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Historical Baltimore Self-Driving Sightseeing Audio Tour

Overview
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!

Dive into one of America’s most historic cities with this tour of Baltimore! This storied city is chock full of essential American history, having been home to famous figures like Edgar Allan Poe, Frederick Douglass, and Babe Ruth. Hear a dramatic rendition of Douglass’s escape from slavery and rise to prominence as an abolitionist and advisor to Abraham Lincoln. Delve into Poe’s life and the unsolved mystery of his death. And much, much more!

This isn't an entrance ticket. Check covid rules and opening hours before your visit.

No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!
City: Baltimore
Sun 23 Feb
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You can choose the date already on the booking website
Starting at $10.00
Sun 23 Feb
Starting at $10.00
Make a reservation
What's Included
Offline use: No cell signal or wifi required. Offline GPS Map & route. Stop-to-stop direction.
Private tour in your/rental car: No group. Take breaks for photos/ snacks/hikes. Go at your own pace
Don’t miss a thing: Full itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated hidden stories, video, text
Flexible schedule: Use any day, any time. Travel over multiple days or on next trip. Never expires.
Good value: Buy just one per car. Don’t pay for each person. Save money compared to a bus tour.
App on your phone: A link to download the Action Guide app. Password for your tours. Preview at home
Easy to use: Stories play automatically by GPS. Hands-free. Get HELP all day: Call, Chat or Email.
Additional Info
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • How it works: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a text/email with instructions. Download the app (while in good wifi/signal) and use your unique password to access your tours. To begin touring, go to the Starting Point and launch the app. The audio starts automatically. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience. Please note that no one will meet you at the starting point.
  • Good value: Purchase only one tour for the entire vehicle instead of taking the bus and paying for each person. You will see a significant saving. Connect your phone to car speakers by a wire or bluetooth. Enjoy the tour by listening together as you drive.
  • Flexible Schedule: Once the app/tour is on your phone, you can use it any day and at any time. You can use it over multiple days. And, also use it on your next trip here. This tour never expires.
  • Preview the tour: You can use it before the trip at home (highly recommended), use it during the trip, and use it after you come back.
  • Don't miss a thing: You will get everything with the app - a complete itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated audio stories, story script, images, videos, deep dives, hidden gems, exciting locations, recommendations for hikes, adventure, activities, treks, and stop-by-stop direction.
  • Private tour: You can use it in your car or rental car. No worries about groups or crowds. Start the tour app on your phone. And it will direct you step by step. You can stop for as many breaks as you like. Take a break for Instagram photos, and take a break for lunch/snacks. Go on a hike. The tour will wait for you and start when you start again. You can even do the tour over multiple days. Go at your own pace.
  • Easy to use: The stories play themselves as soon as the GPS is activated. It requires no use of your hands at all. You can get HELP by calling, chatting, or emailing any time of the day.
  • Offline: There is no need for a cell signal or Wi-Fi while touring. App’s GPS map works offline.
  • Expiration/go again: The tour will last for the rest of your life on your phone. It is available for use on any day of your next trip.
  • Use pictures for a photo book: Create a photo book using clean (no crowd) app images of each spot to make a memorable trip. All the photos and the correct sequence is ready in the app for you to use.
  • Social media: Share clean (no crowd) images with friends/family.
  • Devices supported include iPhones with iOS 13 & above, Android phones with version 9 & above and all cellular-enabled tablets & iPads.
  • Face masks required for travellers in public areas
What To Expect
1
Baltimore Visitor Center
Your tour of the historic, bustling city of Baltimore begins at the Baltimore Visitor Center. Get ready to experience all the culture and history of a city that has been home to all sorts of important figures like Frederick Douglass, Edgar Allan Poe, and lots more!
2
USS Constellation
At the Baltimore Harbor, you'll get up close and personal with some of the oldest ships in the country!
3
National Aquarium
The harbor's main attraction is the USS Constellation. This three-mast ship predates the Civil War, and was actually used to chase down and apprehend vessels illegally carrying enslaved prisoners!
4
Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse
Next is the National Aquarium, home to over 20,000 sea and land creatures. If you're looking for the perfect family-friendly activity, you'll find it here!
5
National Katyn Memorial
Beyond the lighthouse, you'll find one of Baltimore's strangest attractions: Mr. Trash Wheel. This innovative device helps keep the harbor clean and looks good while doing it!
6
Frederick Douglass - Isaac Myers Maritime Park
This park is dedicated to honoring African-American maritime history. It gets its name from renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglass and pioneering unionist Isaac Myers. Both men worked at the shipyard that once operated here at different times.
7
The Horse You Came In On Saloon
Old-school watering hole in a Colonial-era building, offering drinks, pub fare & live music nightly.
8
Fells Point Corner Theatre
Originally founded as an independent town in 1763, Fells Point still retains much of its historic appearance. Back in the days of Frederick Douglass, this was home to a large number of free and enslaved African Americans. Many of them worked at the ship port like Douglass, and the cheap houses here were all they could afford.
9
Frederick Douglass - Isaac Myers Maritime Park
You might already be familiar with Frederick Douglass’s abolitionist work, but did you know he was also a staunch advocate for women’s rights? Douglass believed “Right is of no sex, truth is of no color.” In 1848, Douglass attended the First Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Here, he met Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony and committed himself to their cause. While touring the country advocating for abolition, Douglass also began arguing for women’s rights. He called for all Americans, no matter their race or sex, to be granted the right to vote.
