Tue & Thu 1–4pm, Wed 1–7pm (walk-in); Sat 9am–1pm by appointment
Howard County Food Bank (Community Action Council) · Baltimore
Choose your own groceries, grocery-store style, at the Howard County Food Bank in Columbia: produce, dairy, frozen meat, bread, shelf-stable food, diapers, formula and hygiene items (based on donations). Walk in Tuesday and Thursday 1 to 4pm or Wednesday 1 to 7pm (an online 'Join the Line' opens at 12:30pm); Saturday 9am to 1pm is by appointment.
Verified Oct 27 · cac-hc.org
Catch: Apply first (online application on the Community Action Council site) · Shopping up to twice a month
Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30am–7:30pm (through Dec 6)
Harbor Connector (Pier 1, Harborplace and other stops) · Baltimore
Through December 6, Baltimore's free water bus runs two weekend loops, 10:30am to 7:30pm: the Inner Harbor Loop (Pier 1 at Harborplace, Harbor East, Federal Hill, Fells Point, Locust Point) and the Outer Harbor Loop (Fells Point, Locust Point, Canton Waterfront Park).
Verified Oct 27 · baltimorecity.gov
Catch: Children 12 and under must ride with an adult
Mon–Thu 7am–8pm; Fri 7am–midnight; Sat 9am–midnight; Sun 9am–7pm (no service Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day)
Charm City Circulator (downtown Baltimore)
Five free bus routes connect more than 100 stops downtown and nearby, from Mount Vernon and Federal Hill to Harbor East and the University of Maryland. Buses come every 10 to 20 minutes (40 on the Banner route to Fort McHenry). Runs Monday to Thursday 7am to 8pm, Friday 7am to midnight, Saturday 9am to midnight and Sunday 9am to 7pm.
Verified Oct 27 · baltimorecity.gov
Catch: Children 12 and under must ride with an adult
Towson University Center for the Arts Gallery (CA 3040) · Baltimore
A group exhibition of artists exploring our ties to the 'more-than-human' world of animals, plants, machines and weather. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 8pm, through December 5 (closed Nov 21–28).
Tue–Wed noon–5pm; Thu–Sat 10am–5pm (through Dec 18)
Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture (UMBC Fine Arts Building) · Baltimore
UMBC's public art gallery in Catonsville is showing The Unveiling of God / a love letter to my forefathers through December 18 (and Somewhere Over The Rainbow Of Row Homes, We Fly through November 24). Open Tuesday and Wednesday noon to 5pm, Thursday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. Free evening and weekend parking in Lots 8 and 9.
Verified Oct 27 · cadvc.umbc.edu
Catch: Open only while exhibitions are on view and the university is open
Mon–Sat 11am–4pm through Dec 12 (closed Nov 24–29)
Towson University Center for the Arts, Asian Arts Gallery (CA 2037) · Baltimore
Myungsook Ryu Kim's paintings blend classical East Asian art and philosophy with Western media techniques. On view at Towson University's Asian Arts Gallery through December 12, Monday to Saturday, 11am to 4pm (closed Nov 24–29).
Howard County Conservancy, Mt. Pleasant Farmstead · Baltimore
The Howard County Conservancy's 232-acre Mt. Pleasant Farmstead has 5 miles of trails open free from sunrise to sunset every day. The nature center is open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 3pm (closed Saturdays in winter).
Fridays, 12:30–1:30pm (through Dec 11; none Nov 27)
Peabody Institute, Leith Symington Griswold Hall · Baltimore
Peabody Institute students perform a free hour-long recital every Friday at 12:30pm in Griswold Hall on Mount Vernon Place, with a different theme each week (woodwinds, composition, organ, early music, chamber music).
Mon & Wed–Sat 9am–5pm; Sun 10am–4pm (closed Tue and federal holidays)
U.S. Naval Academy Museum (Preble Hall) · Baltimore
Two floors of exhibits in Preble Hall on the Naval Academy grounds trace the history of sea power, the U.S. Navy and the Academy, with ship models, art and artifacts. Admission is free. Visitors without a DoD ID park outside and walk in through Gate 1.
Verified Oct 27 · usna.edu
Catch: Valid photo ID required for adults 18+ to enter the Academy grounds
Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm (closed state holidays)
Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum · Baltimore
The state's official museum of African American heritage sits in a historic church in downtown Annapolis. Admission is free. The current exhibition, She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory, runs through January 16, 2027. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
Daily, 8:30am–5pm (closed Christmas and New Year's Day)
Maryland State House · Baltimore
The oldest state capitol still in legislative use, where George Washington resigned his commission and the Treaty of Paris was ratified. It's open daily, 8:30am to 5pm, with self-guided tour information by the Archives Room on the first floor.
