B&O Railroad Museum Reviews

What an amazing place to hold an evening event! I have to admit that I didn't visit for museum purposes but rather for an evening affair/black tie optional event. It was really a wonderful experience. The set-up, decor, food, and staff were amazing. If you are considering having an event at this location, you will not be disappointed!

Just being in the presence and the sheer size (the Tom Thumb replica excepted) of many of these man-made monsters is a humbling experience... You can literally feel how important the railroads were to this country's expansion and it's ascendency as a world power.. The holiday model train display on the upper floor of the main exhibition hall is not to be missed

there is a coupon for buy one get one free. the parking is free and there is a lot to see. want to stop by here if your are staying at the inner harbor. it is only a mile away.

This was a great place to visit. The roundhouse with the trains was worth the visit. Great play area for toddlers. If possible go the second Wednesday of the month. Tickets are 1/2 price.

Great museum with lots of trains you can even go inside some of them. Lovely model railway and cute outdoor railway for the kids. Go to Baltimore tourism website to get two for one ticket saving 18 dollars for two adults.

We got here an hour or so before the museum was closing so were a little disappointed to pay full price but we had made a special journey so bit the bullet. Inside was great, there are lots of exhibits with old locomotives, passenger and freight cars. Our two children loved the exhibit and enjoyed working the old controls. We stayed until closing

Only giving one star because zero stars isn't possible. Awful experience. I purchased 4 tickets for the Polar Express ride. After they over booked the train, two of my seats were given away. Then during the ride, my party didn't receive our treats and hot chocolate until the ride was basically over, even though the rest of the train received theirs much earlier. This isn't even the worst part! After the ride I was told to reach out to a lady, Eileen, for a refund for the two tickets I wasn't allowed to use. I called on a Wednesday and I was told by Eileen that she would reach back out by the next day. I called back Friday after I didn't hear back and she told me she would call back Monday. She didn't. I called for over a 6 weeks and she blatanly ignored EACH AND EVERY PHONE CALL AND ATTEMPT. Finally she reached back out after the New Year and told me that there wasn't a way to find out who was on the train anymore so they couldn't issue a refund. She purposely waited to reach back out to me until they could no longer prove anything. I go to a Polar Express reenactment every year, but no more. Angry is an understatement. DO NOT GO! Save your stress, and don't go to the museum period.

Very helpful staff and a great collection of trains with a good history of the railroad to go with it. Some fantastic exhibits well worth the photographs.

Also they do military discount for both serving personnel and their families.

Loved everything about this place!! Plenty of displays and exhibits. All on forty acres of land, the roundhouse is one of the finest i have ever seen. The steam trains, the car shop, the history is exquisite. I spent whole day here and probably didn't see it all.Fun and educational for all. 🚂🚂🚂🚂

Whether a child, adult, or elderly, this museum is excellent! We visited on a Monday morning and were glad we did not go on the weekend as we were free from the maddening crowd! This was terrific! We caught the free Orange Charm City bus, or apparently it is around $7USD by cab. It is a couple of hundred yard walk from the bus stop to the entrance of the museum. It cost $20 for an adult & $18 for a senior.
There are basically three sections - an indoor display as part of the Smithsonian (air-conditioned relief), an amazing ‘round house’ and the large outside ‘yard’ area.
Whilst there were no train rides on a Monday, this happens on other days..perhaps that is why we had such a fantastic time with not many people.
The place obviously caters well for kids with a few areas clearly kid-friendly & fun...hands-on!
There is also a miniature train display inside an air conditioned carriage and also another carriage where kids parties can occur. Apparently the place also allows weddings & functions in the roundhouse - that would be such an experience!
So for us, we found the round house & the trains housed within, awe-inspiring. We had a wonderful guide, Steve, as we were the only ones for the 11am steam ‘tour’. So it was very personal & after an informative tour about the history/structure of the building as well as the trains & how they operate, he even escorted us to the outside shed with the hugest steam locomotive we’ve ever seen (& we’ve seen a lot around the world).
Just to see the roundhouse was awesome...the beautiful trains were a bonus!
Definitely spend half a day here. Fun for all the family whether you’re a train-buff or not.

This place is great, especially at Christmas time when they have all the model trains set up. Excellent static exhibits of antique locomotives and rolling stock. Offers short steam ramples down the line in antique coaches. Fairly expensive, check out specilas.

What a fun and interesting place to visit. Believe it or not, the day that I was there, they were decorating for a wedding. What a grand place for that. At any rate, visiti with the engines, revel in the way the maintainence was conducted and the engines were moved from track to track. Think about the smells and the sounds of the engines. Imagine traveling across the country on a series of trains. Wow.. it is such an amazing source of information. Enjoy!!

Interesting trip through history by reading and seeing how important the railroad was in our country. The museum staff and volunteers have put so much care into preserving history. Top notch railroad museum. Learned quite a bit on our visit and totally enjoyed our time there. Glad we went.

Pros
-dozens of trains that you’re allowed to walk through and let the kids push buttons, etc.
- excellent event planning for the Witches and Wizards day! My kids got to create their own potions, wands, bracelets and herb garden guy- a lot of creativity went into these booths!
- clever “stamp game” which led us all through the museum searching for clues!
- most employees incredibly friendly and helpful!
- really neat train ride with snacks and drinks!
Overall- I wasn’t expecting to stay more than an hour and we stayed almost 3 hours!

Cons-
My sister had a really strange interaction with a “manager” named Joseph as she was trying to buy the kids stuffed animals in the gift shop. He was incredibly rude and insulting in front of the children. But the General Manager, Eileen was very sympathetic and apologized. Hopefully this is an anomaly and won’t happen to anyone else. Other than that, I would recommend anyone spend a day at this Baltimore gem!

We had a great day here! My kids enjoyed walking thru the trains in the roundhouse. We took a ride on the train, well worth the extra for vip. They can’t stop talking about how much fun it was.

The museum is located where the B and O -- the first railroad in the US -- was started in the 1840s. The building itself is a passenger car roundhouse built in 1884. Inside is a wonderful collection of equipment (some of it reconstructed, much of it original) from the beginning to the recent mid 20th century. There are many interpretive exhibits so you know what you re looking at.

They have so much that much of it is kept outside.

In addition to the real trains there are two model railroads, a play area both inside and outside. The train ride is short, one mile out, but it is along the route of the first tracks ever laid North America.

While most of the museum is excellent the "cafe" is a contract operation. Limited menu of hot dogs, corn dogs, frozen pizza, and tuna salad. The day we were there, at 11:30 am, they had run out of corn dogs and one employee was eating Chinese take out.

Brother told me a friend said this was worth seeing. I would agree great history of the railroad. Many things you can see up close. Helpful in exploring early history of US

If you have even the slightest interest in railroads, this museum is a must. A delight for children as well as adults, the roundhouse, a truly inspiring space, is filled with invaluable examples of rail transportation history. Before entering the roundhouse, which still functions and is moved with the power of one person pushing the platform while standing in a trap door, visitors learn of the impact of the railroad on timekeeping technology. The docents were extremely knowledgeable, dedicated, patient, and kind. Plan on a minimum of two hours for your visit. Don’t miss the very intricate functioning H-O layout, and take a ride on the train, first class if you’d like!

Very nice exhibits of unusual rolling stock from the earliest days of US railroading to the diesel era.

I've visited this museum several times, as it's just over an hour's drive from my house on the Virginia side of the Potomac, and every time I've enjoyed both seeing the classic trains displayed there and learning about how important railroads have been in American history: industrialization, the Civil War, unions, standard time, etc. I've usually spent several hours here enjoying the experience.

I visited the B&O Railroad museum because it was included as an activity on a trip my sister planned over the New Year's weekend in 2017.

I didn't think it would be that great, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was breathtaking when we made our entrance because of the big Christmas tree and especially all of the miniature railroads with their intricate figures.

They have several cars that you can either look into or go onboard. At each car is a comprehensive description of the car and how it was used.

In addition to the museum, you can ride a train for about three miles. It costs about $3 and takes a half hour.

My sister got discount tickets so our entry cost was $20.

I really enjoyed the museum. It is a tad cool in there especially when the temperatures are 10 degrees. Although I prefer to ride historic trains, I thought this museum was well worth my time. You can also ride the Baltimore Circulator bus for free and then walk a couple of blocks.

A unique place as it’s the oldest railroad manufacturing complex in the US (circa 1829) with one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world including the largest collection of 19th-century locomotives in the US. It’s also the site of where the first telegraph was received in 1844 (the initial text message). Railroad enthusiasts will love the place as well as young kids.

The museum cost $20 for adults which is rather high. I wish there was reduced pricing or more affordable options. I spent 3 hours here reading most everything, but the non-nerdy person will spend far less time. Learned a ton about railroads as that isn’t my usual interest. I went on a weekday so it was pretty empty, but it is a large space to distance and their covid mitigation practices seem good. Staff was friendly. The only issue is it is hot in the roundhouse and outdoor exhibits. I went on a 94 degree day so spending hours in the mostly heat took a toll. Bring water and be prepared to go into remote areas to take a break from your mask real quick.

My husband is a train hobbyist model trains everywhere. We visit this place at least four times a year to see if there are any changes.

This a fabulous museum which touches upon the underlying history as well as the development of the railroad and trains themselves. The museum features a wide range of trains which are in a timeline order. There’s a large civil war exhibit which focuses on the use of steam trains during the war which included transporting soldiers and goods. You have to opportunity to ride the stream train but I wasn’t that bothered so I didn’t do it - it’s more entertaining for kids. There’s also an exhibit which focuses on the safety of the workers and passengers and the improvements which have been made over the years. It’s definitely worth a visit.

Immense collection spread over a huge tract just west of the Inner Harbor area. A visual timeline from the very start of the American railroad up through 2 centuries, Beautifully restored roundhouse, equipment and maintenance justify the hefty admission fee. Short train ride at certain times and days for an additional fee. Another transportation gem in town is the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, a mile or two north of here.

Took the grandkids there to ride the train and see the exhibits - my 32 year old son enjoyed it the most - a lot of American history here from the earliest railroad. We rode a 20 minute train ride on the first mile of track laid in the US. Lots of old engines, train cars, and stage coaches in the amazing roundhouse. Outside exhibits include model trains of different gauges and tour of rare train cars. Playground outside includes a carousel, and small train to ride. We had a toddler and she enjoyed it as well as the grade school kids. Stroller friendly for the baby. Certainly worth seeing.

This museum is fantastic. You don't need to like trains to have a good time here. Even the enter price was decent. Excellent exhibits of trains of all sizes, from small to the biggest engine built in America. The only thing I would recommend is to not go when it's hot. Some of the exhibits do not have A/C.

Some people might say “$20 to look at some old trains?”

I say yes yes yes.

First of all, the staff here is so knowledgable! I was given a near-private tour of the roundhouse part of the museum by one of their veteran volunteers which was absolutely fantastic.

Don’t miss The Allegheny in the North Car Shop, which I was told is the most powerful steam train ever made!

Fun little stop on our exploration of Baltimore. It was also free today, not sure why as it said adult fair was $20. But we made a small donation and bought some souvenir with the money instead. Lots of cool old train engines and cars to look at and even some you can go inside. You could see the young kids were really loving the place.

Be PREPARED when you use the restrooms!

Both of them are "unigender" which means that you will get a stall right next to someone who is quite possibly of the opposite gender but in the same bathroom. You will was your hands right next to someone who is possibly the opposite gender also.

These are the only bathrooms available so when your kids need to go to the bathroom then...

Let's just say that there were a LOT of very confused people - especially parents.

