Location: Roundhouse
Step inside the historic B&O Railroad Roundhouse, originally built in 1884 to house the repair and maintenance shop for passenger cars, and uncover the first 100 years of the U.S. railroading experience. Known as the “Cathedral of Railroading”, the roundhouse collection contains the most extensive gathering of early American locomotives and rolling stock in the world, and the museum continues to operate the original 60’ turntable — check our events calendar for upcoming public demonstrations. Initially designed by the noted architect E. Francis Baldwin, the roundhouse incurred extensive damage during a snowstorm in 2003 when the western half of the roof collapsed, dropping tons of snow and slate onto the collection below. After a laborious 22-month process the structure was repaired and restored to its original 1844 design, while conforming to more modern structural safety requirements, and continues to house the B&O’s stunning collection of 19th century American railroad equipment. While the entire building showcases the dramatic evolution of railroading over these first hundred years, there are also multiple individual exhibitions inside the roundhouse, listed below.
