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Star-Spangled Baltimore Celebrate American history in the Charm City by dawn’s early light BY ADRIENNE JORDAN
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Learn about Old Glory at Fort McHenry, above and bottom center and right, and stop by the home of Mary Pickersgill, who sewed the original Star-Spangled Banner, bottom left.
n Sept. 14, the lyrics to the U.S. national anthem turn a grand old 200 years old. “The Star-Spangled Banner” was penned after a tumultuous daylong battle between the Americans and British during the War of 1812. Lawyer Francis Scott Key peered through thick smoke and rain to see the resolute American flag waving above Fort McHenry along the Baltimore Harbor. The Americans had won, inspiring Key to write the lyrics to the song that eventually became the national anthem. Baltimore will celebrate Key — and his song — with a multitude of events aimed at exposing visitors to important American history. And city travel experts expect the crowds to turn out. “We expect a Super Bowl-esque kind of crowd,” says Tom Noonan, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore. Join in the celebration with a weekend in the Charm City exploring these historic highlights: Start your journey through American flag history at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House museum (844 E. Pratt St., 410-8371793, flaghouse.org), which showcases how the original banner was sewn and then unveiled to the public. Visitors can admire a magnificent replica of the original 30-foot-by-42-foot flag. The
new permanent exhibit, the American flag,” says “Family of Flagmakers: The Sheila Pree Bright, artist in Women Who Created the residency. Star-Spangled Banner,” Next, explore the focuses on the life of Mary American Visionary Art Pickersgill, the maker of the Museum (800 Key Highway, grand flag. 410-244-1900, avam.org), Then step back in time which displays work from with a visit to Pickersgill’s self-taught, idiosyncratic house, which artists inspired is part of the by a strong museum. You can personal vision. A see where the colorful sidewalk For easy flagmaker actually mural outside access to the lived and sewed the museum attractions, the iconic flag. contains striking take the fast Touch a piece interpretations of and free Charm of its original the Star-Spangled City Circulator material (British Banner. bus which has wool bunting that The Fort routes all over would have been McHenry National downtown very expensive Monument and Baltimore. charmcity at the time), and Historic Shrine circulator.com view interesting (2400 E. Fort Ave., period pieces such 410-962-4290, as wooden nutcrackers and nps.gov/fomc) has a new a toilet that doubled as a visitors center, including nightstand. an interactive gallery that Across the street from the will fascinate both children Flag House sits the popular and adults. After watching Reginald F. Lewis Museum of a 10-minute, HollywoodMaryland African American quality film about the History & Culture (830 anthem, touch authentic E. Pratt St., 443-263-1800, British bombs that “burst in rflewismuseum.org). The “For air” during the battle and Whom It Stands” exhibit view imposing muskets showcases Grace Wisher, an used by American soldiers African-American indenduring the 19th century. tured servant who helped “The summer flagship sew the original flag in 1812 program will be ‘Fort! Flag! alongside Pickersgill. Fire!’” says park ranger Vince Also on display will be Vaise. “Visitors get ranger photographs of Americans tours of the fort and are able from all generations and to participate in unrolling ethnicities holding the the 30-foot-by-42-foot flag American flag. “I gave them — literal hands-on history. the flag and they decided There will be reenactments what to do with it because of soldiers, sailors and every generation has a citizens of the War of 1812. different perspective of Also, the Fort McHenry
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boat tour will take you out to the spot where Francis Scott Key saw the Star-Spangled Banner. American sports fans should pay a visit to Babe Ruth’s boyhood home-turned-museum, which has linked its sports theme to the banner’s bicentennial with the exhibit, “‘O’ Say Can You See: The Star-Spangled Banner in Sports.” “They didn’t celebrate sports 200 years ago,” says Mike Gibbons, executive director of the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum (216 Emory St., near Camden Yards, 410-7271539, baberuthmuseum.org), “so I wondered how we could tie the festivities into the museum.” The anthem was first sung at a baseball game in 1918 in Chicago, during Game One of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. Fast forward to presentday Baltimore, a city that pays tribute to its Orioles team by singing the anthem with an emphasized “O!” Visitors can view a short film with a composite of the song pulled from dozens of renditions.
The American Visionary Art Museum is a can't-miss Baltimore attraction near Inner Harbor.
Make a weekend of it The working-class harbor city has a charm all its own. Be sure to include modern-day staples on your walk through history.
Baltimore Museum of Art: Take a worthwhile detour from the Star-Spangled Banner extravagance to view the new contemporary wing just in time for the museum’s 100th anniversary in November 2014. Art includes contemporary human figure drawings by David Hockney and others from the Benesch Collection and a dramatic award-winning short film by French artist Camille Henrot. 10 Art Museum Dr.; 443-573-1700; artbma.org
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Miss Shirley’s Cafe: A Baltimore staple, this restaurant’s Southern-style menu includes chicken and waffles, a crab-cake-and-fried-green-tomato club sandwich and a po’boy with cornmeal-encrusted fried oysters. Three locations; missshirleys.com Roy’s: This restaurant, located in Baltimore’s trendy new East Harbor area, serves Hawaiian fusion cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood. 720 B Aliceanna St.; 410-6590099; roysrestaurant.com Lord Baltimore Hotel: The newly renovated hotel has a prime location — within walking distance of the Inner Harbor waterfront and many Star-Spangled Banner attractions. Be sure to have dinner in the new French Kitchen restaurant, featuring bold interior design inspired by Versailles. 20 W. Baltimore St.; 855-539-1928; lordbaltimorehotel.com
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Star-Spangled Spectacular: “We anticipate the StarSpangled Spectacular being the largest tourism event in the history of Baltimore,” says Tom Noonan, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore. This 10-day free festival will take place Sept. 6-16, during which tall ships, Navy gray hulls and the high-flying Blue Angels will come to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to celebrate the national anthem. Activities will include re-enactments, a family fun zone, live music, Chesapeake regional foods and more. starspangled200.org