We visited this museum and had a fine time, but it wasn't a great fit for us. My 9/11 year olds did enjoy the scavenger hunt/get stamps but it only lasted about 10 minutes - I think both that, and some of the play areas, would be better for younger kids. As adults we enjoyed seeing the trains, and the Roundhouse was impressive, but our teens were fairly bored. Maybe we should have left them outside, but admission was expensive (and I was disappointed that the 2for1 coupon we had was honored only for a single 2for1 admission) so we didn't get much value for them. We probably should have considered that we are not huge train fans and spent our time elsewhere. I think younger children or adults would be fine, but teens without much train enthusiasm weren't a good match. We only ended up staying for an hour or so.

One of 3 RR museums I have seen, all were excellent. About two dozen massive engines many accessible to children & adults. Plus freight & passenger cars.

Smaller exhibit of exquisitely crafted models,operating model railroads and lots of photographs. Had an accurate and significant display of African-Americans and how the railroads actively discriminated against blacks while being the largest single employer of blacks. The story of A. Philip Randolph needs to be expanded; he was one of the most important Americans of his era.

Short trip on train is worth the small price.

Overlooked was anything on train operations. Could use train signal equipment and train station exhibit.

Definitely GO! Plan on half day. Wonderful for children. Has rockers out for tired parents/grandparents

Great museum, lot's of history about trains and the times. Many locomotives on display. Each locomotive has information on it's design and place in history. It's also has attractions for elementary children. We stayed 2 hours could've stayed more

This is a hidden gem of not only Baltimore history but US great for kids to explore but there is information about history which is a great learning experience

Great day Trip, daily train rides and weekly kids events, day out with Thomas the Tank Engine life size locomotive visits two week ends a year check schedule.

Yes, lots of old train engines, locomotives, and cars. You have to really be into this old iron to enjoy this lifeless, amateur, sophomoric static display. The Thomas train was filthy re-purposes MARC commuter train. Halfway through the 25 minute not quite air-conditioned ride one of the conductors yelled to the other conductor,"turn on the music". The music was all. It unintelligible played over the normal commuter train speakers. The ride itself was ten minutes going backwards out of station with bBaltimore's lovely rail side slums for scenery, and then, you guessed it, ten minutes back to station.
Sir Topham was a really cheap lifeless non-speaking high school grade sports mascot standing in one spot for photos.
Bathrooms filthy.
Food, non-existent.
Staff, detracted from even.
Bouncy house filthy.
Outdoor toy train / model train was a disappointment too but probably held kids interest the longest.
World's most pathetic "carousel".
I anaolgize entire event to showing up at a rock concert venue the day after the concert.
FYI- zero refunds, zero date or ride changes, once you have paid you are £#<€ed.

I loved this museum overall 4.5/5 . I agree with the previous reviewer it was umm.. a little weird to leave the urinal in the rest room (which was behind a door ) and come to wash your hands to see a woman standing at the other sink. I agree it’s an invitation to at the least weirdness for sure if not worse .There is 3 restrooms in the roundhouse if you want to make one of the 3 all sexes fine- but all of them I just don’t get the need for. So I’m docking a half star for that! Anyway visit during “Covid time” April 2021. So masks indoors in buildings, outside could take off on a beautiful spring day! So nice relief. No food only vending machine on site so plan ahead. Easy safe FREE parking! The Engine shop- amazing to see the really big engines! I loved the garden railway so peaceful on a 65 degree spring day! The roundhouse is amazing the flags in center with the trains is priceless Americana! however I note it IS NOT CLIMATE CONTROLLED Sooo. Could really be an issue in summer or winter! They had many awesome cars you could go in and I thought it was neat to see a Pierre Marquette engine- they made the polar express if you didn’t know..Some of the cars are air cooled or heated for relief I noticed the kids play area was OPEN which is great , kids need to play! .Stay away if your.scared ya know? Very nice little shop with B&O and railroad things..Overall I HIGHLY recommend for kids and rail fans!

This is a must see attraction for anyone with any train blood in their veins! It consists of a large museum round table and outside displays. There is also a real although short real train ride that is worth the low additional cost. The place is well kept and plenty of staff to answer any questions. During our visit there was a live taping of the place that I won't say who or where it's for so that proves it is very worthy of attention!

Awful! We went in prior years the price has gone up $36 a person and other than a super slow train ride with a view of Baltimore junkyards - they didn’t even play the Thomas theme song or blow the train horn- s, the activities were cheap, unorganized, or not operational. The outside train setup was turned off! A tiny table was set up where kids could spend 30 seconds applying a cheap tattoo. It no longer represents Thomas, it was a big waste.

A great museum---probably best train museum in the world; been to Dearborn and one in Villanova near Barcelona; terrific volunteers and plenty of information. Building is a roundhouse packed mostly with the originals and not replicas.

This is by far one of the best collections of trains and railroading equipment and memorabilia in the world.

Chock full of history, and docents eager to share stories about all the trains and the classic roundhouse. Displays indoors and outdoors, with model trains and videos and the first timepieces used on trains and by railway conductors. Interactive displays for kids and adults. We spent hours here!

It ended up being a super rainy day for our planned Baltimore day so we nixed the Fort and decided to come here. It was a really cool museum to visit. Our kids were very intrigued by all of the different engines and liked learning about them. Sometimes seeing things in front of you provides a better learning experience than just seeing pictures. We were able to see the real engines, getting a feel for their actual size compared to ourselves. The museum was split up and arranged nicely, as well. We didn't really explore outside too much because of the rain, but we were told they have some more engines to walk through out there. Our kids are a bit older so I doubt we would go back if we were in the area, but younger kids would probably love coming here more than once. Overall, it was a great last minute addition to our fall road trip!

Great place to visit with kids. Good selection of engines starting from very first ones and progressing to modern. Play area for small children, Thomas The Tank Engine visits the museum every spring and offer rides.
Pretty easy to reach the place by car. Highly recommend to visit.

If you are a railroad or history geek/need, this is the place to go. I was here over 20 years ago and came back to an expanded facility, with more exhibits and more interesting features. I spent over 2 hours here and could have stayed for 2 more hours. Worth the price of admission.

Took my adult son here, he has loved trains since he was a small child. It's a great collection. We spent about three hours here. The roundhouse is beautiful.

Visited this attraction with my daughter and two year old grandson! We spent around four hours and probably still didn't see everything. There were trains, lots of them to climb into and a Lego area, and outside there were train gardens that my grandson loved watching. There were picnic tables and small playground if you bring a snack to eat. Very clean bathrooms and attraction. All the staff were so friendly. There is even a store to purchase a souvenir of your visit. One of the best features is the FREE parking lot. Almost unheard of in downtown Baltimore. This was a really fun place to explore!

Wonderful trains with kid friendly areas. Model train set in a train car. Multiple buildings with different things to see in each one.

We toured the museum and huge roundhouse, and then boarded the train tour. Loved it Great for all ages.

This is a historic yard which has become an excellent museum with some historic trains and rolling stock. Make sure to ride the very short train on the first roadbed created in the US. Some nice themed exhibits that cover topics such as the Civil War.

This is a must see for all railroad history buffs. We did not go inside the museum this visit because it was near closing time. But we were able to see vintage trains parked outside on the site. We also visited the gift shop that contained a good selection of souvenirs to purchase.

A unique museum in an old roundhouse - one of a kind as it is a full 360 degree building, with well laid out historical displays, very kid-friendly, safe, and big-kid friendly too! Good collection of restored locomotives and cars, both indoors and outdoors, on which to climb and explore the insides. There is also offered at times, a short trip on restored passenger cars on the tracks. A stunningly built HO scale model layout of Baltimore and Western Maryland where the B&O operated, occupies one restored passenger car. Outdoor G scale layout also.

This museum is dear to my heart not just because I love trains, but because I had a relative that worked for the B&O. It is a wonderful museum of full-size engines and cars. My favorite part is to actually climb into the vehicles and think about what it was like to travel during its era.

The museum includes a roundhouse, a car shop, and a couple of platforms lined with cars to explore. A one-mile train ride is also available.

It's a great place to explore history and the importance of the railroad to our country.

As a person who has always loved trains I try to visit Railroad Museums when ever possible. The B&O has been on my list for a long time. The facility is beautiful and the collect is nice...What I didn't like is that you can't go into any of the passenger cars. They should have guided tours of all their display cars. Another thing that was a little annoying was I tried to peak in the back work shop and was chased away by a very nasty person. I explained that I was on the Board of a Florida Railroad Museum and the owner of a Private Railcar ,but that did not make any diffeneces....it was almost like trying to get into a government top secret facility...I just wanted to look in from the outside. The Round House is a wonderful place for a banquets.

We went for around two hours and spent most of the time touring the locomotives and rolling stock. There was the very first steam locomotive and a long run of examples showing the evolution in technology. There were a couple model railroads running as well. It's a true history museum and not just for kids, though several seemed to love it.

An absolutely fascinating history of the American railroad with an impressive collection of locomotives. I'm so glad that I squeezed this into my itinerary, though I'm disappointed that I just missed the guided tour of the roundhouse. Nevertheless, I was fascinated by the pristine collection of locomotives, the size and complexity of which were hard to fathom even standing right in front of them. It was so thrilled to be able to go into the cab of a couple of the engines!

What really puts this exhibit over the top for me were the museum guides. They were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, each one of them going out of their way to talk to visitors and answer their questions. You could easily tell that they were passionate and knowledgeable about trains.

Truly a gear-head's paradise, I can't recommend highly enough!

I love trains, and my Dad lives in Maryland so when the weather got too cold and windy to go to Six Flags, I decided to go here and I loved every minute of it!

Pros:

- Place was massive, you can easily take multiple hours here! There's a separate exhibit building from the roundhouse, and even a couple things outside!

- The short train ride was fun!

- Staff is extremely friendly!

- Very quiet atmosphere, might depend on crowd size though.

- The museum was clean!

Nitpicks:

- Some of the exhibits do need cosmetic repairs.

Cons:

- One of the most beautiful locomotives in the museum was blocked by a tent promoting "Day Out With Thomas".

Here's some advice, when you hop on the train ride, the best views are in the right hand seats when you board the train, the left is just a bunch of trees.

I really enjoyed my experience with the B&O Railroad Museum and I am willing to come back!

Visited in December 2019 for the holiday train ride and festivities. All I can say it was absolutely wonderful. From the scenes that were set up, to the characters along the walk and on the train. Outstanding performances by all.

My mother loves trains, loves the history and loved visiting this place. I took her as a suprise and she smiled as soon as she saw the sign. The older trains were very cool, they interesting to all ages, and it was nice to be able to see inside them and get in them. We went to all the areas and saw everything. We were able to get in for free since she is military. The gift shop was a bit small so we got a magnet and a card. Great time!

We had to stop here as I absolutely love trains and museums. The trip was totally worth the mile walk from the harborfront. We started in the main roundhouse and worked our way around the exhibits from the early wagon days to more modern trains. The exhibits are maticulously detailed, some with period piece manequins and artifacts. Very well appointed and fun. We meandered over to the workshop which houses some amazing antique mamouths - beautiful specimens from the golden age of trains, some under repairs. The outdoor exhibits were no less exciting, with an old train car housing quite an impressive model train exhibit. There was other model train exhibits including a large one in the courtyard. We wound up our visit inside the roundhouse, watching a life like robotic bust of the founder of B&O RR which was cool. The model trains in the adjoining room were interesting as well, depicting the history of trains throughout the ages. Excellent museum for the kids. There were some old train experts on hand to field questions. Highly recommended.

This is a fun little self guided adventure to see all the old trains and the turnaround. It's in downtown Baltimore and has a parking lot, which is a bonus.

The B & O Museum offers many events for children. The area is well spaced out and there are activities for the children to explore. There is an operating train which children can experience. Great experience!

