Discover one of America’s first and most prestigious music conservatories, which has produced some of the country’s finest composers, musicians and scholars.
The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a music conservatory and university preparatory school, with many now-famous musicians as alumni. Admire its striking Greco-Italian design and attend a concert in one of its recital halls.
Learn how the institute is thought to have changed the face of the city of Baltimore during the 19th century, as it was the first major intellectual and arts center created within the United States. Founded by George Peabody, who believed that art has the power to enrich lives, the institute has gone on to nurture the talents of musicians including Henry Cowell, Earle Brown, Harold Bauer and Zara Nelsova.
Visit the stunning George Peabody Library, a research library designed by local architect Edmund G. Lind. The library’s dramatic interior features five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies, which rise up to a skylight 61 feet (19 meters) above the ground floor. Over 300,000 volumes of books are contained within the library, covering subjects from British history to art, science, religion and travel. The library is open to the public year-round from Tuesday to Friday.
Attend a free concert in one of the institute’s atmospheric concert halls. Each year, the institute holds about 100 concerts and performances, ranging from contemporary music and classical recitals to live jazz shows. Dance recitals, performances by the Peabody Children's Chorus and musicology lectures are also a regular part of the annual events calendar.
Find the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University at East Mount Vernon Place, in the Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood just north of the city center. The institute is an easy 15-minute walk from most of downtown Baltimore’s major hotels and attractions. On-site parking is available at the Peabody Garage on Saint Paul Street for those who are driving, although a fee does apply and spaces are limited. Alternatively, take the light rail to the Centre Street stop about four blocks away or ride the Charm City Circulator bus, which stops right outside the conservatory.
