How to hang out in Charm City during break

If you’re one of the few people staying on campus for spring break, you’ll probably be looking for something new to do. After all, there’s only so many times you can go to Towson Mall or head out to the Inner Harbor before you’re ready to start looking for some fun somewhere else.

What’s there to do in Charm City, exactly? Here are some places you may not have thought about exploring before.

In downtown Baltimore, there’s the Amazing Spiral, a comic book store with all sorts of subjects. Ever wanted to read comics about belly dancing? The Amazing Spiral has a corner dedicated to that.

Or if you’re more into history, go visit Flag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum. Learn about the history of the famous American song, and see the flag that started it all.

For fun at night, check out Power Plant Live. It’s a downtown mesh of nightclubs, restaurants, bars and more, full of flashing neon lights and loud music, the epitome of a big city.

If you’re willing to go a bit further, take a trip to Earth Treks Climbing Center, located in Timonium or Columbia. They have the two largest indoor rock climbing centers on the East Coast, so if you’ve conquered all the routes in the Rec Center, go out and take their challenge.

Or how about laser tag? White Marsh hosts Ultrazone, and they have unlimited games on Friday and Saturday nights for a one time fee of $13.

For a more basic experience, visit the general areas in Baltimore: Federal Hill, Fells Point or Highlandtown.

There are little shops you may not have heard of which you might like to try. Record & Tape Traders is a tiny record shop in Towson that has a selection of music that may not be able to be found elsewhere.

Or maybe you want to go visit The-Forget-Me-Not Factory, a quirky store near Ellicott City that gets bigger and bigger as you go from one floor to the next. They offer a shopping experience you will not get somewhere else, complete with employees doing bubble blowing demonstrations at the entrance and a fairy announcing the arrival of new items. You won’t just be shopping there. You’ll be entering a whimsical fantasy world.

Baltimore is the home to a variety of museums. Have you ever heard of the Amaranthine Museum? They feature an actual labyrinth, so you get to learn all about art by traveling through a maze that is an art form all by itself.

If you don’t like museums, take a ride in a real Baltimore streetcar, driven by a conductor in full conductor attire.

Geppi’s Entertainment Museum showcases 250 years of pop culture, beginning in the 1700s and going up to the present. Their exhibit includes comic books, old-school Barbie dolls and more.

Although the CollegeTown doesn’t run over spring break, there’s no reason to let that stop your fun. The Baltimore metro bus system is ridiculously convenient and stops at the bus stops around Hopkins every 10 or 15 minutes, and it’s only a $1.60 per ride.

If you don’t have spare change, or you have a little extra money saved away, there are taxis prowling along N. Charles Street and Saint Paul Street all day, especially during the weekdays.

So really, there’s no excuse for you not to go out and explore the city during your week off. Of course, you should sleep and rest, but be sure to have some fun and check out some places you may not have known about or didn’t have time to explore before. You may find a hidden gem that you’ll want to show off to your friends once they return.

Baltimore can provide some pretty wild stories as well.