The Blinds Side

Take a break from the concrete jungle at the smaller, 6-acre Sherwood Gardens. Located in the Guilford neighborhood, this public garden began as an outdoor hobby of John W. Sherwood in the 1920s and originally consisted of a few of his tulips imported from the Netherlands. Now, Sherwood Gardens contains approximately 80,000 tulip bulbs and hundreds of other plants collected from the gardens of Colonial estates.

During the first weekend of each May, spend four days watching top-notch film and video work from all over the world at the Maryland Film Festival. Hundreds of filmmakers attend the screenings of the approximately 50 feature films and 75 short films. Enjoy every type of film: narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, hybrid and others. You may possibly meet celebrity guests as well.

Since 1914, the Baltimore Museum of Art has housed an internationally renowned collection of 19th-century, modern and contemporary art. Even the building itself, designed to resemble a Roman Temple, is a piece of art. Art lovers must stop by the Cone Collection, which contains works by master artists like Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, Manet, and van Gogh.

Shed some light on the dark and mysterious American gothic writer when you visit the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum. Famous for his haunting poetry and short stories, Poe began his life in this two-and-a-half story duplex. The home has been converted to represent and reflect the life of Poe and contains materials owned by Poe such as his writing desk, on public display. Fans of literature will appreciate this attraction.