Baltimore Cultural Sites
Frederick Douglass bust gracing the front of Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Museum; (c) Soul Of America
No other city in America has as many black cultural museums as Baltimore, combined with two large HBCUs, two black fraternity headquarters, a major black newspaper, two black theatre organizations, NAACP headquarters, and several notable monuments. Baltimore Cultural Sites are a must-visit reason for every itinerary.
Reginald Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture
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National Great Blacks in Wax Museum
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Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Museum and Maritime Park
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Eubie Blake Jazz Museum & Cultural Center
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Murphy Fine Arts Center
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Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum
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Morgan State University
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Coppin State University
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Thurgood Marshall Monument
DESCRIPTION: A noble tribute to one of Baltimore’s own; after the University of Maryland denied him entry into its law school because of race, Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) graduated from Howard Law School. At Howard, he was mentored by Charles Hamilton Houston, who taught his students to be “social engineers” willing to use the law to fight for civil rights. Marshall opened a law practice in Baltimore but soon joined Houston at the NAACP in New York. They worked together on the segregation case of Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada; after Houston returned to Washington, Marshall took his place as special counsel of the NAACP, and he became director-counsel of the newly formed NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He was appointed NAACP Lead Attorney in the case that overturned the “Separate But Equal” school desegregation in 1954. Marshall was appointed Supreme Court Justice in 1967. Though he died in 1993, his progressive shoes were left unfilled on the Supreme Court from 1991 until Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the office in 2022. His original home was at 1632 Division Street in Baltimore.
ADDRESS: Pratt Street at Sharp Street, Baltimore, MD
PARKING: garage nearby
RAPID TRANSIT: Charles Center Metro Station
Thurgood Marshall Monument at Pratt & Sharp Streets, Baltimore; (c) Soul Of America
Black Soldiers Monument
DESCRIPTION: This impressive 9-foot bronze statue gives props to Black servicemen from all American wars. The figure is decorated with medals for valor, and the soldier’s hands hold a wreath and banner listing our service in American wars.
ADDRESS: Battle Monument Plaza at Calvert and Lexington Streets, Baltimore, MD
RAPID TRANSIT: Charles Center Metro Station
PARKING: nearby garage
Cathy Hughes Plaza
DESCRIPTION: Baltimore headquarters for Radio One, the nation’s largest chain of Black-owned radio stations, and listed on a national stock exchange. Tell-it-like-it-is-for-Black-folks, Cathy Hughes is the founder.
ADMISSION: appt only
PARKING: garage nearby
ADDRESS: 100 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore, MD
RAPID TRANSIT: Charles Center Metro Station
PHONE: 410-332-4600
Iota Phi Theta Headquarters
DESCRIPTION: In 1963, at Morgan State College (now University), 12 students founded what has become the nation’s fifth-largest Black fraternity. The founders were: Albert Hicks, Lonnie Spruill, Jr., Charles Briscoe, Frank Coakley, John Slade, Barron Willis, Webster Lewis, Charles Brown, Louis Hudnell, Charles Gregory, Elias Dorsey, Jr., and Michael Williams. This organization has grown to 156 Chapters/Colonies and 15,000 Members.
ADMISSION: appt only
PARKING: small lot on premises + street
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri
ADDRESS: 1600 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD
RAPID TRANSIT: Baltimore Penn Metro Station
PHONE: 410-752-5748
WEBSITE: http://www.IotaPhiTheta.org
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Headquarters
DESCRIPTION: First intercollegiate Greek-letter Black Fraternity – founded in 1906 at Cornell University by Jewels Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy. As one of the largest black fraternities, the Alphas are known for stressing academic excellence among their members and addressing the educational, economic, political, and social injustices faced by African-Americans. Notable frat brothers include W.E.B. DuBois, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Edward Brooke, Dr Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, William Gray, and Paul Robeson.
ADMISSION: appt only
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri by appt only
ADDRESS: 2313 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore, MD
PARKING: on-premises & on-street
PHONE: 410-554-0040
WEBSITE: http://www.apa1906.net
Arena Players Theater
DESCRIPTION: Although this theater has a modern architectural design, it is home to one of the oldest Black theater companies in America. Since 1952, this jewel of regional theater has presented many outstanding plays and includes Howard Rollins as one of its distinguished alumni.
