Downtown | Greater Baltimore
817 St. Paul Street, 21202; 410-752-1225
The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre, located in Mount Vernon just one block north and east of the Washington monument, has been part of the Baltimore theater community for more than 43 years. Spotlighters is a Maryland public charity and nonprofit organization that provides quality and affordable theatrical productions to local audiences in an intimate stage setting and gives opportunities for new artists to refine their skills. In addition to street parking, two parking garages are located at Charles and Read streets. Valet parking and a $5 voucher toward your Spotlighters ticket is available when you make a reservation at the Brass Elephant Restaurant before 6:30 p.m., in time to make a Spotlighters curtain.
1212 Cathedral Street, 21201; 410-783-8000
The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall is one of the city’s premiere performance venues and home to the distinct Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The elegant and modern acoustically designed hall offers an unobstructed view of the stage from all 2,443 seats, and has hosted many different types of events. The BSO has received a national and international following, while maintaining a bond with its community through education and community outreach initiatives.
Engaging Saturday concerts that showcase music, dance, storytelling, and acrobatics are specifically designed by the BSO for children and their families. Musical Adventures is geared toward children 3–6 years old, and Classically Kids is geared toward children 7–12 years old. Visit the BSO Family Concerts website for a list of upcoming family-friendly concerts at the Meyerhoff.
OrchKids is a recently initiated after-school program for youth in Baltimore City’s low-income neighborhoods. The program provides grade school students with music education, instruments, and mentorship. Visit the BSO website for more information about the OrchKids program.
1115 Hollins Street, 21223; 410-752-7272
The Black Cherry Puppet Theater is a quaint and charming community-based nonprofit arts organization located in southwest Baltimore next to Hollins Market. Puppeteers produce traditional puppet shows for family audiences, utilizing a marionette stage and recorded soundtrack either outside or indoors, depending on weather. Young children are enamored with the handmade puppets that are brought out for a quick up-close viewing after each show. The puppet theater also offers classroom workshops for children in accordance with the Maryland Department of Education Contents Standards and Outcomes. Visit the website for upcoming shows and events.
700 N. Calvert Street, 21202; 410-986-4000
One of the city’s leading theaters, Centerstage offers a diverse, affordable array of plays and performances, including many family-friendly options. The theater also welcomes younger children to participate in creative activities as part of their child care service during some of the Saturday matinee performances. Centerstage can also customize workshops and seminars to suit your young thespian’s needs. Older children considering a career in the performing arts can pursue an internship or volunteer opportunity with the theater. Visit the website for further details and information on how to purchase tickets.
1711 N. Charles Street, 21201; 410-727-3456
Unique among Baltimore’s movie theaters, The Charles shows a variety of films, including Hollywood fare, specialty films, foreign flicks, and cinema classics. The 1150-seat, five-screen historic facility is also home to the Maryland Film Festival. Because movies often come to The Charles for one week only, visitors are encouraged to check the website regularly for showings and/or sign up for weekly email updates. The Charles Theatre is a cash-only business. The theater’s Cinema Sundays series, available through membership, feature a coffee-and-bagels breakfast, a film screening, and a Q&A period after the showing.
100 W. Centre Street, 21201; 410-783-5720
This forward-thinking institution features musical and traditional art exhibitions aimed at visitors of all ages. Current programming explores subject matter ranging from time capsules and water sanitation to sustainable farming and building tents from recycled materials.
1727 N. Charles Street, 21201; 410-752-2208
The Everyman Theatre is an equity theater with professional artists from the Baltimore/Washington area. The theater offers acting classes, intensives, and workshops for kids, teens, and adults throughout the year. For the theater buff, TalkBacks offer the chance to question actors, directors, and designers. Believing that theater should be accessible to all, Everyman supports audience members with mobility limitations, those who are blind or who have low vision, and those who are deaf or hearing impaired—American Sign Language interpretation is available with sufficient advance notice.
