Paddle Boats and Baltimore Harbor Cruises
The paddleboats docked near the Trade Center are a fun way to get on the water and explore the inner harbor from a different view. The regular paddle boats cost $12 for 30 minutes; the boats which look like “Chessie,” the Chesapeake’s answer to the Loch Ness Monster, cost $20 for 30 minutes. Both hold a maximum of 4 people.
If you’d rather someone else do the sailing, the Baltimore Harbor Cruises are a good option. They leave on the hour from the Light Street Pier (11-4 on weekdays; 11-7 on weekends). The 45-minute cruises sail to Ft. McHenry and back with narration about the nautical history of Baltimore. On Friday nights, a 90-minute cruise goes to the Key Bridge. Saturday night’s City Lights Cruise shows the brightly-lit city from the dark water. On Mondays, kids cruise for free; 1 child per each paying adult. ($17 adults; $6 kids 3-11 for 45-minute cruise. Friday night: $20 adults; $10 kids 3-11; Sat $22 adults; $10 children 3-11. Children under 2 free. 410-268-7601; www.baltimoreboatcruises.com)
Back on dry land, kids can splash and play in the fountain beside the Visitor Center on the Light Street Pavilion. Have plans to deal with wet clothing, though; there is no changing area and the rest rooms in the Visitor Center are off-limits for that. The Light Street Pavilion has a food court, but if you can bring your own food and picnic on the benches along the promenade.
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