Homewood Museum

The Homewood House Museum is a stimulating and highly relevant piece of local Baltimore history located right at the front of the Johns Hopkins campus. It is a total gem of a historical site, and I’m frankly shocked that I, a visitor, am the first to review it. For a total nerd like myself, this is one of the most amazing historical houses I’ve ever seen.
Although its title identifies it as a museum, it’s actually a meticulously preserved and restored house that can only be viewed via private tour guide ($ 5 per person) who patiently awaits visitors in the gift shop. There are no set tour times; instead, they will take you whenever you happen to show up. Our guide was Clarence, a wonderful story teller, guide and general expert on all things Homewood as well as mid-​Atlantic history enthusiast. The tour is advertised as 45 minutes, but due to the personal nature of the event, can go longer or shorter as required. And if you want it to go longer, believe me, Clarence would be more than happy to accommodate. Upon request, we were given a thorough briefing on how people in the 1700s went to the bathroom. There wasn’t toilet paper back then. Think about it. You’ll be surprised.
The house itself is nerdtastically amazing. It was built by one of the wealthiest families of revolutionary war-​era Baltimore, and furnished with the highest-​quality amenities available at the time. The museum has spent the last 40 years re-​collecting every single piece of furniture original to the house, amazingly possible due to a discovery of all the original receipts. The house and furnishings are in ridiculous condition, and any Antiques Roadshow geek like myself will be in awe. The tour isn’t just about objects though– it’s about what life was like for people back then, and somehow magically makes you feel like you’re actually there, without being tacky our touristy in the slightest.
I would say that this is a must-​see item on any tourist’s guide to Baltimore. It’s way-​cool.