It was a warm day, but the air conditioned train cars made it a good day. The model trains were great and the large trains themselves were also impressive. Any train enthusiast or anyine interested in American history will find the visit well worth it. Just bring snacks and water for the young ones.

I love that the museum is what remains of the old train yard and the number and variety of train cars is remarkable. I also enjoyed how many of the cars can be entered adding to the experience and the stories of the trains and railroad. We took a train to Baltimore and seeing the museum not only helped me understand the history of trains in the US but the still important role railroads play in our lives. The museum also fueled my hope for the future. There are many limitations currently but trains are a delightful way to travel and the experience is worth preserving.

After touring Johns Hopkins University with my high school son, we found this museum on Trip Advisor. Great Find - what pre-engineering student doesn't like trains?!
The place is beautiful and lots to see and learn (even if you aren't into trains so much). They have some great rocking chairs in the roundhouse that worked well for my sister when she had had enough railroading! We spent more than 2 hours here and would have spent more but we had to get to Washington DC for dinner.
The beginning of the exhibit is the best part - don't miss the B&O Railroad founder - - best museum devise I have seen in a while. There was lots to learn about the post-Civil War history of our country - not just trains. Highly recommended for an educationally fun family trip - especially when combined with college tour of JHU.
The place is spread out and we wished we had found the tour guide in the large train workshop outside the roundhouse - he had some great stories but we had to leave before we had heard them all.
Cons: the price ($20 each)

Interesting and fun museum! It is filled with old train cars that you can visit and view. You can also experience the history of the railroad and take a ride on an old steam train. Lots of fun!

A great place to be part of the B&O Railroad museum. Good and very well maintained exhibits. Good for school going childrens.

This museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, is a first class attraction for all ages. The gorgeous roundhouse contains several train cars in mint condition, and there's additional rolling stock outside. Excellent displays in the special collections room. Small, but well-stocked, gift shop too.

Damn, there are a lot of really cool trains here! Big ones, small ones, some that you can walk through. Even the buildings are very cool. You should go.

Nov. 2019, Went down to the B&O RR Museum and went on the "Polar Express" Experience. What a Top-Notch experience, especially for the kids.
Hot Cocoa & Cookies on the train ride, Then went into the museum that was all decked out for Christmas.
What a great day was had by all.

Lots of history. There's plenty of interesting exhibits. Not just trains. The building itself is an architectural marvel. Nice for adults and children.

We had some free time one Saturday morning and landed here. What a delightful experience. The best rolling stock round house, and expert docents. Well worth your while.

We went on one of the hottest days in July and sought out spaces with AC. The turntable room is not 1 of those spaces. As interesting as the trains in building were, it was way to hot to enjoy them thoroughly. The gift shop and certain cars in the train yard were. They also canceled the afternoon train ride due to heat. Overall they had an impressive display of trains, a decent gift shop, and ample parking. We took a cab not expecting a parking lot and the staff was very helpful in assisting us in contacting 1 for our return to our hotel. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the temps were below 90.

Just a fun museum with a staggering amount of engines and other cars from the dawn of American railroading. Includes a couple of beautifully designed electric train layouts. Lots of children's activities throughout. There is a short train trip available a couple of times a day for an extra fee. The B&O roundhouse is spectacular on its own.

Had fun visiting here. It was interesting to see the history of RR , esp. that RR got their start here in Baltimore. Worth seeing!!

If you are a fan of railroading. This is a must see! The restored round house is beautiful. Lots of trains for the kids to get in and out of, and lots of interesting facts to be learned. Adults interested in railroading will not be bored

This is a must-see for families with small children. When our children were toddlers and preschool aged, they adored the B&O museum. They still enjoy it once in a while now that they are in elementary school. There are many train cars for children to climb in and some interactive exhibits inside the beautiful roundhouse. In addition, they love the short train ride (though it is not very picturesque). At the holidays, they do a beautiful model train display and have Frosty and Santa riding on the trains for the kids to meet and take photos with.

We also attended a wedding there and it was a beautiful venue for a special event!

I think the general ticket prices are a bit high, but a membership is very reasonable and if you live nearby and plan to go more than a time or two, it's a great value!

They do a really do a great job of holding kid friendly events (especially for he Thomas obsessed set). The collection is huge and well presented. There are attractions both inside and outside the buildings and a brief ride you can take on a train.

We went to the museum during their annual "Day out with Thomas" and had a great time. The museum itself was bigger than I expected and we plan on going back to just see the museum at a later date as some of the exhibits were covered up/closed due to the event. Their website does a good job at describing the museum and your can't beat the free parking.

This railroad museum was very impressive. They had lots of trains to view. The place was very well maintained. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. We would highly recommend you to visit this museum.

I have been wanting to visit the B&O for years, having grown up in a Railfan family. It was a fun way to spend a few hours. We stayed about two hours and took the train ride. The collection is impressive and well maintained. Informative displays and some are interactive. Everyone was friendly and helpful. We had three adults and a 12 year old in our group (all women) and everyone enjoyed it. About a 20 minute walk from Inner Harbor. A straight line from the convention center, so it was easy to find. There is a small cafe, but I didn’t eat there just bought a water. It is very clean and well kept.

A sprawling museum with real engines and trains going back more than a hundred years, it is amazing how nicely the exhibits are organized and displayed.

If you're a real train buff, then you're going to love this museum. They have several life-sized engines, passenger cars, etc, inside a rotunda, as well as outside. There were some interesting displays about early trains, clocks and telegraphs. A great learning experience. There is an outside play area for the little ones, including a carousel. Highly recommend this museum.

One of the finest railroad museums i have ever been to.The roundhouse is spectacular and the trains inside and out cover the B&O history. I spent over four hours walking the grounds and displays. Have train ride and car shop here also.The grounds are huge and the displays she popping, even kids play area with train themed carousel.I have visited the North Carolina Transportation Museum, California State Railroad Museum, Colorado Railroad Museum and this one ranks in top five.

The museum has an impressive collection of train engines and cars dating back before the civil war. I am not particularly interested in trains and was still fascinated by the collection.

Another great place in Baltimore that is full of history. Walk amoung the railcars and locomotives that shaped America.

Unbelievable collection. Saw engines I did know existed. Just an amazing museum. I will go back again the next time I'm in Baltimore.

Went to Baltimore for an extended weekend and this was recommended by a fellow traveler at our hotel. We had the best time ever! This museum, where trains are arranged in circle under a cupola, depicts how America evolved from the 1800s on, with highlights on industrial growth, communication, and the effect transportation had on the war. Rich information, fun activities, plan a good 2 1/2 hours to see it all. Also would be an amazing spot for a kid's birthday party!

Great for all that love trains. All ages will enjoy the tour. Worth the trip and visit. Have fun. These trains you cannot run since they are very big. LOL.

We visited this museum during Christmas time, and we were so glad. The museum had beautiful Christmas themed decorations, and also model train layouts. The Mile One Express Train Rides was enjoyable as well.

Plan at least 2-3 hours here. There is something for every age group here. Do not forget to check out there events page before you go, as they seem to have quite a variety of them throughout the year.

If you have a train enthusiast in your group this is the place to go.
Lots of memorabilia and trains. The round house is especially impressive.

Enjoyed the museum and all the history surrounding trains and the area. Much of the museum is not air conditioned and was hot when we were there. There are sections with ac so you can cool off viewing some sections before returning to the big trains. Took the train ride which was interesting but very short.

This museum is filled with all different types of trains. Most of them you are not allowed to go into. They had a childrens section. The trains that were outside were the only ones you could climb onto. The parking was free.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the museum. The roundhouse is spectacular! It’s filled with a wide variety of train engines, train cars, and other related items including some very rare or “last-one-remaining” ones.
The model trains in the museum hall were amazing! The volunteer we spoke to was very informative, explaining and demonstrating how the “Clearance car” worked. And I overheard some interesting commentary from one of the other guides as well. There is also a train-themed play area for children.
I especially appreciated that there are ramps and decks connecting the train cars so that the inside views are easily accessible to everyone. Due to my physical limitations, the museum was too large for me to visit all at one time (over forty acres!) But when we had walked as much I as could, I enjoyed sitting for a rest in one of the many comfortable rocking chairs placed around the beautiful, sunny roundhouse.
Note Re: accessibility: A website for handicapped travelers (not the official museum web site) mentioned that scooters were available at the museum for rent. I didn’t realize until we got there, that they meant those little narrow scooters you can stand on, not the mobility scooters that I normally use. (Wish those had been an option.)
The only minor little snag was that there was no one at the check-in desk when we arrived and we stood there for awhile waiting until finally another guest came over to tell us we needed to go into the gift shop area to buy our tickets. (There was still no one there when we left, and other people were standing there patiently waiting for no one.). If there isn’t going to be anyone to cover that desk it would be nice if there were at least a sign so people don’t stand there waiting on the kindness of strangers to direct them.
To buy tickets, you have to stand in the same line that people are using to buy gifts and souvenirs . Although the young woman appeared to be working as hard as she could, the line was quite long and very slow. Would be nice if they had more staff to help in that area.
But overall, a very enjoyable and informative visit.

Even if machines do not interest you the history laid out in the round house is well worth the small price of admission.

A wonderful find. Beautifully maintained engines to remind one of the romantic and glory days of early rail travel. Hosted by friendly and knowledgeable volunteers, this beautifully and accessibly curated display is a joy. Loved the 1.5 mile trip along the first ever piece of railroad to carry a passenger train. Certainly worth a visit when in Baltimore

Largest civil war engine collection in the country! so much history in this place inside and out! A train lovers paradise

My significant other is a train nut and he was in heaven to be here I must've taken 50 pictures of him with the trains. Very informative about how important the trains were and in what capacity over their history. Even I loved it and I'm not that big of a fan! A must see - and don't forget to take a train ride!

Traveling with a 5yo and twin 2.5yo. As with any museum, there's some reading, but the kids enjoyed looking at the different trains in the museum and playing with the red flags on the stage, in another part. Do the Roundhouse after the museum part! In the Roundhouse, the kids could walk through and see lots of different trains/train cars (no AC, just fans in there so keep that in mind). There is also a kids section where there's a train table and books, etc. Even though my kids have a train table, this one was sought after and they didn't want to leave! We did the little train ride and our guide on board was excellent (history/information for the parents). After the ride, the kids played at the little playground and watched the motorized train setup. The education center wasn't open, so I can't comment on that, which was a bummer because I thought it would be geared towards kids? Overall a good experience, just a little pricey.

Since we arrived in Baltimore in the afternoon, we only had 2 hours to view the museum. The trains in the roadhouse were amazing and showed the progression of technology. I had never seen some of the trains before. If we had known the museum closed early we may have gone through faster but enjoyed what we were able to experience.

The Select Registry 50th Anniversary Gala was hosted at this amazing museum. From the warm staff welcome to the gracious farewell, this property and staff were great! First, the museum was so interesting. Second, it was the perfect venue for anniversary celebration. Highly recommend you visit soon, and consider it for your next large function.

A family outing to this railroad museum to see the trains. It was also the weekend for the annual Day out with Thomas. Hot weather so the museum is not air conditioned. It was hot in there. Plenty of activities for the children. Photographic opportunities galore. There us a short ride on Thomas the train but the younger children love the ride. There is a Conductor on the train but he didn't come down through our train car. After the ride the children are given Junior conductor certificate. Children must also collect 4 stamps from different locations throughout the museum. At the end of the day, they turn in the completed stamped card and receive a gift.
All of the outside playground rides are free during Thomas visit ( such as the carousel, train ride, bouncy houses).
Would highly recommend this event and the train museum. It is so nice to be able to walk into some if the trains and to view closeup their physical size. Children enjoy

We thought we were going to spend 30 minutes. It took three hours and we left only because we had to be somewhere else. Great layout, with an array of model engines, a great display about the rise of telegraphy, and a roundhouse FULL of engines and other cars. You can also visit the repair shop, and see work in progress. (And, of course, a gift shop!)

