Visit Baltimore facts for kids

Visit Baltimore, once known as the Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association (BACVA), is an organization that helps bring tourists and big events to the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It was started in 1980 by the mayor at the time, William Donald Schaefer. Visit Baltimore's main job is to encourage people and groups to visit Baltimore, but it doesn't actually run the hotels, museums, or convention centers itself.

A Look Back: How Visit Baltimore Grew

Visit Baltimore has changed and grown over the years to better serve the city.

New Ways to Welcome Visitors

In 2004, the organization launched a brand-new website to help people learn about Baltimore. A big change that year was the opening of a new Baltimore Visitor Center. This center was a huge improvement from the old one.

The Modern Visitor Center

The new Baltimore Visitor Center opened on May 7, 2004. It's a large building, about 8,000 square feet, and it cost $4.5 million to build. It's located right next to the Light Street Pavilion at Harborplace, which is a popular spot in Baltimore. In its first year, the center welcomed almost 390,000 visitors, which was more than they expected! These visitors helped book hundreds of hotel rooms and bought thousands of tickets to local attractions.

What You'll Find Inside

Inside the Baltimore Visitor Center, you can find lots of brochures with information about different parts of Baltimore and its famous places. These include the Maryland Science Center, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Power Plant Live!, and Camden Yards Sports Complex. There's also a small theater where you can watch an 11-minute film about Baltimore and Maryland.

Working Together for Conventions

In 2005, Visit Baltimore worked with another group called the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC). They wanted to build a large Hilton Hotel to help bring more big conventions to the Baltimore Convention Center.

Building the Hilton Hotel

Their efforts were successful, and the Hilton Hotel was built right next to the Baltimore Convention Center. It officially opened in August 2008. The hotel has a special walkway that connects it directly to the convention center, making it easy for visitors to get around.

A New Name for a Clearer Mission

In 2009, the organization decided to change its name. It went from the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association to "Visit Baltimore." This new name was chosen because it's easier for people to remember and understand what the organization does: encourage people to visit Baltimore! It also matched what other tourism groups were doing at the time.

Always Looking Ahead

Visit Baltimore continues to work hard to attract more visitors and conventions to the city. They are always exploring new ideas and projects to make Baltimore an even better place to visit.