Who We Are
Our Mission
Creating an inclusive environment to serve our diverse membership of business and community leaders as Baltimore’s premier venue for dining, business, social and family activities.
Our Vision
To be the crossroads where a tradition of inclusion and excellent service supports the changemakers of today and tomorrow in building powerful relationships.
Our Values
Innovation, Excellence, Inclusivity and Engagement.
Our History
In the early 1960s, a number of prominent business and civic leaders were working to turn around a decaying city as businesses and residents moved to the suburbs. They were unable to meet over lunch in private because they were of different faiths. At the time, all private clubs in Baltimore were segregated.
These community leaders vowed to create a private club open to the city’s most influential and forward-thinking business individuals, regardless of their religion, race or nationality.
Chartered in 1962, The Center Club opened its doors at the top of One Charles Center in 1963. The first Club President was Clarence Miles, founder of Miles & Stockbridge.
In the last 60 years, The Center Club has transformed from a luncheon club for top-level executives running a relatively small number of traditional large corporations to a club whose members are influential men and women from all sizes of industry and enterprise from around the state of Maryland.
Our Awards
Platinum Clubs® of America | Top 50 City Club
Platinum status in the Private Club industry has been the most revered since the franchise was established in 1997 by Club Leaders Forum. Over the years, the criteria have been updated to be relevant and adapt to changing times in the industry. The categories that comprise Platinum Clubs® of America are Country, Golf, City, Athletic and Yacht Clubs.
The Center Club has been named a Top 50 City Club in the United States for the following years:
- 2014
- 2015–2016
- 2017–2018
- 2019–2020
- 2021–2022
- 2023–2024
Platinum Clubs® of the World | Top 100 City Club
Platinum Club® status is the pinnacle of recognition for Private Clubs around the globe. Acknowledgment as a Platinum Club® is revered by Private Club industry professionals as they represent the top 1% of Private Clubs in the world. The categories of Platinum Clubs® of the World are Golf & Country Clubs and City Clubs.
The Center Club has been named a Top 100 City Club of the World for the following years:
- 2018–2019
- 2020–2021
- 2022–2023
Club + Resort Chef Top Ranked Culinary Experience Award
Each year, Club + Resort Chef releases a list of Top Ranked Culinary Experiences, which showcase a list of club and resort properties in order and as judged independently by a panel of club chefs from several of the industry’s most well-respected properties.
The rankings reflect the judges’ scoring of submitted entries that includes data on annual food-and-beverage revenue, membership size, weekly cover counts, banquet capacity, a la carte and banquet menus, food costs, certifications, front- and back-of-house photos and more. The judges score each entry independently, assigning points to the various aspects of the data and information submitted.
The Center Club has been named a Top Ranked Culinary Experience for the following years:
- 2022
- 2023
Best of Baltimore Weddings Readers' Poll
The Center Club was voted the 2022 Best Clubs & Country Clubs Wedding Venue in Baltimore Weddings' first-ever Best of Baltimore Weddings Readers' Poll.