The museum has lots of great history. However, as we went to the restroom with our 8 yo daughter and 11 yo son in the “all gender restrooms”, my little girl could CLEARLY see right inside the men’s urinal stall as she walked by. If you want to be politically correct and inclusive, you have to do it safely for all. As it is, there is absolutely no privacy. Not only can one look over the stall, the walls don’t go all the way to the sides, so you can see right in. HELlO! Can the manager or whoever made this decision please get their head out of the sand and either do like the Europeans and redesign the restrooms so that the stalls are completely enclosed, or go back to men/women only!? Political correctness has sucked the brains right out of society. We would never recommend this museum for groups with kids until the situation is corrected. It’s simply not safe to let kids go by themselves and an invitation for predators.

My family did the Polar Express experience and the kids had a blast. I enjoyed the museum more though. They have many historical trains on display in a nice building. I recommend this for the train lovers in the family.

Great collection of old trains , for people who like wondering around .
We was surprise about restroom selection .How it possible all family must use same toilet ,boys and girls together ?It is public place and use toilet must be little more privacy.

First time here since about 15 years ago when we lived in MD. Very neat to see the history of the B&O Railroad, and all of the old modes of travel via the railway. Even if you are not a history buff, you have to be in awe of the things that were built before many modern machines were invented. Just imagine the engineers that built these machines on paper, instead of using computer. Lots of brain power used to make these a reality.

We enjoyed exploring the various exhibits and family activities. There are train rides throughout the day along with an area for younger kids to play with trains and tracks. There is also a little family guide with stations throughout the museum. Lots of info that connects Baltimore to the bigger history of the 19th century throughout the United States. Definitely a must visit for train enthusiasts!

The museum has free parking. You can see many train engines and cars from the parking lot. You enter the museum into the gift shop and pay your admission. This is a much better museum than I had anticipated. There are models, actual rail cars, historical information, and a roundhouse. The roundhouse was my favorite part, because it gives a true feel for what goes on in a roundhouse (the cars are stationary, but seeing the actual tracks is eye-opening). There are many train cars on display outside the museum building and there is a garden railroad. There are optional train rides. COVID-19: the staff wear face coverings and visitors are expected to wear them as well as observe social distancing.

The museum itself was beautiful inside, with lots of historical information. The outdoor part was a bit disappointing as all the amenities were out of order or closed.
Very upsetting that the bathrooms were not clearly marked male and female. Each one had a male in it so when I went to take my toddler in it made for an incredibly uncomfortable situation as I then had to go back out and wait. Should be illegal to put a child in that kind of situation.

We had intended to visit the Baltimore Museum of Industry but learned it is closed on Mondays (Who Knew?). We had a few hours to fill before leaving Baltimore and decided to visit the B&O Museum. That turned out to be an excellent choice.
I’ve been to a lot of transportation museums, and this was one of the most complete railroad museums I’ve visited. The B&O railroad history is well presented with a lot of rolling stock on display supplemented by smaller exhibits and information.
Unfortunately, the roundhouse was stifling. In addition to the oppressive heat in the roundhouse, there was some obnoxious background noise that was very unpleasant. I don’t know if the noise was from some piece of equipment or a failed audio system, but between the heat and noise, the roundhouse was uncomfortable. I understand that a space like that cannot be air conditioned, but it at least needs to be ventilated.
The exhibits beyond the roundhouse were extensive, including the repair shop. There is lots of rolling stock, some of which have displays inside the railcars. Many of those are under a roof, which was handy due to rain on the day we visited. Because rolling stock is inherently large and confined to tracks, displaying a lot of rolling stock requires a lot of space. The B&O Museum does an excellent job of presenting a lot of rolling stock in about the most compact space possible, but it still requires a fair bit of walking and some of the displays are completely out in the weather. Not a problem at all, but weather is a consideration when you visit. Appropriate shoes and clothing are a must.
There’s a small café with seating inside and outside plus plenty of seating around the museum. You can take as much or as little time as you like. We arrived by taxi and didn’t need to park but parking was clearly available.
A lot of the rolling stock was beautifully restored, which is something many railroad exhibits seem to miss. There’s no doubt that restoring rolling stock requires a lot of time, effort and money but it goes a long way to presenting history without displaying a greasy, dirty piece of old equipment. Railroad equipment is often very dirty when in use but in a museum setting the display should showcase engineering and technology, not the dirt. The B&O museum got that aspect right.
We spent about 2.5 hours there and could have spent more if the roundhouse had been a bit more comfortable. Some of the ancillary equipment displayed was very impressive, such as the watches and clocks used for timekeeping. However, I felt the museum was a little short on these types of displays. Things like communications gear, couplings, brake systems, signaling and switching were covered to varying degrees, but I feel like they were not as well presented as they could have been.
Overall, it was a very positive experience. If you’re a rail fan, this is a must-see museum. If you’re a student of U.S. History, this is a must see museum. If you just like transportation museums and want to experience one that is centered on railroads, this is worth the time and money.

This is a wonderful museum for those who love the old trains. There is parking available on the property for museum visitors (and street parking available, too) There are loads of engines, interesting exhibits, good descriptions which are interesting and easily understood and long enough to inform but not overly long. Because of my arthritis issues I figured I was good for about 3 hours and I was able to cover it in that time frame, You easily pass from one room to the next and there's lots to see in each. An add-on charge is for a short train ride (with audio) was surprisingly inexpensive and enjoyable. Out in back of the museum is a very well-done model train set-up and a play area for children (with a small carousel). All the kids I saw seemed to really be enjoying the museum. There were lots of docents around to answer questions. One I spoke to had been an engineer for a couple of decades prior to retiring. He was a delight to talk to. When the old Capital (ran from here to Chicago) was being retired, I tracked it for several miles (from crossing to crossing until it finally left me behind)... to say "good bye" ...turns out he had worked on it I rode on that train several times going to and from college AmTrack gets me places, but I really miss the old trains and this visit brought back loads of memories, as well as informing me about stuff I never knew or was aware of. While many museum use replicas, the engines here are the real McCoy.

Baltimore is a great city to visit. One of the highlights for me is the B&O railroad museum. You can definitely spend half a day here. The museum is situated on the old rail yards near Pig Town and has a huge selection of engines and rolling stock to see. Aside from this the Roundhouse (the old turntable building) has displays on US railway history, civil war history and details how the railways 'won the west'. There are model railway exhibits, carriages, a replica of Lincolns funeral car and even workshops set up to show how the yards worked in their heyday. I loved it and I would thoroughly recommend a visit. There is a large car park but you can walk to it from the Inner Harbor area if you wish, as I did. Oh and for young children there are special events and play areas.

We spent two hours in heavy traffic to get here, but it was well worth the trip. We arrived shortly before their only train ride of the day departed the Roundhouse for its trip down the line. It was a nice ride in 1st class as we had a conductor who had great knowledge of the line and its surroundings. Upon return to the roundhouse we walked around all of the exhibits and saw a large number of old steam locomotives and a couple of electrics. We also saw beautiful models of locomotives and rolling stock. The workers at the museum were extremely courteous and friendly. I highly recommend visiting this museum. There was an outdoor "garden" railroad that is well done and there was a number of pieces of rolling stock on display outside too.

My son has always been intrigued by trains. The museum's history is worth the visit, regardless of whether you're a fan of trains or not, it was a great experience to learn about the history of trains dating back to the 1800s.

Enjoyed the self tour and it is a gorgeous historic building! The volunteers were very helpful and knowledgeable.

Engines from every era. Interesting reading material. Tour guide needs a little more practice, but is very friendly. Would like more exposure to the passenger experience, like a walk-through of the Pullman Sleeper Coach

Baltimore's B&O Railroad was the oldest railroad in the US, and the legendary Tom Thumb, first US Steam Locomotive, was produced here by Peter Cooper in early 1800s. At the museum, you'll find various types of railroad locomotives on display in a historical roundhouse. A few blocks away, you can visit the Babe Ruth Museum, in a house where he actually lived a child. Babe's father owned a saloon on what is now Camden Yards, home of baseball's Baltimore Orioles where Babe started his career.

If you love trains, this is the place for you. Even those people who are only mildly interested in trains will find this a great museum. A fabulous collection in a historic roundhouse.

Very informative and fun museum. Could spend all day except that it was only lightly air conditioned. So we did all right in the wheel house but not in the outer train depot or outside. Definitely would come back when it is not quite so warm!

It just happened to be raining the day we decided to visit and it did not affect us at all. The indoor carousel houses many different types of trains, some that you can walk through. The floor the trains come in on is remarkable, read the story at the center of the floor. There is another building the houses some of the trains where I believe that may be used for reconditioning them. There is a room where people have put together model trains showing the different types and uses for them. We spent 2.5 hours visiting, 45 minutes waiting and riding a train down the original first laid tracks. The train ride may be appealing for the kids, but as an adult this was passable, only $3, so no regrets. There is also many trains outside waiting to be restored that you can walk around. It really is amazing to see the size and weight of these different trains up close. We would definitely re-visit.

Just went yeasterfay to participate in their Christmas celebration. Enjoyed every bit of our visit. This is my grandson's favorite museum of all time and he's only 7! Many activities - pics with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Santa train ride, carousel, play stations, etc. Worth a trip there every time, eeven if not at the holidays. They also supplyu a search card for kids to locate certain spots and they then imprint the card when they find the stations! A cafe serves your typical fare - chcicken fingers, pizza, pretzels, etc.

Granny babysitting 4 yr old Grandson for a week in the winter. Boy did I need ACTIVE activities for a train crazy kid. This was a very good choice! The Choo-Choo Blue's Stamping Stations passbook provided incentive to tour all parts of the museum that appeal to youngsters. Grandson thought he had just hit heaven with the expansive children's play area. We had a full day of fun there. It was especially great when he made friends with a 4 yr old girl - having a buddy his own size to tour with. I quickly discovered that many moms seek this museum out for entertaining their kids. Good Choice! (Bet it's even better in warmer weather.) BTW: all the staff was very nice, including the older gentlemen in the rocking chairs by the trains, and the nice lady at the information desk in the Roundhouse. Every train guy we spoke to enjoyed sharing their knowledge and answering questions.

I never ever write reviews but I would like to save other families from being disappointed. My daughter is 6 and to say she was excited for this "Polar Express" ride was an understatement. We bought matching pajamas and everything lol. Well our experience ended up being horrible. The employees were the only thing that we enjoyed. To begin the actual ride to the "north pole" was uncomfortable. It was raining that day and there was a horrible leak from the top of the train right onto our seats the whole ride. The decorations didn't make you feel like you were on the polar Express at all and the seats were dirty and ripped in some places ( on top of soaked from the leak ). Santa comes to visit everyone at some point during the ride but his beard is falling off his face and my daughter could tell immediately that he wasn't real. The worst part of the whole thing is there is no way to fool your kid if they are above the age of 3. The train just takes you back to where you started so how is your kid supposed to believe that we went to the north pole. My daughter even asked me why we had to take the ride in the first place lol. I have heard how amazing the Polar Express ride is in other states so I guess it may just be Baltimores ride. If you are going to buy tickets to the polar Express DO NOT go to the Baltimore one. Driving to another state is going to be worth it trust me.

This is a great place to spend several hours and get acquainted with the development of the railroad in the USA. And, parking is free!
The museum opens at 10 on the dot, provides a senior discount, and has great exhibits as well as a tourist shop. There is also a train ride tour available. The central exhibit area is a "Roundhouse", a very large dome structure. Lots of early engines, good information for the historically minded, and stuff for the children to keep their interests.

