B&O Railroad Museum

4.6(3.4K)google

4.1(156)yelp

Adult $20·Senior(65+) $16·Student $16·Child(2-12y) $12·Infant(under 1) FreeUSD

TrainHistorymuseumInteractiveFamilyEducationalMust-See

Overview

The B&O Railroad Museum is a museum and historic railway station exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) company originally opened the museum on July 4, 1953, with the name of the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the largest collection of 19th-century locomotives in the U.S. The museum is located in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's old Mount Clare Station and adjacent roundhouse, and retains 40 acres of the B&O's sprawling Mount Clare Shops site, which is where, in 1829, the B&O began America's first railroad and is the oldest railroad manufacturing complex in the United States.

Practical Info

901 W Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA

Every day10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Suggested Duration3-5 hours

Best TimeAutumn (September to November) or December for the holiday train layouts are peak visiting times. Plan your tour between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM to watch sunlight stream beautifully through the historic 1884 roundhouse iron-and-glass dome, illuminating decades of historic locomotives.

Getting ThereLocated at 901 W Pratt St. The easiest public transport link from the city center is taking the MTA LocalLink Navy Route or Route 31 bus, getting off directly at the Pratt St & Schroeder St intersection, right at the birthplace of American railroading.

(410) 752-2490

borail.org/

Travel Tips

Located in a high-crime industrial fringe, visitors must park inside the museum's secure gated parking lot monitored by on-site security guards; do not park outside on public streets.
The historic Roundhouse floor features live tracks and heavy locomotives with residue industrial grease; children must be supervised closely and climbing on train wheels is forbidden.

Photo Tips

Photo Spots

To capture the perfect geometric symmetry of the massive circular roof and radial tracks, enter at the 10:00 AM opening and use a 14mm ultra-wide lens from the central turntable.

Reviews

Positive

A paradise for train enthusiasts! The magnificent historic roundhouse is visually stunning, housing a massive collection of perfectly restored antique steam locomotives.
Highly interactive experience; visitors can climb inside several historic train cars and even buy tickets to ride on an authentic vintage train along historic tracks.
Extremely child-friendly, featuring a massive indoor Thomas & Friends play pavilion and intricate model train layouts that keep kids entertained for hours.
The grounds are expansive with clean restrooms and clear signage, and all major exhibition halls are fully connected with accessible ADA ramps.

Heads up

Admission sits near $20 per adult, and when adding train ride tickets and extra kids' activities, it becomes quite expensive for a large family.
The museum is located in a gritty neighborhood with a poor safety reputation; though the secure parking and grounds are safe, the surrounding streets can feel uneasy.
As a historic high-ceiling brick structure, the main roundhouse lacks powerful modern climate control, making it uncomfortably hot and stuffy in peak summer.
The outdoor yard offers little shade, and the rough gravel paths between heavy tracks make navigating with strollers or wheelchairs physically demanding.