Train Museums in Maryland: Every Railroad Museum by Town
- 14 museums
- 13 towns
- 6 with train rides
- 4 free
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In 1830 a horse-drawn Baltimore and Ohio train carried the first regular railroad passengers in the United States 13 miles from Mount Clare in Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills, and both ends of that line are museums today. This page gathers 14 train museums, trolley lines and rail sites across 13 Maryland towns; it is one stop in our state by state guide to train museums for families. Type your town into the finder below to see what is closest.
You will find a little of everything here: unlimited streetcar rides in Colesville and Baltimore, a steam climb over the Allegheny foothills from Cumberland, free depot museums in Ellicott City, Bowie and Gaithersburg, and model layouts that recreate whole railroad lines in miniature. Hours vary a lot, so check each museum card before you drive.
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Every train museum in Maryland, town by town
14 museums in 13 towns, A to Z by town. Tap any museum for its own page: the full story, what to see, what kids can do, hours, tickets, contact details and 20 answers to the questions families ask.
Baltimore: 2 train museums
Baltimore has two very different train days about 2 miles apart: the B&O roundhouse and Mile One Express on the old Mount Clare grounds, and volunteer-run streetcar rides on Falls Road. The streetcar museum keeps a shorter season, so check its fall Sunday and holiday hours.
Trolley and streetcar museum
Baltimore Streetcar Museum
An all-volunteer museum on Falls Road where admission includes unlimited rides on restored Baltimore streetcars, a visitors' center and, when possible, a carhouse tour. Free parking out front. Santa's Streetcar runs on December weekends.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsRailroad museum
National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation
The former B&O Railroad Museum, on the site where American railroading began. A giant 1884 roundhouse full of 19th-century locomotives, train rides on the historic first mile of track, and free on-site parking. Open daily 10 am to 4 pm.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsBowie
Depot museum
Bowie Railroad Museum
A free city museum in Old Town Bowie built around the restored railroad station, interlocking tower and a 1923 caboose. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 11 am to 4 pm, with weekday group tours by arrangement.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsBrunswick
Museum with a major rail exhibit
Brunswick Heritage Museum
A three-floor museum of Brunswick's B&O railroad and C&O Canal past, with a kids' play and dress-up room, the C&O Canal visitor center, and an HO layout of the line from Washington to Brunswick. Suggested donation $5.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsChesapeake Beach
Depot museum
Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum
A free museum in the original 1898 depot of the Chesapeake Beach Railway, telling the story of the resort and rail line that founded the town. Open daily 1 to 4 pm, April through October.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsColesville
Trolley and streetcar museum
National Capital Trolley Museum
Ride real Washington, DC streetcars on a mile of track through the woods of Northwest Branch Park. Every ticket includes unlimited rides, and Street Car Hall holds the largest collection of DC streetcars anywhere. Open Saturdays 12 pm to 5 pm.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCumberland
Heritage railroad with a museum
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
Mountain train rides from Cumberland's 1913 station to Frostburg, 16 miles each way, around Helmstetter's Curve and through the 914-foot Brush Tunnel. Steam engine No. 1309 pulls select trips; seats fill fast, so book ahead.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsEllicott City
Depot museum
Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum
America's oldest railroad station, at the end of the B&O's first 13 miles of track. Free admission, a long HO-scale model of the original route, a restored 1927 caboose and a Holiday Train Garden each winter.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsFrederick
Rail preservation group
Hagerstown & Frederick Railway Historical Society
The Frederick area's historic trolley collection, kept by a volunteer society founded in 1999. There is no daily museum: see its exhibits at libraries and history centers, book a talk, or visit on posted dates at the Boonsboro Trolley Station Museum.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsFrostburg
Depot museum
Frostburg Depot
The 1891 Cumberland & Pennsylvania station at the top of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. Ride up from Cumberland or catch select themed trains here; the depot has parking, restrooms and a gift shop.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsGaithersburg
Museum with a major rail exhibit
Gaithersburg Community Museum
A free, hands-on city history museum in Gaithersburg's 1884 B&O freight house, with a 1918 steam engine, a caboose kids can play in, a 1953 Rail Diesel Car and real trains passing on the active line.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsHagerstown
Railroad museum
Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum
A nonprofit museum of Hagerstown's railroad past: artifacts, photographs, historic cabooses and locomotives, and model railroads. Listed hours are Fridays to Sundays, 1 pm to 5 pm, but call ahead to confirm.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsUnion Bridge
Depot museum
Western Maryland Railway Historical Society Museum
A volunteer society's museum in the Western Maryland Railway's 1902 station and offices. Callers boards, a CTC panel, archives and a 1950s N-scale layout of the East Subdivision. Open Sunday afternoons and Wednesdays.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsWalkersville
Heritage railroad with a museum
Walkersville Southern Railroad & Museum
A volunteer heritage railroad north of Frederick with excursion rides in vintage coaches and open cars on 1872 Pennsylvania Railroad trackbed, a small museum with a caboose playhouse, and Santa, Easter and mystery trains.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCompare every Maryland train museum side by side
Type, train rides, admission, hours and who each one suits, in one table. Tap a column to sort it, or a museum to open its page.