Displays of old train cars, and models of old train cars. Plaques describe history of railroad, labor issues and strikes, and role in the Underground Railroad (a bit too politically correct, but still enlightening).

Was on polar express and they advertised hot cocoa and cookie. We have two excited kids which were heartbroken when we get on the train and get a packet of hot cocoa and cookie and told can’t eat the cookie till off and obviously no hot cocoa.

They should have advertised this and saved us an afternoon of waiting and waiting only to have sad kids.

Save you money and find another polar express who actually serves. This isn’t a covid thing or else why pack us on?

Took our 18 month old grandson out on an outing on a cold winter’s day. While the smaller exhibits went unnoticed, he loved the freedom the wide open Roundhouse provided. Besides exploring the open passenger cars and steam engine, there was the children’s play area and small carousel. Although cold, he enjoyed the slide and outside displays. Highly recommend for a cold or rainy day.

This is a beautful train engine roundhouse built in the 1800s that houses train engines, coal cars and some passenger cars from pre-civil war up through more modern times. It is very informative and also has many hands-on activities for children as well as adults. It also has a huge outdoor area with several other trains on tracks as well as a large outdoor miniature train set. There is also another building where they repair the engines and it is open to the public as well. This has many other kinds of train engines and cars located within. This is a place to take the whole family! I can't say enough about this place! Depending on your level of interest, it takes about 1 1/2- 2 hours to see everything.

Adult or child, train enthusiast or bored person looking for a day out, you will find something to like here. The exhibits are a bit text-heavy, but it is easy to pick and close what to read and find plaques with good tid-bits. It is a well done, well present museum, that reflects the years of research and planning that must have gone into it. They are plenty of interactive components and my favorite part was the train car you could walk through and really get the feel of.

We had hoped to do this a few years ago, but waited until after he pandemic hoping to give out 5 year old a memorable experience. He was so excited and told all his friends at school that he was going to the polar express.

In short, we did it and we will never do it again and I recommend you look elsewhere. Because I can’t believe we spent $172 for two adults and the child to do this experience on top of the hour and a half ride up to Baltimore.

You are asked to arrive at 1 PM only to stand in a line for 45 minutes with young children, waiting to get on the train…. This is after you’ve already waited in line outside because they don’t let you inside to do next line before 1 PM

They’re blasting dance music and have one activity for kids to color a gingerbread house on a lunch bag, which took about five minutes. Then you think somethings going to happen and what do they do but put up a scene from the movie on a big screen that we’ve all already seen 20 times.

And finally you get to board the train one hour later. The train that we were on in bronze class was basically a dressed up Marc train.

The museum is not in a great place in Baltimore and the train that you get on has the windows covered in “white snow” because the train basically drives 15 minutes out and 15 minutes back at 5 mph and all you would see are the crappy parts of the Baltimore next to the tracks.

They had the dancing chefs, they had the hot chocolate and cookie, they had the punching of the tickets, and they had Santa come through for a picture. But honestly, from a creativity perspective, there’s so much more that they could’ve done. There is no singing of carols and it felt like a get them in and get them out experience. All the parents honestly looked miserable.

Having grown up in a railroad household I've had the opportunity to visit many railroad museums but the B&O Railroad Museum is now at the top of my list. This is one of the most kid-friendly museums we've visited and my boys thoroughly enjoyed our visit. From the largest variety of rolling stock and locomotives in the area to the Mile One Express train ride, you will not leave disappointed. This is a must-see with the kiddos during your trip to Baltimore.

A fun and enlightening step back in time. Took the train ride out on America's first mile of commercial rail track!

This was my husband and my first time visiting the museum and we brought our 2 year old for the breakfast with Santa experience. It couldn't have been a better time! She loves trains so just from the trains parked outside, she was so happy. The breakfast was simple: eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, fruit, coffee/milk/oj. Santa and Mrs.Clause were walking around towards the end of breakfast then we lined up for photos with Santa. The line went quick as they capped off the event at a perfect amount of people. Then we did a train ride with Santa and Mrs.Clause. They walked through the cars saying "Hi" to everyone. The kids area included about 6 train tables and legos. This was a great activity also. I would definitely recommend the museum with anyone who has kids ages 2+. Great time!

This place is stellar during the holiday season. They decorate the inside and outside to honor the diverse range of celebrations that occur during the end of the year. The trains are interactive and there is plenty for children to see and experience. The center of the museum has a mini train set--this place is delightful for photographers.

Wonderful museum with an extensive display of trains. The train ride was short but worth the price of the coach ticket. This would have been a five star experience for our family but the public bathrooms are "all gender" and were very awkward to figure out. There was confusion for not only our family but others who were trying to figure out which restroom to use. One says without urinal and the other with urinal. We felt uncomfortable with our young children being in a non-private public restroom with adults of the opposite sex.

There was so much to see and do that we spent the entire day there. Self-guided tour. Enjoyed seeing the past alive. Many locomotives and passenger cars, from antique to modern, to see and learn about. The model railroad inside one of the cars was pretty spectacular too. The way the museum is put together there is something for everyone to enjoy from the very young up to the young at heart. A wonderful experience recommended for the whole family.

The B&O Railroad Museum has an impressive collection of steam locomotives and rolling stock as well as some diesels. One of the highlights is the roundhouse that was restored after the roof caved in after a heavy snowfall. A visit to the roundhouse to view the timber work in the ceiling is worth the price of the admission alone. The roundhouse contains a collection of steam locos from the 19th century which were included in the B&Os historic collection which the railroad maintained to celebrate historical events. Locomotives from the 20th Century include an example of the famous President class Pacific type passenger locomotive and a Mikado freight locomotive which was the first of the of the type when the railroads were managed by the government (USRA) during the First World War. Other locomotives include a C&O Allegheny type which was one of the heaviest and powerful locomotives ever built.
While the museum is of interest to the rail fan, the exhibits will appeal to the general public as well with items exhibited in historical contexts including a signal cabin. Model trains will also be of interest to the younger visitors as well as a short train ride.

I've loved trains my whole life. I'm an avid model railroader. This is one place I've
been wanting too visit for a long time and finally got the chance. Marshall was our tour guide for the roundhouse. His knowledge and patience in answering questions, places him in the upper echelon of RR guides. The quality and quantity of steam engines from 1830 to the 1950's was an unexpected surprise. The car shop held another surprise, a 2-6-6-6 C&O Allegheny, one of the most powerful steam locomotives.
If you love trains, especially steam engines, please visit the B&O museum.

You won't be disappointed.

Additionally they have an indoor HO layout in a passenger car and there is a Garden railroad outside with push button operation for any and all. There are more amenities for the kids.

Enjoy!

If you are train buff this place is for you! Lots of different kinds of trains from all different times in history.

This is a great place to visit! There is a parking lot, but it is also within a pretty easy walk from the waterfront district. Once you buy your ticket in the gift shop, you get a map and can wander the museum as you please. The best part is the Roundhouse where you get to walk through the history of railroad cars and engines. You get to climb aboard many of the cars and see some really cool exhibits. Definitely a good spot for kids who love railroads. Outside the Roundhouse, you can see more cars. There is a great model train set in one of those along with a bunch of other cool stuff like the first refrigerated railcars.
You don't need to be a railroad enthusiast to enjoy this museum. The history and innovation elements are tied in to all the exhibits.

I last visited the museum before the roundhouse was storm damaged and was delighted to find that at this point all appears restored.

While some of the older locomotives are replica's they are now nearly 100 years old in their own right. What the museum shows is the development of motive power from horse drawn through steam to diesel. It's the technical growth around the time of the Civil War that seems to show the most progress and the tie in to the war explains the very human interaction with railroad growth and importance to the nation's expansion.

For the youngest visitors there is an area dedicated to Thomas the Tank Engine with interactive toys for their play. A visit to the workshop shows the incredible size to which steam locomotives grew, their driving wheels dwarfing adults. Several locos are open to the public to sit in the cabs and you'll see how little ahead the crew could see. Just as well they ran an a set track!

On old passenger car has been made over as an HO Model Railway which was an attraction for young and old. Another is as built for the US Army in WW2 to carry troops complete with bunks.

There are numerous models throughout showing loco types not actually on display and there is a fine collection of watches and clocks as a reminder that accurate time keeping was maintained by the railroads across many time zones.

Even if accompanying a railroad enthusiast but not one yourself if you have any interest in American History this museum is a must.

Hadn't been here since I was little. We took the grandkids (3 yrs old) They loved it, many activities and they loved the train ride. So does the husband , he is a train lover.

We spent over four hours here, most of it with a wonderful volunteer guide. I learned about steam travel but also how a steam engine works. I saw lots of trains from different time periods. It turned out to be a high point of my Baltimore trip.

That said, the information pieces about African-American conductors were... insulting. Some info was correct but most portrayed the B&O, and the railroad industry in general, as a caring employer. That is incorrect with respect to employees of color on the passenger rail lines. I wish they'd have been honest.

The trains in this full 360 degree roundhouse chronicle the progress of American transportation, industry, and economic history.
We took the roundhouse tour at 11 am, ate the lunch we'd packed at the on-premises picnic tables, and continued with the 2 pm tour of the north mechanical and train building shop. OK, we like trains.
Volunteers offer the tours. Some engines, cars, and cabooses are open for walk-thru. Plenty of vintage supportive equipment is around, and the venerable century-and-a-half old buildings help one to transition back to the heyday years.
Price is an issue, with Tuesday discounts and Entertainment Book coupons helping out. But the roundhouse must be seen from the inside. Free, attended parking.

In the neighborhood are Irish History museum, Hollins Market and Zella's Pizza, providing history, history/food, and a hip/delicious/reasonably priced sitdown restaurant, respectively.
During the daytime use the Charm City Circulator (free bus) from downtown or Harbor East and walk among these. (At night, don't, but you could drive to Zella's.)

B&O Museum is a first day of the vacation site for train lovers and folks avoiding touristy hype for what's real. Also on first day should be Ft. McHenry.
For everyone else it's a second day attraction no matter how many days you are here.

What an amazing facility! My wife, who is not a train person, was skeptical about going. However, once we got there and saw the amazing historical items and trains, she even came around and ended up loving it!

There is so much to see here in terms of history, actual locomotives, and various model trains as well. It was truly amazing! We will definitely be going back!

My Husband flipped out when he saw all the cool trains and railroad memorabilia! He was like a kid in a candy store. Lots of knowledgeable volunteers there to give you lots of information if you so desire.

I’m a train enthusiast from the UK so it was great to see the engines and history of the B&O railroad. I would highly recommend visiting the section on the Underground Railroad which is a bit hidden away. Also the segregated coach and the Jim Crow section was very informative.
We ate lunch at the cafe, fabulous service from the community kitchen staff.
The engine shed worth checking out, especially for any enthusiast.
We took the train ride, informative commentary but not necessarily our favourite part of the visit.
The layouts were great too.
Overall it was a great day, even for my husband who isn’t such a train buff!

I visited this museum with my kids aged 4 and 6 and we had fun. Kids loved the train ride. What has puzzled me and ruined the experience for us is their gender neutral bathroom policy. Those are not private cabins but just typical stadium type of bathrooms that are gender neutral. Basically my 4 year old daughter needs to use the same restroom at the same time as a full-grown man who might be using a urinal. There could be pedophile in these restrooms spying on kids. This is just insane, a safety issue and a lawsuit just waiting to happen. They really need to re-think this gender neutral policy.