251 S. Ann Street, 21231; 410-276-7837
This volunteer-supported community theater puts on approximately eight shows each season, ranging from edgy plays to family-friendly fare. The theater regularly holds open auditions, allowing budding thespians to get involved with professional shows. The theater also offers the Special Ensemble program, which enables disadvantaged children and children and teens with special needs to participate in a theater workshop. Beginning and advanced workshops for adult actors 18 and up can also find their dramatic voice and hone their acting skills.
12 N. Eutaw Street, 21201; 410-837-7400
As part of a significant construction and restoration project in the early 2000s, The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center is made up of three landmark buildings downtown—the Western National Bank, the Eutaw Savings Bank, and the historic Hippodrome Theatre, resulting in an integrated centerpiece for world-class stage performances. Located at the corner of Baltimore and Eutaw streets in west Baltimore, the arts center showcases touring Broadway acts, pop music concerts, arts-related trade shows, and a variety of performing arts productions. Assistive listening systems are available upon request and sign language interpretation is offered at designated performances. The Hipp Cafe also offers audiences light refreshments.
645 S. President Street, 21202; 410-624-2622
Nestled between Fell’s Point and the Inner Harbor, the Landmark Harbor East brings a beautiful new seven-screen theater to the previously underserved east side of the city. Featuring stadium seating, gourmet concessions, and Hollywood blockbuster fare, the theater provides a comfortable atmosphere for children and parents. The theater also features a premium bar and is located amongst upscale shopping and destination restaurants. Validated parking is available.
140 W. Mount Royal Avenue, 21201; 410-685-5086
One of America’s renowned opera venues, the Lyric is noted for its outstanding acoustics. The Lyric was also home to the Baltimore Opera Company for many years. It stages a wide variety of music and arts events ranging from Broadway shows and comedy acts to jazz showcases and family-oriented entertainment.
1 E. Mount Vernon Place, 21202; 410-234-4500
As Baltimore’s most prominent music school, the Peabody puts on a number of student recitals, lectures, concerts, and chamber music performances, many of which are free. Peabody events are often staged at locations throughout the city, such as Theatre Project and Homewood campus. The conservatory offers three 8-ticket subscription packages for maximum value. Its Thursday Noon recital series—which commences in September and continues while Peabody classes are in session—was designed to invite the community into its activities. For information about youth music and dance instruction, see Arts and Culture > Classes, Instruction, and Workshops.
28 E. Ostend Street, 21230; 410-659-7830
Located in Federal Hill, Performance Workshop Theatre Company is a working theater company and theater arts training school that offers workshops for beginners, professional master classes, individual training for adults, and playwriting and performance classes for youth and teens. The theater stages a variety of theatrical fare ranging from classic Shakespeare to contemporary plays.
3400 N. Charles Street, 21218; 410-516-7164
Often noted as Baltimore’s best concert series, performances at Shriver Hall feature a range of talents, from solo vocalists to pianists to string quartets and chamber ensembles. Subscription packages are available. Shriver’s Discovery Series at the Baltimore Museum of Art is free to the public and introduces listeners to emerging artists and obscure instruments.
5625 O’Donnell Street, 21224; 410-649-1660
Located at the Baltimore Travel Plaza in the Best Western Hotel between Canton and Dundalk, Toby’s Dinner Theatre treats audiences to a spectacle of song and dance while serving up savory favorites sure to appease the fussiest diner. While most shows are family friendly, each year the theater offers uniquely kid-friendly presentations, such as Beauty and the Beast or The Wizard of Oz. Children’s tickets are discounted at all shows except the Saturday evening performance. Past shows have also included Aida, The Full Monty, and Fiddler on the Roof. The theater also presents holiday-themed shows throughout the late fall and early winter.
806 S. Broadway, 21231; 410-563-9135
Vagabond Players has been entertaining Baltimore for 93 seasons, billing itself as “America’s Oldest Continuous Little Theatre.” The company puts on one or two productions each season, favoring quirky satires, such as I Hate Hamlet, The Drunkard, and The Fallen Saved. The Players operate a cash-only business; tickets for musicals are generally $5 more than for plays.