| Hours | Best for | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Streetcar MuseumBaltimore | Trolley museum | Yes | Adults $20, seniors (60+) $15, children 4 to 11 $15, under 4 free, EBT or SNAP card holders free | Fall (September 1 to December 1): Sundays 11 am to 5 pm; special event hours for Halloween and Santa's Streetcar; closed January 1 to February 28 | Young families and Baltimore history fans |
| National Museum of Railroad History & InnovationBaltimore | Railroad museum | Yes | Adults $20, seniors (60+) $17, children $12, members free; train rides extra | Daily 10 am to 4 pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day | Families with young kids and serious rail history fans |
| Bowie Railroad MuseumBowie | Depot museum | No | Free; donations welcomed. Weekday guided group tours $6 per person | Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm | Young train fans and local history lovers |
| Brunswick Heritage MuseumBrunswick | Rail gallery | No | Suggested donation $5 per person or $20 per family | Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm, Sundays 1 pm to 4 pm | Families with young kids and model railroad fans |
| Chesapeake Beach Railway MuseumChesapeake Beach | Depot museum | No | Free | Daily 1 to 4 pm, April through October; special visits as staffing allows | History lovers, families and trail riders |
| National Capital Trolley MuseumColesville | Trolley museum | Yes | Adults (14 to 64) $15, seniors (65+) and veterans $13, juniors (2 to 13) $10, under 2 free, members free | Saturdays 12 pm to 5 pm; Fridays 10 am to 3 pm in season from late March; special event hours on the calendar | Families with young kids and transit fans |
| Western Maryland Scenic RailroadCumberland | Heritage railroad | Yes | Fares vary by train and class of service; see the online schedule | Trains run on a posted schedule, not daily walk-in hours; check wmsr.com | Families, rail fans and fall foliage riders |
| Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station MuseumEllicott City | Depot museum | No | Free; donations welcome. Guided tours by appointment, $10 per person | Wednesday and Thursday 10 am to 3 pm; Friday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm; closed Monday and Tuesday | Families with model train fans and history lovers |
| Hagerstown & Frederick Railway Historical SocietyFrederick | Preservation group | No | Not posted; talks and library exhibits are typically public programs, so check each event | No regular public hours; see the society calendar for exhibits, talks and Boonsboro museum dates | Local history fans, trolley enthusiasts and researchers |
| Frostburg DepotFrostburg | Depot museum | Yes | No posted admission for the depot; train tickets through the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad | Not posted; open around train arrivals and departures. Check wmsr.com | Train riders spending the layover in Frostburg |
| Gaithersburg Community MuseumGaithersburg | Rail gallery | No | Always free | Wednesday to Sunday 11 am to 4 pm; Tuesday by appointment; closed Monday | Toddlers, preschoolers and local history fans |
| Hagerstown Roundhouse MuseumHagerstown | Railroad museum | No | Not posted online; call 301-739-4665 | Listed as Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 pm to 5 pm, year-round; confirm by phone | Model train fans and local rail history buffs |
| Western Maryland Railway Historical Society MuseumUnion Bridge | Depot museum | No | Not posted online; call 410-775-0150 | Sundays 1 pm to 4 pm; Wednesdays 9 am to 3 pm (closed 11:30 am to 12:30 pm for lunch); and by appointment | Western Maryland fans, modelers and rail historians |
| Walkersville Southern Railroad & MuseumWalkersville | Heritage railroad | Yes | Fares vary by excursion and event; see the Train Fares page | Trains and museum operate on scheduled excursion and event days; see the event calendar | Families wanting a real train ride near Frederick |
No museum on this page matches every filter you picked.
