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The Sloop Constellation served for many years fighting the slave ships before and during the civil war. It’s very interesting to see how the sailors lived and fought on these old ships.

The Coast Guard Cutter Taney was commissioned in 1936 and was docked in Honolulu on Dec. 7, 1941. Her guns blazed away and she shot down several of the attacking aircraft. During the war she was very effective in anti-submarine warfare. After WW II she had a long and very successful career.

The submarine Torsk was commissioned December 1944 and immediately sent to the Pacific theater to patrol the waters around Japan. She was credited with sinking three of the enemy’s war ships. After WW ll she served as a training ship and other assignments in the Mediterranean and Atlantic regions.

The fourth ship is the Lightship Chesapeake was built in 1930 and served several assignments until her retirement in 1971. She was then transferred to the National Park Service and opened to the public. Lightships do the same job as lighthouses but are anchored at some essential location with a crew on board to run the ship.

It was a devastating attack for over 24 hours but the fort did not fall. Our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, was written by Frances Scott Key as he observed in the morning that the flag was still flying over Fort McHenry.

The Fort has served in several other wars. During the Civil War Fort McHenry was used as a prison to hold captured Confederate soldiers and during World War I it was used as a hospital. In World War ll it was occupied by the Coast Guard. In September, Baltimore has a tradition of honoring those patriots who defended the fort and the city. They call it Defender’s Day and there are fireworks and various events. Part of that celebration is the flying of a fifteen star flag over the fort to honor the fifteen states that existed at that time.

Running for one year starting in March 2010 is the "Out Of This World" centennial celebration of Eugene Von Bruenchenhein. His paintings are amazing for their detail showing a world quite different from the one we have grown accustomed to. On July 4th, each year, the museum sponsors a parade of Visionary Pets. To be in the parade, your pet must be dressed up in costume of some kind. Prizes are given for the most visionary pet, the most patriotic plus many more. The building is frequently rented out and the museum’s award winning architecture and unique wall art make it an excellent setting to hold a reception, a dinner, a wedding, a retirement party or other special events.

Another outstanding quality of the museum is the large collection of Art from Africa. Many cultures are included such as Kube, Ndebele, Bamana and others. The BMA also has an excellent collection of Art by American artists. It includes work from our colonial period all the way to the present. There are sculptures, decorative art and paintings. The collection also includes some of Charles Willson Peale’s portraits and some of the works of Childe Hassam and John Singer Sargent. All in all, this is one of the best art museums in the country.

Considering his short life span of 1809 to 1849, he produced a strong legacy of writings. Some of his best works are "Lionizing: A Tale", "Morella", "King Pest the First", "Berenice" and "Shadow: A Parable". There is an interesting story about the discovery of a skeleton under the floor boards during a renovation of Poe’s house in the 1930’s. The discovery was a bit eerie as it reminded people of Poe’s story "The Tell Tale". You’ll be glad to know that for the visitors’ benefit all of the ghosts were swept out long ago.

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