Two years ago, I took my grandson to the Polar Express experience in Elkins, WV.The Baltimore experience was very different. The cost was $47 per adult and that included a one + hour wait in line. It was hard on the kids and hard on the adults. There was no reason for this. We were given a seat on the train where we were served lukewarm hot chocolate in a paper cup along with a sugar cookie. The windows on the train were covered with paper decorated with stars. This was to prevent you from looking out the window as the train made its way to the North Pole. Two young men did their best to sing and dance up and down the aisle. Santa arrived and spoke to each child and gave them a little bell. The Santa was well done and the kids were thrilled. Once we got to the North Pole, the doors to the train opened and we were led into the museum. There were lights and Christmas decorations and plenty of photo opportunities to be had. It wasn't worth $47 per adult. I had been to the Elkins, WV, Polar Express and it was a was a wonderful experience. We were seated at a table and were given a commemorative mug, a beautiful bell, and a sugar cookie. The train ride was nice and we looked out the windows as we chugged along to North Pole. The next time we go, we'll make the trek to West Virginia. It was reasonably priced and extremely well done.

This has to be one of the nicest and well maintained museum I've been too. They have a gorgeous round house that has an operating turn table. There collection includes trains I have never seen before. The engines are well maintained and some of the best refurbished trains I've seen. We loved the various different displays and they have lots of stuff for the kids to do. They have a very nice HO gauge layout in one of the cars and a very nice display of model trains.

Find history captured in real time. A gem of a museum. If you think you know about trains visit the B&O and get schooled. There is an era train for early American history to recent.
The roundhouse is full of locomotives and cars. We visited on a HOT day and the roundhouse was getting the baby overheated. Some exhibits allow entry so you can experience the feel of being the engineer or the passenger. There is a family amusement area, party room available, snack bar and one of the finest model railroad setups ever (and it is in the A/C). Of course ther is a gift shop.
There is a shop area originally used to build train cars stuffed with locomotives too big to get in the roundhouse. The museum is in west Baltimore. The area reminds me of "The Wire". The parking is free and very secure. Must see if this kind of thing interests you. They have train rides too. they are expecting Thomas the Train and Polar Express trains to visit this year.
It would be possible to spend the day here. pick a cool day

My husband and I took our train-loving, grandson here for his 8th birthday. We went on a Saturday in June. It was easy to find, and had plenty of safe parking. The museum is very clean and the guides were very informative and interesting to listen to. There are both outdoor and indoor things to see and do. There is a kids' play area inside the roundhouse. I would recommend to anyone that enjoys train museums.

An awesome place for anyone who likes trains. You could easily spend hours here. They have a great many trains and lots of information, and a helpful staff too.

The B&O is a beautiful museum with lots of great history. Elementary kids take field trips here and do some hands on activities. Might not be the most exciting museum for your young children on your own. The science center and aquarium will hold their attention more strongly.

The B&O railroad is the story of how Baltimore businessmen responded to the challenge of lost business to the Erie Canal. It was revolutionary for its time and paved the way to the Mid West and ultimately the West. Railroads were essential to the growth of America. See one of the finest displays of rail rolling stock in the world. Train rides are available, model train garden and the real meaning of heavy metal. Fun for kids and adults, a remarkable museum to be enjoyed by all. Highly recommended!

Are you a fan of trains? Are you a fan of the game Monopoly?  
Then a visit to the B&O railway museum is a must-do when you visit Baltimore.  
The museum houses dozens of locomotives from Baltimore’s rich train history.  
The roundhouse has many trains parked inside, and many are open to tour through.  
The garage housed one of our favourites, the art deco-designed locomotive.  

The exhibit on the underground railroad and the role Mont Clare Station played in helping enslaved people fleeing for freedom in a better place had me in tears. It is a very moving exhibit that really touches you deeply. These stories need to be told, and the B&O railway museum did a fantastic job telling them with heart and truth and demonstrating the strength and tenacity these people had to fight for their freedom.  
It is truly heart-wrenching.  

The museum is very affordable,  and there is free onsite parking.. 

Make a visit to the B&O railway museum a part of your itinerary when you visit BMore

When it comes to the best things to do in Baltimore, the B&O railway museum needs to be on your list for your 48-hour roguetrippers itinerary.

It was a nice trip there...right when we got there, there was a train that was taking off...it was cool because it was trip down history lane...real train that went down tracks and gave some facts and history about the time of transport through trains...also the museum was awesome with many trains set in year by year setup.

We haven’t been here in 7 years. Much added and kudos to the museum. Great time for us all - lots of cool trains, well curated explanations. Covid safe! Indoor masks required. Monday it seems very few people visit this place - we were one of maybe 10 visitors. The staff is also knowledgeable.

Great activity for our entire family
The staff was polite and friendly. Everyone was patient with us and 8 grandchildren. We are looking forward to another event.

Railroad seems like a boring theme but I was suprised once I got inside.really loads to learn from railroad traffic and its meaning on whole american economy in early stages.Definently must visit

I have been here several times. The building is a wonder. I like to sit on a bench and stare up into the cupola. There is a wide variety of trains from the very old to relatively modern

Great day adventure for us while we were in town for business. We took the train ride and paid extra to sit in the front car. Definitely go when you can do the train ride. I would recommend using Uber/Lyft or other ride share if you are not driving as opposed to the free orange bus line. The bus lets off a long block or more away and it's not the best area for tourist to be wandering around trying to find the museum. Lots of great trains and history to learn about at the museum itself. So much fun - we are in our 50s/60s and loved it as much as the school children visiting with their classes.

Went on a Monday morning. Not crowded at all. I learned a lot about the B&O Railroad. At this museum, one can learn how the railroads lead to the creation of time zones we have today. For those on the Autism Spectrum, the museum has sensory kits and sensory friendly events. I do agree with the other posters, though I don’t have kids, the restroom situation here is kind of awkward.

The B&O Railroad was America's first, and its history has been beautifully preserved over the years. The museum has one of the finest locomotive collections in the world, all restored, with many housed in an enormous historic roundhouse. Tours, included with admission, are excellent. Even if you're not a railroad fan, you'll like this experience.

We decided to stray away from our normal polar express ride to tey a new, more expensive one. We enjoyed ourselves. The characters were great, but jst didnt feel as cozy and fun as our normal ride.

I've been to many railroad museums in the country and I have to say that it's one of the two best that I've seen. It's housed in and around a magnificently restored roundhouse. It holds many historically significant locomotives and rolling stock. It offers a guided tour each day at 1pm done by a knowledgeable docent. Be sure to visit the many exhibits outside. A number of very informative video sites have been added throughout since I last visited.

You don't have to be Sheldon Cooper to really like this museum-- even if you're not a huge rail geek, this is so well done and laid out that you can appreciate the scope and scale of the exhibits. They do have the best collection of pre-Civil War locomotives around, and some very rare early rolling stock. Some very significant later trains as well and they do a good job of highlight the times and roles of each. Other displays highlight the roles of Pullman employees. And yes, you can also get tickets for a short ride in vintage cars (towed buy a newer locomotive). This is a place I would take visitors. Easy parking, nice area.

This is one the greatest train displays I 've ever seen and I could have spent a couple of days here. The exhibits are simply spectacular and the staff are the finest bunch of enthusiasts you could ever hope for.

We drove 6.5 hours in traffic to get to the Polar Express and chose it over the train near us for the reviews and what we “thought” would be included from the description. First let me say that everyone was friendly and wonderful BUT the experience overall definitely was not worth the money paid, especially when you add a hotel to that. The experience was supposed to start at 7pm but apparently they make ALL experiences wait in line for 30 minutes before they start. There is supposed to be a “dance party” at the end of the line but barely anyone participated and it didn’t seem much like a party. No one wanted to get out of line as it was not explained to anyone the show would start where we were. Having children wait for 20 minutes outside (we arrived early of course) then another 30 minutes in line is not the best start to the experience…does the management know children’s patience levels?
So the train itself was decorated beautifully but they said “due to COVID” they didn’t punch tickets that was clearly stated in the experience. THIS WAS ALL MY CHILDREN WANTED! And although the rest of the country is mostly back to normal, they didn’t do hot chocolate or cookies at all on the train but instead gave us a bag. So therefore, NO HOT CHOCOLATE, NO COOKIES, NO TICKET PUNCHING on the train ride. Therefore, I had to give my children hot chocolate and cookies at 10pm when we got back which made for a hyper sleepless night.
On the positive side, once we actually did the Polar express and got off (literally the same way so older children know we were in the same place--- maybe they could change the light colors with LED lighting on the walkway), the museum was great! They didn’t rush anyone to leave and they pictures with Santa were nice. There were many activities and fun for the children. I loved the bubble snow and wish they could have done it a little longer than a few minutes. This part was great.
I would not recommend this to families that want their children to think they are actually on the real Polar Express, or those with children that don't sit well in lines over 30 minutes. If you do go, know everyone is friendly but know what it does NOT come with.

We came here for a family visit which included two small kids, 2 and 3.5 years old. The museum is well thought out but I was disappointed that you can't go into more of the trains themselves or it was more hands on. Also the train that gives rides wasn't working the day we went. It was just kind of underwhelming for an average day visit, but I think it is has potential to be amazing during a holiday or event.

Excellent place for learning about train history. Good fun for the kids and anyone who loves trains. The staff was accommodating and knowledgeable and they know everything about trains. Hiighly Recommend!!

The B & O Museum is a ton of fun and quite educational for both adults and children. It explains the origins of the B & O and it allows folks to ride on a real train for 1/4 of a mile. It is huge with full size engines in it and it has plenty to entertain the kids. It also has a private parking lot in which to park and it is a really worthwhile
destination.

We take our grand children to the B&O Museum at least twice a year and they love it everytime. There are train rides every day and special Christmas rides with Mr & Mrs Claus. They have one weekend a year with Thomas the engine. There is a great play area for young children and also a scavenger hunt all through the exhibits. You can walk through old train cars and see how they used to look. Once a month . an engine is driven into the Round house and turned around on the huge turntable pushed by one man. There are some rides outside and a simple cafe where you can buy lunch. From Thanksgiving until New Year's,there are huge model train setups throughout the Round house. A fun time for everyone!!

Let me start by saying that I have never written a review in my life but felt it necessary after my experience to save others the disappointment. I took my 7 year old daughter to the Polar Express experience yesterday and left very disappointed. To say that she was excited for this experience is an understatement and to see the utter disappointment on her face as we exited the train to what they claim to be the North Pole was heart breaking. The train ride was wonderful, the staff were great but the North Pole portion was EXTREMEMLY disappointing. The North Pole is simply a building with a Christmas tree and festively decorated trains. It is in the building right next to the entrance of the Polar Express experience so when you exit the train after being told you made it to the North Pole, you are In the exact same spot you started from. My daughter noticed right away and was extremely disappointed. Let's just say there is no way any child would be fooled into thinking they made it to the North Pole. This would have been an amazing experience if the North Pole portion was done in a better manner.

Taking advantage of a beautiful spring day, traveled to Baltimore and visited the B&O Railroad Museum. Free off-street parking on site. After paying entry fee, access through the small gift shop to the exhibits. Model trains and Underground Railroad exhibits prior to entering the Roundhouse where the excellent locomotives and other railroad-related hardware are displayed. An outside display area includes a large-scale model train, the cafe, play area, and rail platforms that offer rides. Very extensive, historical exhibits afford an enjoyable time. Allow at least one to two hours.

If you are in the baltimore area, the B&O railroad museum is a good place to relax. The museum exhibits are wonderful with plenty of parking and reasonable rates!!

Don't go for the polar express ride. We paid a $58 per person just to ride less than 1 mile down the track with the windows covered in Xmas wrapping paper, which looked cheap. Nothing about the experience felt genuine or like it was a polar express book or movie experience. Plus no restrooms on the train or at the train depot....seriously! They do have porta pottys because you know it's like 40 degrees out so why not give an outhouse experience for the entire family. Do yourself a favor and save your money.

We had originally planned to spend two hours at this museum, which was WAY too short! The exhibits are very well done; I found the ones explaining the development of railroading from its very first days the most interesting. Plan to spend the better part of a day here so that you can take a train ride and see everything this museum has to offer!