Quick picks: where to start in Maryland
Best first visit with a toddler
Gaithersburg
It is always free, the 1982 caboose has a play area inside, and MARC trains pass on the active line while you explore.
Biggest collection
National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation
Baltimore
The 1884 roundhouse holds the largest collection of 19th-century locomotives in the country, and the Mile One Express rides the first mile of the B&O.
Best scenic train ride
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
Cumberland
Trains climb 16 miles from Cumberland to Frostburg around Helmstetter's Curve and through the 914-foot Brush Tunnel, with steam engine No. 1309 on select trips.
Ride as many times as you like
National Capital Trolley Museum
Colesville
Every ticket includes unlimited streetcar rides on about a mile of track through Northwest Branch Park, and kids under 2 get in free.
Free history stop
Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum
Ellicott City
Admission is free at the oldest railroad station in America, where a 40-foot HO model traces the B&O's first 13 miles.
Weekend stop for model train fans
Brunswick
A third-floor HO layout runs from Washington's Union Station to the Brunswick yards, and a dress-up room downstairs keeps younger kids busy.
Train ride near Frederick
Walkersville Southern Railroad & Museum
Walkersville
Ride vintage coaches or an open flatcar for about an hour and 10 minutes on 1872 trackbed, then let kids play in the caboose playhouse.
Map of every train museum in Maryland
Why Maryland's railroad story starts the whole country's
The Baltimore and Ohio was chartered in 1827 to reach from Baltimore to the Ohio River, and building began at Mount Clare in 1829. By May 1830 it was running horse-drawn passenger cars to Ellicott's Mills, and that August the Tom Thumb, the first American-built steam locomotive, made its showing there. In 1844 Samuel Morse's first telegraph message arrived at Mount Clare from Washington. Later the B&O built whole towns around its work: Brunswick grew up around classification yards that stretched about 5 miles by 1907, and Hagerstown became the Hub City where five railroads met.
Other lines filled in the map. The Western Maryland Railway ran as an independent road for 125 years and kept its main offices in Union Bridge. The Baltimore and Potomac opened a station in 1872 that gave rise to the town of Bowie. A railway built to carry Washington crowds to a bayside resort ran to Chesapeake Beach from 1900 to 1935, and electric streetcars and interurbans tied Baltimore, Washington and the Frederick and Hagerstown valleys together until the middle of the 20th century.
For the beginning, start at the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation in Baltimore and the Ellicott City Station Museum. Railroad towns come alive at the Brunswick Heritage Museum, the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum and the Bowie Railroad Museum, while the Western Maryland Railway Historical Society Museum and the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad carry on the WM's story. Streetcar history rides again at the National Capital Trolley Museum and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, and the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum tells the resort line's rise and fall.
Day trips that pair Maryland train museums
Trip 1
Mile one to the end of the first line
- National Museum of Railroad History & InnovationBaltimore
- Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station MuseumEllicott City
- Baltimore Streetcar MuseumBaltimore
Start at the Baltimore roundhouse and ride the Mile One Express, then drive about 9 miles west to the Ellicott City station, where the first 13 miles of the B&O ended. On a fall Sunday, the Baltimore Streetcar Museum is just 2 miles from the roundhouse for a round of unlimited streetcar rides.
