Copy of ✨Baltimore’s First Recorded Magic Show
Baltimore celebrates another birthday this weekend while Poe's Magic Theatre fills the Lord Baltimore Hotel with stage magic, ghost stories, comedy, and a busy downtown full of summer events.
The Purloined Dispatch
Issue 16 | July 30, 2026
Baltimore History
Baltimore Turns 297
This week marks another birthday for Baltimore. Founded in 1729 as a growing port on the Patapsco River, the city developed into one of America's busiest harbors and one of its most distinctive cultural centers. Nearly three centuries later, Baltimore continues to surprise visitors with its neighborhoods, architecture, museums, restaurants, and resilient spirit.
Poe's Magic Theatre This Weekend
Friday
Saturday
Around the Lord Baltimore Hotel
Enjoy dinner at LB Tavern before the show or cocktails at LB Skybar. Arrive early, as Orioles games and downtown events will increase traffic throughout the weekend.
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Downtown Baltimore
Baltimore's Birthday Bash, summer concerts, museums, and Inner Harbor attractions make for a busy weekend throughout downtown.
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Baltimore Magic History
Baltimore has welcomed magicians since the eighteenth century, when Signor Falconi became one of the earliest documented conjurers to perform in the city. Local magic clubs later helped preserve and advance the art for generations.
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CFG Bank Arena
Life Surge visits CFG Bank Arena on Saturday, bringing additional visitors downtown.
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Sports
The Orioles host the Philadelphia Phillies all weekend at Camden Yards.
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Weekend Weather
Warm summer weather is expected with a chance of scattered showers later in the weekend.
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Baltimore Folklore
The Phoenix Shot Tower has inspired ghost stories for generations, with workers reporting unexplained footsteps and voices after hours.
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Poe's Magic Theatre at the Lord Baltimore Hotel | poesmagic.com