The B&O Railroad Museum houses some excellent pieces of early-1800s to modern railroad history on their property. From the earliest steam engines, like the Tom Thumb, to big steamers of the 30's and 40's, the roundhouse has 22 tracks of great showpieces for your enjoyment. Outside, you can visit the car shop and other walk-through exhibits that contain big machines and a nice-looking HO-scale layout that truly represent railroading it all its glory. There are play areas for the kids as well and ample on-site parking. It is very easy to access all the displays and the documentation/literature at each is very descriptive. If you are a train enthusiast, this place should definitely be on your must-see list.

For a family of 4 we paid close to $200 for the coach seats and a short train ride. While the staff and the characters were very friendly and interactive it didn't make up for the short train ride that cost way more than it should. The windows were covered in wrapping paper that made it look dark on the train (I guess to give the illusion it's nighttime on the polar express). The characters did sing and dance and try to talk to each of the children and did ask some of the children to dance. Santa was very friendly and did give each child a bell and posed for a picture. No bathrooms on the train, when you arrive there are porta-potties to be used before getting on the train. When you get on the train the staff and characters greet you as you enter the train, before the train starts moving you get your hot chocolate and cookie. The train goes for a very short trip down the track and then stops to pick up the special passenger (Santa), the polar express book is read aloud while the train heads back to the train depot where you exit the other side of the train to the "North Pole".. It was nicely decorated with a tree in the center and trains surrounding the room, some that you could walk through and there was an area for kids to play in and if nice enough an area outside for kids to play. There was a carousel but you had to get tokens to ride and a photographer was there if you wanted to get a picture with your family that was set up like the back of the polar express. To get your picture done it did cost but it wasn't terribly expensive. My youngest child is 8 but I think this is more geared for younger children. We had a nice time but just wished for a longer train ride and would prefer to see scenery rather than wrapping paper on windows. I think it would have been better if the train ride to the North Pole was longer with some scenery and then you got off the train at the North Pole to see Santa and receive the first gift of Christmas.

This was an amazing Museum to visit! A must see in Baltimore. Starting with the ease of parking....right on site and FREE! The folks in the reception/shop area are very nice. We were able to purchase our tickets on site and didn't have to do advance tickets. This is a very large museum, with a LOT of very large engines. Make sure you get out to the repair house. Even bigger engines in there. The cafe was not open on the day we visited. Maybe because of Covid? Wear your mask. Social distance. Everyone was in compliance which we were grateful for. Small but nice gif shop. A smaller but also nice children's gift shop in the roundhouse area.

A wonderful place to visit. The roundhouse is amazing You can board old trains and have a tour which is educational-You can rent out this facility for large events also and east in the roundhouse-Have a list of caterers to choose-Don't miss this attraction

My (adult) son and I visited here believing it was an original roundhouse. Much to my surprise one of the staff told me otherwise. I was also told that we could go through trains that were outside. So, we braved the cold and tried. Everything was 'off limits'. We knew the ride was not available, but, had no reason to not believe we couldn't do as told. The Round House is beautiful, even if it is not original. But, I was hoping for more. The staff was very friendly and the 'round house' is self paced. Be sure to see 'the porcupine' - obviously a nickname for one of the displays. (Hint: It's the one that measures the width/height of tunnels. It is very odd looking but there's a good reason behind it.) That made my trip. There is also the engine that took President Lincoln on a 'secret' journey at night so his life would be spared. It was recently renovated. Being from Central PA, I believe we will 'stick with' The Railroad Museum of PA' across from the Strasburg Railroad. I believe is larger. I greatly appreciate railroad museums. If nothing else they show us how far we have advanced.

This place has so much history you really need at least a day if you want to take it all in. Going hand in hand with the history are the stories behind these old workhorses. This collection has survived the Great Depression, a hurricane even the collapse of the roundhouse roof in 2003 when 6' drifts on its roof proved to much for the aging structure. Rebuilt by contributions from a local contractor, the museum lives on and is a treasure for kids of all ages. If you like trains you'll love this place!

Really good place to see history as well as trains.

Good for kids and adults.

Tours and volunteer staff are great

I need to go back~ We loved it! My adult grandson and I went to this museum. We were there on a Saturday morning when they opened so there were not very many people there. I think Grandson (He has an engineering degree) thought he would be bored! Boy! was he wrong....he was fascinated. We had great guide for viewing the Atlantic Camelback steam engine....His last name was Jones...Mr Jones led Grandson on a tour about everything....he learned a lot!

We read all the labels and, all and all, had a great time. We also booked a 'first class' ticket on the train ride, which got us soft drinks and a bag of chips in the First Class dining car. The train ride is a 20 minute round trip train ride along the first commercial mile of railroad track laid in America, recognized as the birthplace of American railroading!

Both of my grandfathers and my Dad worked for railroads back in the day so I was fascinated by everything. The museum is not air conditioned so it can be rather warm in August!

I was disappointed that there was not a book on the locomotives to purchase in the gift shop. They had several books on cabooses but not on engines. In looking at the shop on line, there is not a book on their engines on line either. The engine info and photos are available online on their website...you just can't buy a book! The information on line is very good and very detailed, however.

My son picked this for part of our trip. Very happy he did. The old trains and locomotives were amazing to see. Very informative

I love trains, especially older ones. I made my way here one bright and sunny afternoon when I was Geocaching. Very neat place filled with history and some amazing real trains from ....some dating back to the early 1900's. I was there in the afternoon, close to closing, and just enjoyed walking around touching the old trains, and imagining what life was like when they were brand new.
There is also an inside part to the museum, so be sure to check that out. WELL worth a visit, no matter what brings you here. I found the Geocache, and it was all in all a great day!!

This is a one room Museum with little of interest to see unless you are a civil war historian. The man who runs the place was extremely loud and it was difficult to hear the video or read about the exhibits.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! In my opinion it is a big joke that is very costly! I decided to take nine of my grandchildren and 3 of my children along with me and my husband a total of 14 people on this ridiculous journey. I thought the children would love it and it would be a wonderful way to start the holiday season. WRONG! It was so disorganized and nothing like they advertised! All we did was stand in line like a bunch of cattle! No one new anything. No directions, nothing, everyone was asking each other what we were supposed to be doing and what line we were supposed to be in. All I can say I have never been so SORRY that I spent over $750.00 for nothing. I thought I was doing something my grandchildren would love and we were making new memories but it was absolutely HORRIBLE!! They didn’t even enjoy it. Even the hot chocolate was a joke! A half a cup of cold terrible tasting stuff! What I could have bought for my grandchildren and family with that money makes me SICK! Please DO NOT WASTE your money like I did on this so called adventure. You will be sorry! I will say the museum was the only decent part of the whole day but it sure wasn’t worth all the money I spent!! TOTALLY SICK OVER THIS EXPERIENCE!!

We visited the Museum for a benefit gala and were awakened to a place that has such a greet feeling. Spacious grounds, soaring ceilings, massive vintage trains and great personnel made our time there quite incredible.

My entire family went to Polar Express this past December and the kids had so much fun! They loved seeing the story read from the big books and getting their bells (the staff is really smart about having extras on hand for when the kids lose them). My favorite part by far were the dancing "elves" when you first enter the North Pole, the kids were super cute. There were activities and snacks in the Roundhouse and the s'mores pits were great.

Overall it was a good activity for a large family with a lot of kids.

Took our family including grandpa who is a train aficionado to the train museum as part of the Polar Express- it was very well done w entertainment for all ages. Grandpa loved looking at the trains. We’ll be back during non holiday season for a regular visit!

We wanted to visit the museum in Ellicott City but it was closed on Tuesday. With only part of a day left, we drove to the downtown location inside the eye-catching round house. This should have been an all day expedition but to cram in a visit at all the volunteer docents did their best to educate us with the best train stories. We came to learn about early British grasshopper trains which were the basis of starting railroads in America. Wonderful experience.

I went, my wife passed. I love trains; her, not so much. We both were very happy with our decisions. When I entered, a huge group of grade school age children was leaving. Perfect timing. I had the round house nearly to myself. There are about 20 locomotives and cars in the round house, with very informative displays. There is also an activity area for children in the round house. Outside, there are two passenger cars, one with a display of china from dining cars from the past. I walked through there quickly. The next car had a HO gauge train display, which mesmerized me for about ten minutes. The repair shed had additional locomotives and cars. Walking next to these locomotives gave you an idea of how immense and powerful these machines were.

We visited during the holiday season- there are wonderful train gardens set up in the roundhouse- a fun experience!

Interesting museum and fun for kids of all ages. Be sure to go when the train is running and when they are doing the turn table demonstration. Parking is on site and free. Make a day of it and have lunch in there snack shop then pick up something in the gift shop.

Well, you need to like trains . . . and some history. We arrived, joined the tour of the roundhouse and discovered the history and development of railroad transportation. The roundhouse was just beautiful. Afterwards, we were free to roam the grounds exploring older pieces of rolling stock and locomotives. Outstanding !!!.

Great history of Railroads and trains. They have a large number of full size trains and a train “garden” that is pretty cool. You can walk through some of the trains. The day we went it was raining and that was not a problem since the exhibits are inside the roadhouse. They also offer a 20 min train ride on a fully restored passenger train. Great why to spend a couple of hours.

We have a handful of Most Holies in the railroad world and this is at the top of the list as this is where American interstate railroading took root. The collection is second to none and one can trace the history of locomotive power all the way back to the beginning and compare bloodlines side by side. The majority of people walking through the gates will see a bunch of old trains and artifacts and the experience is satisfying. But for the true connoisseur of the art of railroading there are gems in every corner.

Dropped by this after visiting Evergreen mansion which was the Garrett family home which once ran the B&O railroad. This includes roundhouse train station and out buildings belong to the former B&O railroad. So it has plenty of room to display a variety of stage coaches, railcars of various types and train engines right up to the diesel/electric age. Some of which are setup to you to explore the insides. There is a train garden setup to with real to life examples of buildings you would see along the old B&O line historically right up to the Cumberland gap(Garret County MD). One of the out buildings is a shop for working on the trains. Train enthusiasts will be in 7th heaven.

My husband and I took a local Baltimore bus to the B&O museum. It was larger than we expected. It was so fun seeing and going in the historic trains. They also have 2 special exhibits. Trains and the Civil War and History of the dining car. they also give train tours on historic trains but only on certain days. An FYI you will read about history and not sugar coated versions they teach in school. They also have a resident train cat, not friendly but it shocked the volunteer when the cat went up to my husband for her to pet.
They had so many train cars inside and outside, some you can see some still need to be refurbished, no access to them.. They also have a mini display of model railroads in one of the train cars. The Dining and model railroad exhibits are outside past the play area. They did have a fun little play area for the kids and a small food place but selection is limited. I liked their gift shop as well. We spent a good 2 1/2 hours exploring trains. It was so worth the trip. If you love history and trains this place is for a visit. Kids if they love trains will have a blast.

This museum has a fabulous collection of old trains from the railways of Maryland and nearby states. There are plenty of opportunities to see the interior of the trains as well.
There are also a number of elaborate model train landscapes and displays of other collectables.

The artefacts are well presented, with plenty of background including a number of displays dealing with slavery, the civil war, and segregation.

Budget about an hour to an hour and a half. Strollers are not allowed in all the displays and frankly young kids will want to run around and see all the old trains (which are mostly child-proofed). I understand train trips around the area are also offered, but not today.

This is one of the best railroad museums I have visited. The roundhouse has a large and varied collection of old trains. It is a great place to spend a couple hours with or without kids. There is also an option to take a train ride on the very first mile of track in the US.

