Literary Baltimore: How to Spend One Day in Baltimore for Book Lovers

Baltimore may not be at the top of your list for summer vacation plans, but maybe it should because the “City that Reads" has a lot to offer the literary tourist. Yes, it’s true, Baltimore is totally #Lit.

Baltimore harbor — Baltimore has more to offer than its harbor and crab cakes. Baltimore gave itself the nickname, the “City that Reads.”

Baltimore was the birthplace or temporary landing spot of over a half-dozen famous American writers and authors; it is home to one of the world’s most Instagram-able libraries known as the Cathedral of Books, and there is an art museum in downtown Baltimore that has one of the largest collections of antique and rare books in the United States. And then there are the bookstores. Yes, the bookstores. From supremely cool Black-owned bookstores, to second-hand and specialty bookshops, there’s a bookstore in Baltimore for every type of reader. So, let me tell you how I spent one glorious literature-loving day in Baltimore in case you might want to do the same.

Famous Black Authors from Baltimore

Before I jump into my Literary Baltimore itinerary, I want to say that if I had more than one day to play literary tourist, I would have made it a point to visit the homes of some of Baltimore’s most famous literary stars. The thing is, most people think of Edgar Allen Poe and/or H.L. Menken as Baltimore’s most famous literary icons, and while I’m not going to suggest otherwise, I was more interested in visiting the homes of some of Baltimore’s more melanated literary heroes, specifically, Lucille Clifton and Frederick Douglass.

Lucille Clifton, was an award-winning, celebrated and beloved African-American poet who lived in Baltimore for nearly twenty years. She raised her children in Baltimore, published several books while she lived in Baltimore and served as Maryland’s poet laureate from 1979 - 1985. Today you can visit the Clifton House which was the Clifton family home for 10 years, but has now been converted into a creative arts center that supports underserved storytellers and creative artists. To learn about their events, classes and offerings, visit The Clifton House website.

Frederick Douglass spent his early years enslaved in Baltimore working mostly in the Fels Point neighborhood. He eventually escaped north, but he returned to Baltimore several years later as a free man, and built three rental houses to be used as affordable housing for Baltimore’s Black residents. The Douglass houses still stand today and can be visited. Check out this website that shares all of the significant places around Baltimore where Frederick Douglass’s spirit can be felt.

One-Day Literary Baltimore Itinerary

If you only have one day to experience Literary Baltimore, here’s the perfect itinerary to get #Lit.

The Walters Museum

Start your tour at The Walters Art Museum in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of downtown Baltimore. There is much to see at this beautiful and well-appointed museum with collections that range from Ancient Egypitan art to 19th century American art. But it’s not the art that makes the The Walters #Lit, it’s their incredible collection of books! Yes, books. It turns out the Walters Museum has the second largest collection of rare and antique book manuscripts after the Morgan Library and Museum in New York.

From the website: “The Walters’ Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection includes almost 1,000 manuscripts, about 1,300 incunabula (books printed before 1500), and 2,000 rare books (printed after 1500). This diverse collection spans cultures around the world with books dating from the 9th to 20th centuries. In total there are about one-thousand manuscripts and four-thousand five-hundred printed books in its collection.”

The day I was there, it was the first time they opened their exhibit to showcase some of the rare books in their collection. I got to speak to the museum’s chief book curatorial specialist and she confirmed that this will be a continuously rotating exhibit to display the incredible books the museum has. The books have to be rotated and kept in low-light conditions because they can’t be exposed to the elements for long periods of time. While I was there, there were ancient Japanese texts, early Ethiopian books, as well as one of the first ever illustrated children’s books in the exhibit.

The museum also has a special exhibit more geared towards children, but still fascinating nonetheless, about the history of the book. The exhibit shows how the first books were actually made, using animal skin for paper and natural dyes for ink. In the same space there is also an illustrated timeline of the history of the book. Apparently this exhibit is a bit dated and there are plans to update it and move it closer to the rare book display, but it still provides excellent information in an easy to understand manner. Again, it’s a great exhibit for the little people in your life.

