Baltimore is a city of year-round charms, but summer, when both baseball and crab seasons are in full swing, is a particularly great time to visit. This year is no exception, with area attractions offering a variety of hands-on activities. The following are some family-friendly diversions for Charm City visitors.
A Superman exhibit at Baltimore’s Geppi Entertainment Museum, located at Camden Yards. Photo Credit: Eric Moya
Collectibles galore
For those taking in an Orioles game, the nearby Geppi's Entertainment Museum at Camden Yards offers another slice of Americana.
The museum's founder, Steve Geppi, is part owner of the baseball team, and he also helped spearhead the direct distribution of comics to dedicated comic book stores. So as one might expect, comic book characters and memorabilia figure heavily into the museum's collection of more than 6,000 artifacts.
Geppi's personal copies of seminal issues such as "Action Comics" No. 1 (the first appearance of Superman) and "Amazing Fantasy" No. 15 (Spider-Man's debut) are on display, and electronic kiosks enable visitors to virtually leaf through select issues.
Inner Harbor education
Any Baltimore visit is likely to include a stroll around the Inner Harbor and its many attractions. For ages 8 and up, the Icky, Creepy, Slimy, Cool Tour at the National Aquarium offers a glimpse (and feel) of the animal kingdom's less cuddly side. Bats, bugs, snakes and more take center stage on this two-hour tour, and guests may also have the opportunity to help feed crocodiles.
Meanwhile, the harbor's Maryland Science Center is marking its 40th anniversary with a 40 Summers of Science celebration from June 11 to Sept. 5. According to a Visit Baltimore press release, the celebration will include events such as dropping 40 paint-filled balloons off the center's roof and a return to 1976 admission pricing.
Art for all ages
The city's Artscape festival attracts over 350,000 visitors each year. This year's festival, set for July 15 to 17, carries the theme Space: Explore What's Out There. As in years past, the event will celebrate regional and national talent in the fields of visual arts, theater and more. Kid-friendly highlights for this year will include Gamescape, a video game showcase featuring classic arcade hits such as Pac-Man and Street Fighter as well as video game competitions.
Visit www.baltimore.org.