Baltimore has many unusual places to see if you’re looking for something different during your visit, especially if you like creepy and morbid stuff. Many of Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic stories were inspired by this city, drawing thousands of fans to his former home and final resting place every year.

Remnants of ancient ships and medical facilities also add to Baltimore’s dark side – some locals even claim to have seen apparitions roaming the disheveled structures. Looking for a unique memento of Baltimore? Check out shops selling oddities like skulls, Ouija boards, and old medical equipment. Take a morbid tour with our guide to unusual and creepy places in Baltimore.  

  • 1

    Edgar Allan Poe’s grave

    A memorial of the famous 19th-century Gothic author

    Edgar Allan Poe’s grave
    • Budget
    • Unusual

    Edgar Allan Poe’s grave attracts those looking to pay their respects to the 19th-century author, who’s famous for literary works like The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Pit and the Pendulum. Poe passed away in 1849, and the actual cause of his death remains a mystery to this day.

    Although he was originally buried in an unmarked grave, it took years of effort to finally place his gravestone on the southeast corner of Fayette and Greene Streets. Every year, an unidentified person leaves 3 roses and a half-bottle of scotch on Edgar Allan Poe’s grave on his birthday.  

    Location: 515 W Fayette St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA

    Open: Daily from 8 am to 6 pm

    Phone: +1 410-706-2072

    Map
  • 2

    Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death

    See 18 dioramas based on real crime scenes

    Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death
    • Unusual

    The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death are the work of Frances Glessner Lee, a renowned American forensic scientist (1878–1962). These 18 dollhouse-style dioramas are based on actual crime scenes from the 1930s and 1940s. Each display has intricate details such as miniature corpses in macabre positions, bullet holes, and disheveled living spaces.

    Scenes include a man who died by a gunshot wound, a farmer hanging in a barn, and the decomposed body of a woman in a pink restroom. The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death is part of the Chief Medical Examiner's Office of Baltimore, which also houses the equally morbid Scarpetta House.

    Location: 900 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA

    Open: Monday–Friday from 8 am to 5 pm (closed on weekends)

    Phone: +1 410-333-3250

    Map

    photo by Lorie Shaull (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified

  • 3

    Elijah Bond's gravestone

    A tombstone shaped like an Ouija board

    Elijah Bond's gravestone
    • Budget
    • Unusual

    Elijah Bond’s gravestone is located in Baltimore’s Green Mount Cemetery. It stands out from most tombstones because it’s designed like his 1891 patented invention – the Ouija board.

    The man, who passed away in 1921, was actually buried in an unmarked grave before a noted paranormal enthusiast found its exact location in 2007. Volunteers banded together to provide this memorable headstone, bearing Bond’s full name, birth and death dates on one side, with features of an Ouija board on the other.

    Location: Green Mount Cemetery, 1501 Greenmount Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA

    Open: Monday–Saturday from 9 am to 3.45 pm (closed on Sundays)

    Phone: +1 410-539-0641

    Map

    photo by Something Original (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified

  • 4

    National Museum of Dentistry

    Home of the only tooth jukebox in the world

    National Museum of Dentistry
    • Families
    • History
    • Unusual

    The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is an excellent place to learn about dentistry. It’s located in the University of Maryland, which is also home of The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery – the first dental school in the USA. Over 40,000 objects are on display at the National Museum of Dentistry.

    Popular exhibits include ancient dental chairs, forceps and extractors (which were used on patients without anaesthesia), George Washington's lower denture (made of ivory and gold), and the only tooth jukebox in the world. An interactive station called Food for Thought is a great way for kids to learn about the types of food that cause tooth decay.

    Location: 31 S Greene St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA

    Open: Monday–Friday from 9 am to 4 pm (closed on weekends)

    Phone: +1 410-706-0600

    Map
  • 5

    Ministry of Brewing

    A craft brewery inside a 19th-century cathedral

    Ministry of Brewing
    • Food
    • Unusual

    Ministry of Brewing occupies the former St. Michael’s Church on East Lombard Street in Baltimore. It’s quite a sight – you’ll find a 20-barrel brewing system occupying the altar, beerhall-style tables, and a lounge beneath the choir loft. Many original parts of the church have been restored, including the organ, stained-glass windows, and the fresco of Jesus Christ on the ceiling.

