Place
Baltimore Visitor Center
Visit Baltimore
Accessible Rooms, Automated Entrance, Benches/Seating, Cellular Signal, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Information, Information - Maps Available, Parking - Auto, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Wheelchair Accessible
The Baltimore Visitor Center, located in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, is an excellent starting point for exploring Baltimore City. The large, state-of-the-art facility provides up-to-date information, resources, and services for visitors to learn all about the best places and sites to visit in Baltimore. The center contains hundreds of brochures, visitor guides and maps for tourism throughout the city as well as exhibits and artworks from city museums and galleries.
History
War of 1812
After crushing the Americans at Bladensburg and invading the Nation’s Capital, the British targeted Baltimore. If they could capture the city—the third largest in the United States and a commercial and shipbuilding hub—they could likely bring the war to an end. Military and civilians, including free and enslaved African Americans, rallied to fend off the British.
On September 12-14, 1814, the British attacked by land from North Point and by water at Fort McHenry on the Patapsco. The impressive American defenses and the failure to capture Fort McHenry persuaded the British to withdraw, essentially ending their campaign of the Chesapeake Bay.
Throughout Baltimore you can find links to people and events that helped turn the tide of the War of 1812:
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Maryland Center for Histori and Culture – War of 1812 exhibits and original manuscript of “Star-Spangled Banner”
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Patterson Park – Remnants of defensive earthworks on Hampstead Hill; views of British approaches to Baltimore
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Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine – Exhibits and programs about the Star-Spangled Banner and defense of Baltimore
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Star-Spangled Banner Flag House – Programs about the flag that inspired the national anthem
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Fells Point – Historic seaport prominent during the War of 1812