Nature center daily 9am–5pm (closed county holidays); park sunrise to sunset
Oregon Ridge Nature Center · Baltimore
Baltimore County's first nature center has a collection of live animal ambassadors, exhibits and a network of hiking trails in the 1,100-acre Oregon Ridge Park. The center is open daily, 9am to 5pm; the park is open sunrise to sunset.
Verified Oct 27 · baltimorecountymd.gov
Catch: Groups of 10+ must contact the center before visiting
Baltimore's public arboretum has gardens, tree collections and woodland trails around an 1860s mansion. Grounds are open Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 5pm; the Nature Education Center is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, plus the first and second Sundays. Leashed dogs are welcome.
A Master Naturalist leads an easy, accessible one-hour walk around Cylburn Arboretum on Fridays at 9:30am. Meet at the Greenhouse parking lot; no registration needed. Walks are listed for Oct 30, Nov 13 and Nov 20.
The BMA in Charles Village is always free for general admission, with the Matisse collection, rotating shows and the sculpture gardens. Reserve a free ticket online or at the Welcome Desk. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, and Thursdays until 9pm.
Verified Oct 27 · artbma.org
Catch: Free timed reservation required · Special ticketed exhibitions cost extra
Baltimore Museum of Art, Joseph Education Center Studio
Every Sunday from 2 to 5pm, teaching artists lead hands-on art projects in the BMA's Joseph Education Center Studio, inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collection. Designed for families with children ages 6 to 9.
Verified Oct 27 · artbma.org
Catch: Designed for kids ages 6–9 with their families
Wed & Fri–Sun 10am–5pm; Thu 1–8pm (closed Mon–Tue and major holidays)
The Walters Art Museum · Baltimore
The Walters in Mount Vernon shows art from cultures around the world, and admission is always free. Open Wednesday and Friday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, and Thursdays 1 to 8pm. Public tours are free too.
Verified Oct 27 · thewalters.org
No catch
Classes & fitnessFree (worth about $500)Eligibility applies
Howard County Library System (Project Literacy) · Baltimore
Howard County Library System's Project Literacy offers free classes and tutoring for adults without a U.S. high school or college diploma: learn English, earn a high school diploma, explore careers or prepare for the citizenship test. Winter semester registration is open through November 15.
Verified Oct 27 · hclibrary.org
Catch: Only for: Howard County adults 18+ without a U.S. high school or college diploma · Registration, orientation and placement test required
Howard County Library System lends ukulele kits (ukulele, tuner and case) for three weeks from any branch, with no overdue fines. Request one online with a free library card.
Verified Oct 27 · hclibrary.org
Catch: Library card required (free to people who live, work or study in Maryland) · Ages 13 and up
Baltimore City residents can call 311 to get free 10-year, tamper-resistant smoke alarms installed by the Fire Department on every level of their home, usually within two hours. Alarms for people who are deaf or hard of hearing are available through the Fire Marshal's office at (410) 396-5752.
Verified Oct 27 · baltimorecity.gov
Catch: Only for: Baltimore City residents · Request by calling 311
During library hours, by appointment (walk-ins if equipment is free)
Anne Arundel County Public Library (Odenton and Busch Annapolis libraries) · Baltimore
The Memory Labs at the Odenton Library and the Busch Annapolis Library have equipment to digitize photos, negatives, slides, VHS tapes, audio cassettes, vinyl records and 8mm film (Super 8 at Odenton only). Book a training session first (Odenton: call (410) 222-6277; Busch Annapolis: join a group class), then schedule work sessions up to 60 days ahead. Bring a USB drive, external drive or cloud account for your files.
Verified Oct 27 · aacpl.net
Catch: Training session with library staff required before first use
Carroll County Public Library branches · Baltimore
Carroll County Public Library lends birding backpacks with binoculars, a phone adapter for a spotting scope and a Birds of Maryland and Delaware field guide. Place a hold and pick it up at any of the six branches.
Anne Arundel County Public Library branches · Baltimore
Anne Arundel County Public Library lends a group pass that admits up to four people to the Museum of Historic Annapolis and the William Paca House and Garden, home of a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Check it out for one week.
Verified Oct 27 · aacpl.net
Catch: Library card required (free to people who live, work, study or own property in Maryland) · One-week loan; limited passes
Anne Arundel County Public Library branches · Baltimore
Every Anne Arundel County Public Library branch has a free family pass for four to Historic London Town and Gardens, a 24-acre public garden and colonial port town on the South River with a Sound and Sensory Garden for kids. Borrow it for a week.
Verified Oct 27 · aacpl.net
Catch: Library card required (free to people who live, work, study or own property in Maryland) · One-week loan; one pass per branch
Anne Arundel County Public Library branches · Baltimore
Anne Arundel County Public Library lends a pass that gets one vehicle with up to 10 people into every Maryland State Park for free day use, including boat launching. Loans last seven days and can't be renewed.
Verified Oct 27 · aacpl.net
Catch: Library card required (free to people who live, work, study or own property in Maryland) · Limited passes: 7-day loan, no renewals
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