ADMISSION: fee
PARKING: street parking
ADDRESS: 801 McCulloh Street, Baltimore, MD
RAPID TRANSIT: State Center Metro Station
PARKING: on-street
PHONE: 410-728-6500
WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/BaltimoreArenaPlayers/
Billie Holiday Monument on Pennsylvania Avenue; (c) Soul Of America
Billie Holiday Monument
DESCRIPTION: An 8 1/2 foot bronze figure of “Lady Day,” sculpted by James Earl Reid, features the Baltimore native in perfect form — with a dinner gown and a gardenia in her hair. She was born Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959) and raised on 200 South Durham Street. Arguably, America’s greatest Jazz singer, Billie Holiday, is best known for the timeless song God Bless the Child. She performed many times at the historic Royal Theater, which was catercorner from this location. There is also a Royal Theater Monument at that location.
ADDRESS: Pennsylvania Avenue at Lafayette Avenue, Baltimore, MD
PARKING: street parking
RAPID TRANSIT: Upton Metro Station
Mother Mary Lange Monument
DESCRIPTION: A 4-foot bronze monument honoring Mother Lange (1784-1882), a Haitian immigrant, founded the first Catholic school for African-American children in 1828 at St. Francis Academy. In 1829, she founded the first order of African American nuns – the Oblate Sisters of Providence. She is being considered for sainthood by the Vatican.
ADDRESS: George Street at Myrtle Avenue, Baltimore, MD
PARKING: street parking
RAPID TRANSIT: State Center Metro Station
Sankofa Dance Theatre
DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1989 to present and express the rich legacy of African-centered dance, conducts programs at various performance venues around the city. The performance season runs from September through June. Perhaps it is best loved in the community for its outstanding African Dance classes.
ADDRESS: Office 2901 Druid Park Drive, Baltimore, MD
PARKING: on-premises
RAPID TRANSIT: Penn-North Metro Station
PHONE: 410-669-3786
SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/SankofaDanceTheater/
Sojourner-Douglass College
DESCRIPTION: An undergraduate college that meets a diverse range of educational needs in the community, across the street from First Baptist Church
ADDRESS: 500 North Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD
PARKING: on-premises
RAPID TRANSIT: Johns Hopkins Metro Station
PHONE: 410-276-0306
WEBSITE: http://www.sdc.edu
Wall of Pride Mural
DESCRIPTION: A well-loved community mural that portrays Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, Sojourner Truth, and Malcolm X.
ADDRESS: Carey & Cumberland Streets, Baltimore, MD
PARKING: on-street
RAPID TRANSIT: Penn-North Metro Station
NAACP Headquarters in northwest Baltimore; (c) Soul Of America
NAACP Headquarters
DESCRIPTION: Mary White Ovington, Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, and others founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909. It became the most successful civil rights institution in this nation’s history. The NAACP also publishes The Crisis magazine to promote its charter to reduce racism and increase understanding and cooperation among races. By 1915, The Crisis had a circulation of 30,000. The NAACP headquarters moved from NYC to this location in Baltimore in 1986.
ADMISSION: tours by appt only
ADDRESS: 4805 Mount Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD
PARKING: on-premises
RAPID TRANSIT: Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station
PHONE: 410-358-8900
WEBSITE: http://www.naacp.org
Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper
DESCRIPTION: The news beacon for the community since its founding in 1892 by John Murphy. One of its photographers took the photo widely regarded as proof that approximately a million people marched at the Million Man March. It is also a history-making newspaper that impacted the Civil Rights Movement.
ADDRESS: 2519 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD
PARKING: on-street
PHONE: 410-554-8200
WEBSITE: http://www.afro.com
Hubert V. Simmons Museum of Negro Leagues Baseball
DESCRIPTION: The Museum is housed in the Owings Mills branch of the Baltimore County Public Library, which shares the building with the Community College of Baltimore County at the County Campus Metro Center. If features exhibits and displays of photographs, artifacts, memorabilia, and graphic panels of both Maryland and U.S. Negro Leagues. They are showcased at the sites which can be found on each level of the library’s three floors.
DAYS & HOURS:
ADDRESS: 10302 Grand Central Avenue, Owings Mills, MD
PARKING: on-premises
PHONE: 410-597-9797
WEBSITE: http://www.smnlbinc.org
Howard County Center of African American Culture
DESCRIPTION: In a quiet, charming this center features a small art museum and library of 900 historic books, inventions, a children’s area, posters, a stamp collection, historic artifacts and a tribute to Black Howard Countians. It is located in the small building to the left of the mansion.
ADMISSION: fee
DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Fri 12-5p, Sat 12-4p, Sun 2p-4p
ADDRESS: 5434 Vantage Point Road, Columbia, MD
PARKING: on-premises
PHONE: 410-715-1921
WEBSITE: none