Trip 2
Streetcars and a caboose in Montgomery County
- National Capital Trolley MuseumColesville
- Gaithersburg Community MuseumGaithersburg
The National Capital Trolley Museum and the Gaithersburg Community Museum sit about 9 miles apart. Ride the trolleys through the woods on a Saturday afternoon, then visit the free Gaithersburg freight house, its caboose play area and the 1918 steam engine in front, which open at 11 am.
Trip 3
Frederick County rail day
- Walkersville Southern Railroad & MuseumWalkersville
- Western Maryland Railway Historical Society MuseumUnion Bridge
Union Bridge is about 11 miles from Walkersville. Pair a Walkersville Southern excursion with the Western Maryland Railway Historical Society's N-scale layout and CTC panel on a Sunday afternoon, when the society's museum is open from 1 to 4 pm.
How far is each museum from Baltimore, Silver Spring and Frederick?
Times are approximate, worked out from distance on the map, and assume no traffic.
| Museum | From Baltimore | From Silver Spring | From Frederick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station MuseumEllicott City | 15 min | ||
| Bowie Railroad MuseumBowie | 30 min | ||
| National Capital Trolley MuseumColesville | 35 min | ||
| Chesapeake Beach Railway MuseumChesapeake Beach | 55 min | ||
| Western Maryland Scenic RailroadCumberland | 2 hr 40 min | 1 hr 40 min | |
| Gaithersburg Community MuseumGaithersburg | 20 min | ||
| National Museum of Railroad History & InnovationBaltimore | 40 min | ||
| Brunswick Heritage MuseumBrunswick | 55 min | ||
| Walkersville Southern Railroad & MuseumWalkersville | 10 min | ||
| Western Maryland Railway Historical Society MuseumUnion Bridge | 25 min | ||
| Hagerstown Roundhouse MuseumHagerstown | 30 min |
Holiday trains and seasonal days at Maryland museums
Maryland's holiday season runs heavy on trains. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation both run The Polar Express Train Ride, and the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum hosts a free Polar Express reading inside its historic Dolores railcar. Santa rides the Walkersville Southern Santa Trains and Santa's Streetcar in Baltimore on December weekends, the National Capital Trolley Museum holds Holly TrolleyFest, and the Ellicott City Station Museum sets up its Holiday Train Garden. In October, look for Trolleyween in Colesville, a Halloween trick or treat weekend at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum and a Trick-or-Treat drop-in at Gaithersburg. See our full list of Christmas train rides in Maryland and the Halloween train rides in Maryland guide for dates.
Good to know before you go
- At the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, general admission does not include the train ride, and second Wednesdays are $10 Admission Days.
- The Ellicott City Station Museum's second floor is up a flight of stairs with no elevator, so fold the stroller; the accessible ramp is outside in the Turntable Pit.
- Baltimore Streetcar Museum closes January and February, and in fall it opens Sundays plus Halloween and Santa's Streetcar event days.
- Some Western Maryland Scenic Railroad themed trains leave from the Frostburg depot instead of Cumberland, and the Canal Place lot in Cumberland takes only Visa or Mastercard.
- The Walkersville Southern yard is gravel with real rails, so wear sturdy shoes and step over the rails rather than on them.
- Pack a towel for Gaithersburg in warm weather: Sidney A. Katz Plaza next to the station has an interactive water play feature.
- Since June 1, 2026 the Bowie Railroad Museum opens only on Saturdays and Sundays.
Train museums just over the Maryland line
Pennsylvania is the easy next step from Baltimore: the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, with more than 100 locomotives and cars, is about 1 hr 15 min away. See Pennsylvania train museums for the rest. From Frederick, the B&O's sixteen-sided West Roundhouse at the Martinsburg Roundhouse is about 40 minutes west on our West Virginia train museums page. And from Baltimore it is about 1 hr 20 min to the Wilmington & Western Railroad's steam and diesel trains in the Red Clay Valley, listed with our Delaware train museums.
