect Robert Mills and Italian sculptor Enrico Causici went beyond the impossible here to amaze generations to come.

Enter Washington’s Monument through the door on the north side of the base and survey the exhibit “The Making of a Monument.” You will learn that prominent Baltimore citizens raised the funds for the monument by holding a lottery in 1810. In 1813, Robert Mills won a design competition and was awarded the commission to build the monument. For a panoramic view of the city, climb the monument’s 228 spiral steps. Perhaps you’ll feel as inspired as Herman Melville, the famous author of Moby Dick, who wrote: “Great Washington stands aloft on his towering mainmast in Baltimore, and like one of Hercules’ pillars, his column marks that point of human grandeur beyond which few mortals will go.”

In front of the Washington Monument you will see a beautiful fountain pool with an equestrian statue of Lafayette, the French military leader and statesman who fought for the Continental Army under George Washington’s command during the American Revolution. Take a close look at the inscriptions from President Woodrow Wilson and President Raymond Poincare of France on the statue’s stone pedestal.

Stroll through the four elegant European-style gardens that flank the monument in the form of a Greek cross. The sight of the well-maintained flowerbeds, trees, benches, sculptures, fountains, and the sound of sparrows chirping will put you in a good, peaceful mood. You will find yourself among the statues such as the Seated Lion, War, Peace, Order, Force, and Military Courage. Say hello to the Baltimore dignitaries John Eager Howard, the Revolutionary War hero of the Battle of Cowpens, Severn Teackle Wallis, a prominent Baltimore attorney and political reformer of the late 19th century, and Roger Brooke Taney, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1835 to 1864. And, of course, the statue of George Peabody commemorates him as the founder of the Mount Vernon Cultural District.

Peabody amassed substantial wealth from the dry goods business, and later in life moved to London’s financial district. His fame stems from his incredible generosity. In fact, he was so rich that during the Civil War he salvaged the staggering credit of the United States in England. In 1857 Peabody wrote: “I have determined, without further delay, to establish and endow an Institute in this city, which I hope, may become useful towards the improvement of the moral and intellectual culture of the inhabitants of Baltimore, and collaterally to those of the State, and also, towards the enlargement and diffusion of a taste for the Fine Arts.”

Today you can see the fruits of Peabody’s vision. The Peabody Library contains over 200,000 books, and is an astonishing collection of the wisdom of humanity. Once you walk through the entrance, you will feel its aura of solemnity. A skylighted atrium surrounded by six tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies picked out in gold is considered the most beautiful room in Baltimore. The books go back as far as the 15th century and include Greek and Latin classics, British and American literature, writings on travel, science, architecture, and many other categories. The most outstanding books are on display, such as, for example, the Leonardo da Vinci collection, which provides a full panorama of Leonardo’s remarkable achievements and his impact on science and art, the first Bible printed in German in America, and many other rarities. The library also serves as the meeting place for bibliophiles and stimulating guest speakers.

You cannot leave the Mount Vernon Cultural District without an excursion into the Maryland Historical Society, the state’s oldest cultural institution, delivering Maryland’s 350 years of history. The impressive glass-enclosed entrance leads you into a three-story, 40,000-square-foot museum that boasts the most extensive collection of objects and artifacts in the State of Maryland, reflecting Maryland’s diverse heritage. In fact, this is one of the largest collections of Americana in the world. Among the thousands of items in the society’s holdings, Francis Scott Key’s manuscript of the “Star-Spangled Banner” is the centerpiece of a new exhibit. Other exhibits include “Maryland Through the Artist’s Eye,” the Society’s enormous art collection, and “Baltimore Ablaze,” an exhibit about the Great Fire of 1904. You will also find Cal Ripken’s bat, Stieff silver, an internationally acclaimed furniture collection¸ a recording of Eubie Blake playing the piano, mementos of the Duchess of Windsor, and on and on. Finally, stop at the gift shop, which offers an abundance of antiques and other interesting items.

Stroll a few blocks south of the Maryland Historical Society to admire the beauty of the first Roman cathedral in the United States, the Basilica of the Assumption. Designed by Benjamin Latrobe in 1821, it was the most architecturally original cathedral in the world and proclaimed a “new movement” in cathedral building. Even today it is considered one of the finest 19th-century buildings in the world and rivals the U.S. Capitol in style and elegance. Greek-style Corinthian columns and twin towers with saucer-shaped domes greet you as you enter through the front portico. Take a close look at the cathedral’s outer dome. It consists of skylights allowing light to pass through a 20-feet-wide opening into the interior dome. This design creates diffused natural light, which emanates from a source not directly visible from the pews and creates a mystical mood. In addition to the dome light, nine stained-glass windows of intricate design also help to fill the immense interior with light. Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa have visited the Basilica in the past.

All these gems are just a small sample of the things to see and do in the Mount Vernon Cultural District. In addition are the Lyric Opera House, Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the Center Stage Theater, Antiques Row, the Pratt Library, the Garrett Jacobs Mansion, the Contemporary Museum, the Peabody Court Hotel and numerous other historic buildings and art galleries, an abundance of restaurants and cafes, and fascinating shops. Year-round, internationally acclaimed artists, musicians and entertainers come to Baltimore with their world-class performances. Peter Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein and Ralph Waldo Emerson are some of the most respected talent the Peabody Institute has had the pleasure hosting. Cirque du Soleil often comes to town. The brilliant cellist Yo-Yo Ma is a frequent guest as well.

Whether you enjoy museums, galleries, history, theater, music, comedy, architecture, dining or any combination thereof, you will find them all in the Mount Vernon Cultural District, which is why more than one million visitors flock here every year. Visit soon and enrich your soul and your mind!

Contact Information:

Mount Vernon Cultural District
217 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-244-1030
www.mvcd.org