About | B&O Railroad Museum

The B&O Railroad Museum is known as the birthplace of American railroading, and for good reason. It was here where the first stone of the railroad was laid, where the nation’s first mile of commercial railroad was constructed, and where the Mt. Clare Shops made innumerable contributions to the development of the rail industry.

The B&O’s history is comprised of the countless stories, lives, hopes, and achievements of the people who built and traveled on it. Nearly every locomotive, rail car, and historical object housed at the Museum is connected to a crucial part of the history of American railroading, and as such, the story of America itself, deepening our understanding of where we came from, where we are, and where we’re going.

As we look ahead to the B&O Railroad’s 2027 bicentennial, we invite you join us on the railroad for a voyage through time, together enhancing our mutual understanding of what the railroad meant and continues to mean in the broader context of American life. Your journey begins here – the place where the story of American railroading began. All aboard!