A note from Rally's family
Our corgi Rally has never had to climb into a tunnel as long as Brush Tunnel, but I think about it every time I read the tunnel page in our book: that dark stretch, and then the big bright light and everyone cheering. My mom dreamed up Rally's train ride before she died in 2021, and my kids, who are just learning to read, still ask for that page twice. If your little one loves tunnels too, print a few train coloring pages for the drive, and you can read how Rally's story began while they color.
A train book for the drive
If you would rather arrive by train, our Northeast Regional with kids guide covers riding the corridor that runs through Baltimore.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. They fit in a folder with a few crayons for the drive to the museum or the wait for the next train ride.
Get the free coloring pages
A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)More for train families
- Train museums in every state: search all 50 by town
- Christmas train rides in Maryland: Santa trains and holiday rides
- Halloween train rides in Maryland: pumpkin trains for next October
- The Northeast Regional with kids: ride a real Amtrak train
- Every Amtrak route with kids: find a train by city or station
- Train books for toddlers for the drive home
Maryland train museum questions parents ask
What is the biggest train museum in Maryland?
The National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation in Baltimore, long known as the B&O Railroad Museum, is the largest. It keeps about 40 acres of the old Mount Clare Shops, around 250 pieces of rolling stock and the largest collection of 19th-century locomotives in the country. The 1884 roundhouse is the centerpiece, and the Mile One Express rides the first mile of the B&O.
Are there free train museums in Maryland?
Yes, several Maryland train museums charge nothing to get in. The Ellicott City Station Museum, the Bowie Railroad Museum and the Gaithersburg Community Museum are free year-round, and the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum is free from April through October. The Brunswick Heritage Museum asks only a suggested donation of $5 per person or $20 per family, as of October 2026.
Where can kids ride a train in Maryland?
Kids can ride real trains at five Maryland spots. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad climbs from Cumberland to Frostburg, Walkersville Southern runs excursions north of Frederick, and the Baltimore museum offers the Mile One Express. For streetcars, the National Capital Trolley Museum and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum include unlimited rides with admission. Check each schedule, since several run only on set days.
Which Maryland train museum is best for toddlers?
The Gaithersburg Community Museum is the easiest pick for toddlers. It is always free, the caboose has a creative play area, and real MARC trains pass on the active line. StoryTime Station runs monthly for ages 2 to 6. The Bowie Railroad Museum and the National Capital Trolley Museum, where kids under 2 ride free, are also short, simple outings for little ones.
Is there a train museum in Baltimore?
Baltimore has two. The National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation sits on the old B&O Mount Clare grounds and is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm. About 2 miles away on Falls Road, the volunteer-run Baltimore Streetcar Museum offers unlimited rides on restored city streetcars, with a shorter season that closes in January and February.
What train museums are near Frederick, Maryland?
Walkersville Southern Railroad is the closest, about 10 minutes north of Frederick, with excursion rides and a small museum. The Western Maryland Railway Historical Society Museum in Union Bridge, the Brunswick Heritage Museum and the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum are each roughly 20 to 30 minutes away. Every one of them keeps limited days, so plan around their posted hours.
Is there a train museum in Cumberland, Maryland?
Yes. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad runs from Cumberland's restored 1913 Western Maryland Railway Station, which also holds a gift shop and a C&O Canal visitor center. Trains climb 16 miles to Frostburg, lay over about 90 minutes while the engine is turned, and return. Trains follow a posted schedule rather than daily walk-in hours, so book ahead.
Are there train museums near Silver Spring and the Washington suburbs?
Yes, and they are close. The National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville is about 10 minutes from Silver Spring, and the Bowie Railroad Museum and the Gaithersburg Community Museum are each roughly 20 minutes away. The trolley museum includes unlimited rides, while Bowie and Gaithersburg are free, which makes it easy to do two in one day.
Is there a train museum in Hagerstown, Maryland?
Yes, the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum covers the Hub City's railroad past with artifacts, photographs, cabooses, locomotives and model railroads. Its listed hours are Fridays to Sundays from 1 to 5 pm, but call 301-739-4665 to confirm before you go. The 25-stall roundhouse it remembers was demolished in 1999.
