Fleeing the great famine in Ireland, thousands of Irish immigrants arrived in Baltimore in the 1840s and settled in the area around the B&O railroad, where many of them found work. The Irish Shrine and Railroad Workers Museum at Lemmon Street honors their contributions to Baltimore's heritage, and is comprised of five alley houses where Irish B&O workers lived.
A unique self-guided tour allows visitors to peek into two of the houses through a clear back wall, while a restored garden and other interpretive exhibits display how the area's original working class lived. Visitors may also opt to take the free Irish Heritage Walk that combines the Lemmon Street houses, B&O Railroad Museum, St. Peter's Church, St. Peter's Cemetery, and a stop for lunch at the Hollins Street Market. The tour is free and offers a fascinating glimpse into the Irish immigrants and how they lived, worked, and worshipped.