    The 250-seat brewery offers plenty of beverages on tap, such as classic lagers and IPAs, along with seasonal offerings. Must-tries include the Chesapeake Cider (hard cider), Boujie (chocolate Stout), and 754 (West Coast IPA).

    Location: 1900 E Lombard St, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA

    Open: Wednesday–Thursday from 3 pm to 8 pm, Friday–Saturday from noon to 8 pm, Sunday from noon to 6 pm

    Phone: +1 410-624-5623

    Map
  • 6

    Davidge Hall

    See a mummified human body

    Davidge Hall
    • History
    • Unusual

    Davidge Hall dates back to the early 19th century, making it one of the oldest anatomical theaters in the USA. Located in the University of Maryland, the 3-storey building is made up of 2 superimposed amphitheaters, a circular dome with a massive skylight in its center, timber-and-steel construction, and red brick walls.

    Although the building was built in 1812, it was only officially named as Davidge Hall in 1958. Besides the amphitheaters, you can find a collection of antique medical instruments and pay a visit to Hermie, a mummified human body.

    Location: 520 W Lombard St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA

    Phone: +1 410-706-7454

    Map

    photo by Acroterion (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified

  • 7

    Curtis Creek ship graveyard

    The final resting place of abandoned vessels

    • Budget
    • History
    • Photo

    The Curtis Creek ship graveyard consists of old boats that have traversed Baltimore’s waterways over the centuries. You can kayak or ride a boat to explore the creek’s shallow waters, passing by a dozen rusty and disintegrated vessels along the way.

    Standouts include WWI wooden freighters, a sidewheel steamer called Emma Giles, and William T. Parker, a 3-masted schooner that was stranded in 1899. The Curtis Creek ship graveyard is quite a popular photography spot in Baltimore, as the rotting ships make for rather moody and eerie shots.

    Location: 6100 Chemical Road, Baltimore, MD 21226, USA

    Map
  • 8

    Scarpetta House

    Grisly death scenes staged in a model home

    • Unusual

    The Scarpetta House is a full-scale model house in the Chief Medical Examiner's Office of Baltimore. Death scenes are staged in this space to train forensic investigators. It has a furnished kitchen, living room, bedroom, restroom, and laundry room, along with an outdoor wooden deck and swing.

    Bloody mannequins and intricate details are added to the house to replicate actual cases, from murders to suicides. Sometimes, real actors – even teens and children – are needed in certain scenarios. Many of the physicians’ family members volunteer at the Scarpetta House.

    Location: 900 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA

    Open: Monday–Friday from 8 am to 5 pm (closed on weekends)

    Phone: +1 410-333-3250

    Map
  • 9

    Dr Gloom's Crypt of Curiosities

    A morbid museum inside Protean Books & Records

    • Unusual

    Dr Gloom's Crypt of Curiosities occupies the back room of Protean Books & Records in Baltimore. You can find an extensive display of unusual and outlandish artifacts that were personally collected by Dr Augustus Gloom until he died in 1977.

    Over the years, Dr Gloom's Crypt of Curiosities has been relocated several times across the USA. In 2015, horror filmmaker Chris LaMartina took over and moved the museum to his hometown in Baltimore. Displays include recreations of terrifying folklore characters, the Fiji mermaid, and Elvis Presley’s third nipple.

    Location: 836 Leadenhall St, Baltimore, MD 21230, USA

    Open: Tuesday–Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm (closed on Mondays)

    Phone: +1 410-988-4708

    Map
  • 10

    Bazaar

    Shop for weird and bizarre gifts

    • Shoppers
    • Unusual

    Bazaar offers unique gifts for fans of the macabre, from preserved insects and animal bones to antique embalming kits to bizarre artwork. The store is located in Hampden, a Baltimore neighbourhood famous for hosting the annual Hon Festival.

    Bazaar has its own line of diaphonised animal specimens, enamel pins, and clothing. You’ll also find real human bones for sale, along with autopsy photos dating back to the 1900s. If you want to learn a new skill while in Baltimore, taxidermy workshops regularly take place at this store.

    Location: 3534 Chestnut Ave, Baltimore, MD 21211, USA

    Open: Wednesday–Saturday from noon to 5 pm, Sunday–Monday from noon to 6 pm (closed on Tuesdays)

    Phone: +1 410-844-3015

    Map
Penny Wong | Compulsive Traveler