Good Knights

Went with my 5th grader to his class field trip last week to Medieval Times’ Baltimore Castle in Hanover, Maryland; I had always wanted to take the family but had balked at the price (about $51 for adults, $38 for kids). But everyone was going to the field trip, and they did shave about $3 off the price for kids — even better, it was the same price for the adult chaperones.

So, an hour and a half bus trip later, we were at the castle. Its location in a huge shopping complex doesn’t really get you into the medieval mood, but once you’re there, it’s all about a sense of place. The cavernous interior appears to be stone and they’ve got characters in costume roaming about the place. And once you’re sitting at the tables above the sand-covered arena, it’s quite easy to slip into the era and excitement of an 11th century tournament.

The show is a little cheesy, what with the long-haired knights galloping around with flowers in their teeth to toss to the ladies in the audience (much eye-rolling by husbands here) and the obviously choreographed swordfights, but there are moments of real drama in a pretty solid storyline.

So if you’d like to go but like me, you’ve been put off by the price, the Web site has some great promotions going on:

KIDS ARE FREE!
Offer valid for every show May 23rd – July 6th, 2008. Children 12 & under are FREE when accompanied by a full-paying adult – only 1 free child per full-paid adult. Not valid with other offers or group rates. Upgrade packages are additional. Some restrictions apply. Limit 6 free children/6 full paid adults per reservation. Offer Expires July 6th, 2008.

DADS GET IN FREE FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND
Offer valid for every show June 14th – 15th, 2008. Purchase 1 full paid adult admission & Dad gets in FREE. Not valid with other offers or group rates. Upgrade packages are additional. Some restrictions apply. Limit 6.

Online Special Rate
This month, our exhilarating dinner and tournament gets even better with $4.00 off adult and $2.00 off children’s admission prices. Limit 6. Available online only.

Check out my photos on Flickr at right and my page with a full review, Medieval Times, Maryland.