How much does the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore cost?
As of October 2026, admission is $20 for adults, $17 for seniors 60 and up, $12 for children and free for members. The Mile One Express train ride costs extra. Second Wednesdays are $10 Admission Days, and discounts for teachers, active military and Museums for All visitors are applied at the on-site desk with ID. Parking on site is free.
How long is the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad trip?
Plan on most of a day for a Frostburg Flyer round trip. The train runs 16 miles each way between Cumberland and Frostburg, around Helmstetter's Curve and through the 914-foot Brush Tunnel. At Frostburg it lays over for about 90 minutes while the locomotive is turned on a turntable, which leaves time for lunch in town.
What can you see at the National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville?
Street Car Hall holds the largest collection of Washington, DC streetcars anywhere, and the living collection numbers eighteen cars from DC, other American cities and five nations. Admission includes unlimited rides about a mile into Northwest Branch Park. The Visitor Center adds a model of the Rock Creek Railway and a silent movie theater showing Harold Lloyd comedies.
Why is the Ellicott City train station famous?
It is the oldest railroad station in America. The B&O built the stone station in 1831 at the end of its first 13 miles of track from Baltimore, and it became a National Historic Landmark in 1968. Today Howard County runs it as a free museum with period rooms, a restored 1927 caboose and a 40-foot HO model of the original route.
What is Western Maryland Scenic Railroad No. 1309?
No. 1309 is a steam locomotive built by Baldwin in 1949 for the Chesapeake & Ohio's heaviest coal trains and retired in 1956. After a long restoration it pulls select trips between Cumberland and Frostburg. The railroad calls it the largest operating steam locomotive of its type in the world, working a 2.8 percent mountain grade.
What old locomotives are at the B&O museum in Baltimore?
The roundhouse holds some of the oldest engines in the country. Look for the Grasshopper, built in 1832, a 1927 replica of the Tom Thumb, the 1856 William Mason, which appeared in two films, and No. 600, the J. C. Davis, which won first prize at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. B&O No. 4500, the first USRA locomotive, is there too.
Where can you ride The Polar Express in Maryland?
Two Maryland railroads run The Polar Express Train Ride: the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation in Baltimore. On the mountain line, some Polar Express trains depart from the Frostburg depot rather than Cumberland, so read your ticket. In Chesapeake Beach, the railway museum hosts a free Polar Express reading in its Dolores railcar that needs a reservation.
Where can kids see Santa on a train or trolley in Maryland?
Santa turns up at several Maryland rail museums each December. Walkersville Southern runs Santa Trains, and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum runs Santa's Streetcar on December weekends. The National Capital Trolley Museum holds Holly TrolleyFest, and the Ellicott City Station Museum sets up a Holiday Train Garden for all ages. Check each calendar for 2026 dates, since they book up.
Where did American railroading begin?
American railroading began in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore and Ohio started building at Mount Clare in 1829, and on May 22, 1830 a horse-drawn B&O train ran 13 miles to Ellicott's Mills in the first regular railroad passenger service in the country. Both ends of that first line are now museums, in Baltimore and Ellicott City.
Is the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum open in winter?
No regular winter hours are posted. The free museum opens daily from 1 to 4 pm, April through October, and offers special visits as staffing allows the rest of the year. It sits in the 1898 depot of the Chesapeake Beach Railway, which carried Washington crowds to a bayside resort from 1900 until the last train in 1935.
Is the Brunswick Heritage Museum good for kids?
Yes, it suits families with young kids well. Pete Harper's Children's Hands-On Activity Room on the first floor has play and dress-up space, and the third floor holds a large interactive HO layout of the B&O from Washington to the Brunswick yards. The museum is open Saturdays and Sundays, and MARC and CSX trains pass less than a block away.
Keep exploring
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- OctoberHalloween Train RidesPumpkin trains and not-too-spooky rides for little ones, by state.
- NovemberThanksgiving Train RidesHoliday weekend train trips the whole family can share.
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