Before you leave the Walters Museum, be sure to check out the museum gift shop. In addition to the typical gift shop fare, they also have a small, but incredibly diverse book selection that includes cookbooks, art books, and nonfiction titles that have nothing to do with the museum’s holdings or Baltimore, but are fascinating and unique. I bought a beautiful book for my son about the art of tattoos while I was there!

For book geeks like myself, The Walters Art Museum was a four-star experience.

Bonus Points: The Walters Art Museum is free to enter and there is a cafe inside right near the gift shop. Also, the exhibits are rather kid friendly. Some of them have bonus material kids can touch. My 11-year-old daughter enjoyed herself very much. To plan your visit to The Walters, check out their website for all the details.

Once you finish your visit at the Walters, you can literally walk across the street and visit the extraordinary Peabody Library. Another free but fabulous literary experience.

The Peabody Library

Sometimes referred to as The Cathedral of Books, The Peabody Library is “recognized as one of the most beautiful library spaces in the world.” And while the awe-inspiring library does demand a few shots for the Gram, strolling around their incredible collection is a must for book lovers who appreciate the amount of history and culture is contained between the pages of all of those tomes. While there are five floors of books, visitors can only browse on the first floor, which I did and that took a good long time.

From the website: “ Formerly the Library of the Peabody Institute of the City of Baltimore, the library’s collection dates from the founding of the Peabody Institute in 1857. In that year, George Peabody, a Massachusetts-born philanthropist, dedicated the Peabody Institute to the citizens of Baltimore in appreciation of their “kindness and hospitality.

The library contains 300,000 volumes, mainly from the 19th century, with strengths in religion, British art, architecture, topography and history; American history, biography, and literature; Romance languages and literature; history of science; and geography, exploration, and travel.”

In addition to the collection itself, there is also a large exhibit space at the Peabody. While I was there, they were in the process of removing the current exhibit and setting up the next one, so stay tuned to the Peabody’s website for updates about what that will be.

Once you’re finished paying homage in the Cathedral of Books, it’s highly likely that you’re ready for some rest and refreshments. Do not despair, I got you covered.

Black and Book-ish

In less than 10 minutes walking, you will find the Cuples Tea House at 409 Howard Street where you can indulge in uniquely brewed teas (hot or cold), delectable pastries, and light cafe fair. Me personally, I tried their sweet potato scones and fell in love. Afterwards, you can literally stroll next door and browse the bookshelves and record stacks at the Black owned bookstore, Vinyl & Pages. Fun fact, the same enterprising couple, Eric and Lynnette Dodson, owns both the bookstore and Cuples Tea House.

Support Black-owned bookstores and experience a great vibe at Vinyl & Pages in Baltimore.

Vinyl & Pages has a small but mighty selection of new releases by Black authors including books for children and some nice coffee table books. Split down the middle, the other half of the store, as the name implies, is left to display their curated selection of records, featuring mostly Black artists, but they also carry some well-known white musicians in their collection. The vibe in the store is totally relaxing and there is a couch that sits in the window that just invites you to relax and read a while.

From the website: “Vinyl and Pages is more than just another retail store. We are a place for community discussions, book club meetings, artist talks, album release parties, listening parties, or game night after hours.”

Check the Vinyl & Pages website or Instagram feed to see when they’re having their next event.

Last is the Library

I completely understand if after all of these lit activities, you’re ready to go back to your hotel, put your feet up, eat a crab cake, and read one of your new books, but if you’re still hankering for more literary activities, you can always go check out the main branch of the Enoch Pratt Library at 400 Cathedral Street, which is only about a five-minute walk from the Cuples Tea House. You can just browse around this massive public library, or you can take a free guided tour of the building, or perhaps catch one of their amazing events.

Baltimore is Truly #Lit

And there you have it, a complete one-day itinerary for literary Baltimore. I hope these activities leave you totally lit and thinking differently about all that Baltimore has to offer literature lovers. FYI, you could spend another whole day just browsing Baltimore’s many bookstores, and/or visiting all of the places where Edgar Allen Poe left his mark, including some of the city’s most famous ice cream parlors!

If there’s a spot you think I should add to this one-day, Literary Baltimore itinerary, please let me know in the comments.

If you’re looking for more literary city itineraries, check out my Literary Madrid and Literary Marrakech posts!