10
Reginald F. Lewis Museum
Your route takes you next past the National Katyn Memorial, a striking and somber monument with some fascinating history.
11
Baltimore City Hall
It’s hard to miss Baltimore City Hall, that regal structure just ahead. Shortly after its completion, this was the site of a violent altercation between two Baltimore politicians. In 1883, James Busey and William Harig, both democrats, got into a heated political argument just outside the city hall. Harig, punched Busey. The two brawled, then sprang away and simultaneously drew pistols. Both men began firing wildly, but Harig’s aim was much better than Busey’s. Four bullets hit Busey in the chest, killing him. Constables arrived and arrested Harig for murder.
12
Washington Monument and Mount Vernon Place
This pillar ahead is Baltimore’s Washington Monument. It might remind you of another Washington Monument… a slightly more famous one in a little town called D.C. Believe it or not, though, this isn’t actually a copycat! In fact, this was the very first major monument to honor George Washington. The architect, Robert Mills, just liked the design so much he decided to use it again in D.C.--only much bigger, of course.
13
H. L. Mencken House
You'll arrive next at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, dedicated to the two historical heavyweights in its name. Here, you'll learn all about these important figures and how they forever changed the fight for civil rights in America.
14
Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
After that is the oldest saloon in the US, the Horse You Came In On Saloon. In addition to having some serious character of its own, this was also a beloved drinking spot of Edgar Allan Poe... and his ghost supposedly still frequents the joint!
15
Federal Hill Park
The route heads into Fells Point next, probably the hippest neighborhood in all of Baltimore, and also one of the oldest.
16
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
This fort, built to defend Baltimore’s precious harbor, took the brunt of the naval assault in 1814. As 19 British warships approached, Major George Armistead told his 1,000 defenders to prepare for the fight of their lives. No sooner had the men taken their positions than the bombardment began. Cannons roared and sent cannonballs crashing into the fort. Luckily, the fort had recently been reinforced, and the cannonfire did little to damage it.
17
Star-Spangled Banner Flag House
Francis Scott Key was so moved by the sight of the American flag flying over Fort McHenry that he scribbled a poem on the back of a letter he had kept in his pocket. This poem would later become the national anthem. Here is the original text of that poem, just as Key wrote it on that fateful morning:
18
Port Discovery Children's Museum
Then you'll pass Douglass Place, home to several homes built by Frederick Douglass. Here, you'll hear the rest of Douglass's riveting story, including how he went from an enslaved shipwright to one of the most important figures in American politics.
19
Mother Seton House
Off to the right here, a little way down North Paca Street is the Mother Seton House. It’s most famous for being the temporary residence of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born person to ever be canonized as a saint. Seton was born in New York City in 1774 to an Episcopalian family and lived there for most of her youth. When her husband fell gravely ill with tuberculosis, however, she moved with him to Italy’s warmer climate for his health. It proved to be a fateful decision because it was in Italy that Seton discovered Catholicism. Her husband died shortly after the move, and she dedicated herself to her newfound religion.
20
The Walters Art Museum
Baltimore City Hall is next, and it's pretty hard to miss! You'll definitely want to snap a few photos of this regal, Napoleonic structure.
21
Mount Clare Museum House
Beyond that is Baltimore's Washington Monument. This pillar might look familiar, because it was designed by the very same architect behind DC's iconic Washington Monument.
22
B&O Railroad Museum
After that is Edgar Allan Poe's grave, which has for decades been the site of a strange ritual conducted by a mysterious individual whose identity has never been determined. Learn all about the enigmatic Poe Toaster here!
23
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Even if you're not in town for a game, you'll certainly want to stop by Oriole Park, where countless baseball greats have made their names.
24
Maryland Science Center
More educational activities can be found at the Maryland Science Center, one of the oldest scientific institutions in the country.
Show 21 more stops
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Traveler Photos
Reviews (7)
Sharon_H
Nov 2022
Ft. McHenry was awesome and it was open! Many of the other places were closed. There needs to be a way to see what is open a available to visit before you book the tour.
Response from Host
Nov 2022
Thank you so much for your feedback, Sharon! I'm delighted that my tour of Baltimore added to your learning and that you enjoyed it. I also have 100 other self-guided tours for other parks, scenic drives, cities, and historic sites in the US — hopefully, you’ll get the chance to try them next time! Also, to remind you, the tour you bought is yours for a lifetime. So, you can listen to it at home or on your next visit.
Lucy_W
Aug 2022
GPS wouldn’t work. Wasted 9.99!! No customer service to speak to and the help section was no help. We had to enter all the locations into our gpa and drive there ourselves.
Response from Host
Aug 2022
Thanks for letting me know. Did you try “Airplane” mode? In general, Baltimore is a big city and has good GPS. Sometimes, tall buildings obstruct it but Baltimore is not like NY City. Can you tell me more about the phone device you used? We would love to check it out. In most cases, “Airplane” mode solves the problem. Please let me know about your device. In the meantime, I would happily exchange your tour with any of my other 100 tours in the USA. Please let me know.
J7334NTjuditht
Jul 2022
We were excited to take the GPS-coordinated narrated tour of Baltimore, but the GPS coordination never worked. We drove aimlessly around trying to find various sights, and missed others. Next time we will listen to the tour ahead of time and map it out so we know where we're going. The narration was good when it managed to coordinate.
Response from Host
Jul 2022
For the GPS to work, the app must be allowed location tracking permissions — the tour doesn’t work otherwise. It’s fundamental to the experience. I’m more than happy to exchange this tour for another one — please e-mail me!

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