Last updated: 6/23/2011
Baltimore, Maryland
Street Address
901 W. Pratt StreetBaltimore, MD 21223
Mailing Address
901 W Pratt StreetBaltimore, MD 21223
phone: 410-752-2490
e-mail: info@borail.org
web: www.borail.org

Hours

Note: Last admission is one half hour prior to closing time.
Monday - Saturday
10 AM - 4 PM
Sunday
11 AM - 4 PM
Please note that the Museum is CLOSED on the following holidays: Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.
Train Ride Schedule
Wednesday - Friday
11:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Saturday
11 AM - 3 PM
Sunday
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Wednesday-Friday at 11:30 a.m.
Saturday at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., & 3:00 p.m.
Sunday at 12:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Train rides are subject to change or cancellation without notice and are not guaranteed with your visit.

Admissions

Adults - $14
Seniors (60+) - $12
Children (ages 2-12) - $8
B&O Members - Free
Train rides are offered Wednesday through Sunday, April through December and weekends in January for an additional $2.00 for adults and seniors and $1.00 for children between the ages of 2-12. Train rides are subject to change or cancellation without notice and are not guaranteed with your visit.

Staff

Amy Getz
phone: 410-752-2490
e-mail:
Description

On Presidents’ Day, February 16, 2003, amid a record-breaking snowfall, one half of the Museum’s massive roof collapsed. The collapse occurred as a result of the weight of drifting snow on the western side of the building. Eyewitness accounts depict the drifts nearly six feet in depth. The first alarm was received at approximately 11:40 PM on February 16th. Museum officials responded to find two sections of the 22-sectioned roof collapsed. Two more sections fell on the opposite side of the building around 5:30 AM the following morning. The remaining seven sections caved in before 9:00 AM on the 17th. As a result of the roof collapse, tons of snow, slate, wood, and cast iron fell upon some of the most historic and important locomotives, rolling stock, Pangborn models, and small artifacts in the Museum’s collection.

Work on restoration of the Roundhouse and rebuilding the Museum began immediately. Following a 22-month effort and a heroic fund raising campaign, the Museum reopened to the public on November 13, 2004. New and expanded visitor facilities and public programs were unveiled and an on-site, state-of-the-art locomotive and rolling stock restoration facility was designed to restore the damaged collections.

The Museum’s locomotive and rolling stock collection contains many unique examples of historically significant pieces from the B&O and other Maryland railroads and includes the finest collection of 19th century steam locomotives. The Museum’s roster of locomotives and rolling stock represent the first, last, best or only of their kind in existence today.

Museum members receive FREE admission and train rides.

Add $2 to any admission price and visit both of the B&O Railroad Museums for one low price! The discounted combination ticket offers visitors admissions to both the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum and the Ellicott City Station valid for 6 months from the date of purchase.

Mission

Comprised of the oldest and most comprehensive collection of railroad history in the Western Hemisphere, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Inc. is a unique cultural and educational asset for the city of Baltimore and the region. An unparalleled roster of the 19th and 20th century railroad equipment, original shop buildings, and surviving tracks at the historic Mt. Clare site provide an integrated resource to present virtually every aspect of American railroad development and its impact on our society, culture and economy.

History

Located among Baltimore City's historic southwest neighborhoods, at the original site of the historic Mt. Clare Shops, the B&O Railroad Museum is recognized universally as the birthplace of American railroading. It was here within the Museum's 40-acre campus that Baltimore businessmen, surveyors, and engineers set about building the B&O Railroad in 1829, laying the first commercial long-distance track, building the first passenger station, and inventing America's unique railroad

The first published history of an American railroad was William Prescott Smith’s “A History and Description of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad” published in 1853. At the 1876 United States Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the B&O Railroad exhibited not only its newest and most powerful locomotive, but also the oldest in existence. This moment initiated the B&O’s commitment to preserving its heritage as “America’s First Railroad” and set in motion a corporate philosophy of heritage preservation. By the 1880s, with fierce competition at hand, the B&O chose to advertise itself as America’s most historic railroad traveling through America’s most scenic countryside.

Artifact Collections
railroad artifacts
paintings
uniforms
rolling stock
Educational Programs

lectures
tours
Steam Days
Library
Access: General Public
Appointment required: Yes
Publications

Annual Report
Roundhouse Review newsletter
Train Mail e-newsletter
Services
Gift Shop
Special Event Rental
Restaurant
Group Tours
ADA
Wheelchair Accessible
Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
This information, including business hours, addresses and contact information is provided for general reference purposes only. No representation is made or warranty is given as to its content or the reliability thereof. User assumes all risk of use. Stories USA, Inc. and its content suppliers assume no responsibility for any loss or delay resulting from such use. Please call ahead to verify the dates, the location and directions.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Museum Trustee Association Spring Forum 2024

April 10 - 14, 2024

Atlanta, Georgia

Texas Association of Museums 2024 Lubock Annual Conference

April 14 - 17, 2024

Lubbock, Texas

2024 Colorado-Wyoming ANNUAL MEETING

May 1 - 4, 2024

Worland, Wyoming

West Virginia Association of Museums 2024 Conference

June 6 - 8, 2024

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

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