Company Profile
B&O Railroad Museum
Company Overview
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!
Company History
In 1953, the B&O Railroad created the B&O Transportation Museum (later renamed the B&O Railroad Museum) as a division of its external relations department. The public museum consisted of the old Mt. Clare Station, the Annex building (built in 1891), and the historic Roundhouse (built in 1884), which is an iconic structure on the Baltimore skyline. The North and South Car Shops, built in 1869 and considered the world’s oldest existing railroad maintenance shops, over time became part of the Museum, as well. In 1961, the Museum campus was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior. As Mt. Clare is the birthplace of American Railroading, the Sesquicentennial of the B&O Railroad was also the 150th anniversary of America’s railroads, and in 1977, the B&O Railroad Museum hosted a series of public festivities to celebrate.
From the end of WWII through the 1960s, passenger rail traffic continued to drop and freight traffic faced stiff competition as America’s highway system and air travel infrastructure grew. The B&O faced financial difficulties, which led in part to the closing of various shops and buildings at Mt. Clare. By 1963, through a series of mergers and acquisitions, during which time the railroad continued to own the B&O Railroad Museum, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad gained control of the B&O – and its museum. In 1973, the Western Maryland Railroad was acquired, and all three companies were consolidated to form the Chessie System. In 1986, the Chessie System merged with the Seaboard System Railroad to form CSX Transportation. By this time, federal and state governments had taken over most of American passenger travel while CSX operated the old B&O lines for freight service. Finally, in 1990, CSX deeded the Mt. Clare property and the Museum’s core collection and independent non-profit, the B&O Railroad Museum, Inc., as well as a $5 million endowment. Since that time, the Museum has been independently managed by museum professionals and is overseen by a board of directors.
Towards the end of the 20th Century, the Museum continued to grow and receive accolades. In 1998, the North and South Car Shops received a special designation from the Maryland Historic Trust. And in 1999, the B&O Railroad Museum achieved the status of an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, being the first in Maryland and the first US railroad museum to receive this designation. However, tragedy struck in the winter of 2003 when an unprecedented amount of snow accumulation led to the collapse of the Roundhouse roof, severely damaging a significant portion of the Museum’s 19th Century locomotives and train car collection. After 14 months of restoration, the Museum was reopened in November 2004 with a state-of-the-art restoration facility.
The B&O Railroad Museum is currently working on various restoration projects and exhibitions to prepare for a national celebration of the 200th Anniversary of American Railroading and Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 2027.