Curiosity-themed gift shop with a wide selection of natural history gifts, including framed insects, taxidermy, antiques, jewelry, and home goods.
Noon-5PM, closed Tuesdays
DoNorth Baltimore
Hampden's big neighborhood celebration, which grew over the past 14 years from a little pageant created by a few eccentrics on a lark to a major city festival that draws even international visitors. The "hon" is a certain local style of lady that developed in the early 1960s, featuring dresses with flamboyant prints, very large and brightly colored horn-rimmed glasses, spandex pants, leopard pants, heavy eye-shadow, and as-tall-as-possible beehive hairdos. If you have seen Hairspray in any of its incarnations, you know what the Baltimore hon looks like.
One weekend in summer (in 2023: Sat Jun 11 noon-9PM and Sun Jun noon-6PM)
DoNorth Baltimore
Hampden's premiere attraction, bringing in suburbanites all throughout December, is the Miracle on 34th Street in Hampden—an out of control Christmas decorations bonanza, all just on one block of 34th. Strands of lights are strewn across the street from house to house, plastic and inflatable reindeer wander the lawns, and the glare from the displays turns the night sky orange. Over the top or not, it really is magical and worth whatever difficulty you have in getting here. Traffic around this block in December approaches a stasis, in which cars may approach or leave, but the ones in the center may not ever move.
The Golden West Cafe is very popular, and not without good reason. The atmosphere is casual and comfortable (and family-friendly), with almost beautifully tacky "golden western" decor. The "southwestern" food on offer is very good, even for the relatively high prices. The service is slow and inattentive—don't be shy about hollerin' at your server if he's ignoring you. The bar here is one of the better places in Hampden to enjoy a beer, and it's open Su-Th until 1AM, F Sa until 2AM.
Mon-Fri 10AM-3PM, 5PM-10PM; Sat 9AM-2:30PM, 5PM-10PM; Sun 9AM-2:30PM, 5PM-8:45PM·$8-15