Excellent museum.
Trains (and wagons) through American railway history. Great place to spend a couple hours. Room for kids to run around.

The museum has a large collection of B & O locomotives in the museum and in the North Car shop for any train enthusiast the model trains were not running while we were there. they do have a smll cafe to grab a bite to eat.

A wonderful collection of locomotives and other railroad cars and all sorts of related items. Most are in the main building ("roundhouse") but some are in adjacent buildings. Most of the locomotives (especially the early ones) have great explanatory signs so you can appreciate their place in our history and the history of transportation.
There is a small snack bar with odd operating hours and a couple of vending machines, so don;t count on eating there.

Baltimore is where the railroads began in the United States, and the old roundhouse that comprises the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum is the ideal place to learn about two centuries of this vital mode of transportation in American history. Parking is adequate at this West Baltimore location, and the admission price is reasonable. The restored engines, passenger cars, freight cars, and related equipment are arranged neatly around this circular building. There are side rooms that provide details about specific types of trains over time and two model train gardens, one inside and one outside. There is a children's play area and rocking chairs for older visitors. Educational plaques are located throughout. This was a most enjoyable outing.

Took a day-trip from West Virginia to experience some railroad history in the Baltimore area. This was our first (and primary) stop. We arrived at about 10:45am, which was perfect timing to buy our tickets, use the facilities, and stretch our legs a bit before the 11:30am train ride over the very first mile of commercial railroad track in the United States. We chose to buy first-class tickets, which come with a snack and a drink, but also enable a panoramic view out of the back of the train so you can see everything clearly. The exhibits in the museum are outstanding and well-curated. As you moved through the roundhouse it felt like you were following a cohesive story-line through the early history of the railroad. The Passenger Car Works building was a lot of fun to walk through, the imposing "Hudson" was breathtaking. I can see returning every few years to see updated exhibits or to attend special events. This is one of the best railroad museums I've ever visited (and I've been to more than a few!).

THis is a must see attraction in Baltimore. There are events scheduled through the year so check their website. IF you a train enthusiast You must go!!!

A child and railroad enthusiast would love this place. The historical part of it is very interesting. We had a coupon for one free admission, which made it reasonable. $20 each would be too much in my opinion.

The B&O museum is someplace you definitely should go at least once. It is a bit expensive so we went as a group and got the group discount. I am not a big train fanatic but my son loved this when he was younger and at Christmas time it is beautiful and there are a lot of picture opportunities, train gardens, and activities for the children. The staff is friendly and there’s a lot of history in the trains that are there. I would forgo the train ride because the trains are very old and not well-kept and the view on the ride is Through a run down graffitied part of town.

I am not a railroad aficionado, but I do think old steam engines are cool. As such, this place was very cool! The trains located in the roundhouse are still in running condition and some are regularly used in movies and TV shows. Practically every train here is historic, either due to who they transported or the fact that they were rare to begin with. The facility consists of an old roundhouse that is fully restored and houses over a dozen old steam engines from different eras. There is an outside courtyard and cafe with a large model train set. The cafe food was ok and not expensive. The courtyard leans to another building, an old maintenance shop. This is where the big trains are. The only remaining Allegheny is stored here along with a Mikado and a few other types. There are several engines awaiting restoration behind the maintenance facility, including a Berkshire. The parking lot weaves in-between a bunch of old railroad cars on display.

Tickets are cheap and parking is abundant. It took me about 3 hours to stroll through the museum.

If you are in or near Baltimore put the B&O Railroad Museum on your to do list. It is more than a Museum it is an experience. Educational and fun too. Who doesn't love TRAINS?

Very disappointed in this event, the train was slow and went nowhere. The story was so low that you couldn't hear it and not alot of enthusiasm on the ride. I highly recommend going to the polor express in north Carolina it's a much better experience

I watched steam locomotives from our farm growing up in the 50's, so i was anxious to visit this museum. Our interest clearly centered on the 1884 Baldwin Roundhouse display with its historical sequence of horse-pulled rail coach to early upright steam locomotive to early horizontal, and on through the years.
The 1871 Passenger Car Works Building had the most powerful steam engine ever built and a modern diesel. An air conditioned platform car was set up with an HO Scale model train set.
Masks and distancing requirements were followed and the relatively sparse attendance made for an enjoyable and educational but expensive visit.

This is an awesome museum. Lots of engines to see in the round house. Great electric train display. Interesting history of the underground railroad. Play area for little ones. Skip the upgrade to observation car... you get just as nice a ride in the others. Only real difference is a bag of chips and a snack.

While traveling, I had some time to kill and this museum was close, so I stopped for a visit. The first section was interesting. The models that were organized approximately by year showed the progression of development. But the best part was the actual locomotives and cars in the big round room! They were impressive and worth the price of admission. Although I grew up at the end of the common use of trains for transportation (before Amtrak), the experience of standing next to imposing locomotives and walking through designated cars was amazing. Worth a trip, even if you're not a train enthusiast.

We took some friends visiting us from UK to this superb museum for their first visit. Due to time constraints (only 3 hours), we guys were unable to see the entire roundhouse exhibit: the evolution of steam locomotives. We did read all of the signs, and the explanations are very good for introducing the subject.

The explanations related to the US Civil War were particularly noteworthy, and helped us both to greatly understand the importance of the B&O Railroad during that conflict. This part of the exhibit consumed most of our time, but it was very much worthwhile.

The special exhibit on World War I railroaders is also excellent, but we only had enough time to quickly glance at it. Our wives, however, thought it was also superb.

We saw many fathers present with their kids for fathers' day, and it appeared that all ages enjoyed the experience.

We also enjoyed the gift shop, but didn't have the time to buy anything since they were in the process of closing for the day.

I didn't expect to spend 3 hours there, but I did and it was well worth it for both the trains and the civil war history. I highly recommend catching one of the free docent led tours.

The history in this place is amazing, even if you (like me) don't know much about trains. We had an excellent tour guide and following the development of the trains from the horse drawn carriages on tracks to steam engines was a wonderful history lesson. The building is located several blocks west of downtown with only a not well-stocked snack bar, no restaurant, and is not air-conditioned, so it was extremely hot inside.

This is a nice museum discussing the history of train transportation in the US. The locomotives are great and it was a nice place to spend a few hours. Admission was $18 and $25 for a trip with "Thomas the Train" which consisted of a 15 minute back and forth trip from the museum on a locomotive painted like Thomas. Kind of pricey but the kids enjoyed it.

The roundhouse building is an architectural gem worth seeing in its own right. Information boards are extremely well presented and guide you through the exhibits and their place in history. Try to get there early so you can travel on the 1 mile long stretch of track in the special train. 1st class ($10) is well worth it. Tremendous range of rolling stock including an Allegheny! Talk to the guides too.

One of best stops in Baltimore. Did not have high expectations. Recommended by Front desk at Renaissance Hotel. Glad they suggested it. Truly enjoyed the museum. Took about 2 1/2 hours. Longer if you have children, they will love it (if they like trains)

I'm married to a train enthusiast, so of course we had to visit! His second favorite engine, the Hudson, is here. It is an impressive beast of an engine! We had a great chat with one of the docents who is incredibly knowledgeable about trains, train history and the trains that are entrusted to his care. The exhibits take into account that kids love trains and there are several engines where they can sit and "drive" the train.
The roundhouse is a most impressive structure! Huge and housing more engines, you can easily spend an hour or more strolling throughout the exhibits. We were pressed for time, as a private event was being held later that evening.
Great gift shop with many items reasonably priced.

One of the best train museums I've every seen. Well worth the admission. Plan on at least 1 - 2 hours. Beautifully restored trains and cars - from the very earliest, horse-pulled rail cars to rudimentary steam engines, to modern diesel engines. Beautiful museum.

Perfect day trip for kids and trains buffs. Lots of informative and interactive displays. A big group of friendly and knowledgeable staff around. Wish there were more old carriages to board.

I took my kids and my parents to this museum and I can not tell you who enjoyed it more! There is a lot of interesting railroad history, plus a chance to climb all over the massive trains.

Good exhibits, including about the underground railroad. However, all of the windows on the train ride were blacked out for some reason. So the train ride itself was a waste.

If you like trains this is the place to come. They have a lot of interesting engines and old trains. Does not take long to walk through the place and they have some hands-on exhibits. The bad thing is that this is located in a not so good neighbor hood. Even though it is walking distance from inner harbor I would Uber or Taxi.

I visited the B&O museum on my first trip to Baltimore and was not disappointed. It is absolutely a train lovers paradise. You start in the old Roundhouse that is amazing in itself, then you add steam engines and cars from the beginning of railroads up to about 1900. Lots of displays and information plus lots of model trains as well. Outside there are lots more engines, cabooses and cars to explore. I made my way into the car shed where there are two giant steam locomotives as well. There is a platform for train rides although they were not doing them the day I was there as well as a gift shop and a cafe. If you like trains you cannot miss this!

We love the old trains. We went this time specifically because there was also a model train show, and when we got there, were pleasantly surprised to find one of our favorite artists there for the show, so of course we bought some more prints from him. Aside from the show, the trains in the roundhouse are fascinating and we enjoy the trains they have set up so you can get closer and see inside them.

My grandson absolutely loved seeing and riding on the trains! It was interesting for the adults. They have a Cafe but just for snacks.

We just hosted our son's fifth birthday party at the B&0 - in the education center. There was space for all (60+ ppl), a restroom right there, access to the playground and train and then, to top it off we marched over and had a train ride. It was a magical party and so many of the kids just didn't want to leave.

My family (8 adults and 6 kids) went to the polar express last weekend. We were all looking very forward to it however we were very disappointed. There was so much waiting for the first 30 minutes and when the conductor part started we were all so crowded that the kids couldn’t even see the performance of the favorite hot chocolate song. Then when on the train there wasn’t a whole lot for the kids to be engaged with. We had thought the train would be more interactive and engaging, considering the expensive pricetag per ticket. Also, Santa didn’t look like Santa, leaving my 4 year old asking me if he was a fake Santa. Overall I was very disappointed to have spent hundreds of dollars on this event.

It was terrible and not worth the money. The dancers didn’t even know how to stay in sync. The decorations were terrible on the train. They weren’t even dancing on the train. The Santa clause wasn’t even fat, his belt was literally falling off in the train. This attraction is definitely for children under 2. We drove 4 hours for this is was a terrible experience. Also since we were a big group we couldn’t all sit together because you don’t hav assigned seats. The train was going 2 miles per hour. Don’t waste your money 🤦🏽‍♀️

Learning the history of a local railroad in the area. I went on a hot summer day and it was a good diversion from the hot weather

Spent 2 hours at the museum, could have used an extra hour or 2. The displays are excellent! Be sure to visit the outside trains and also the trains that are being restored in the workshop.

I enjoyed this museum immensely. As one walks through the displays one learns a great deal about how railroads shaped America. Fascinating displays about time and travel. Numerous locomotives that you can walk through the cab and touch the controls. Passenger cars open so that you can see how people travelled in the 19th and 20th century. The displays were very informative and the rolling stock was awesome. Plan for at least 2.5 hours in order to see as much as you can.

Had plannned to be outside for the day and this was a great find when the weather turned bad. Even if you're not into trains that much, this was an excellent way to spend part of the day. Especially loved the exhibit,highlighting the use of rail during the war. The evolution of the from a horse drawn cart to the modern diesel engine is great too! There is also opportunity to take a short train ride for an additional fee. The museum does have an outdoor area as well which we didn't explore because of rain. It looks like it would be a fun area to bring children back to as it included a play area and many other trains to look at. Great for the kids up through adults. You can sit inside an engine and pretend to be the engineer and walk through several cars. My favourite part was the display on the last mail train.

The museum was clean and appropriate for children ages 0-2 or 10 and above. It was a complete bust for our 4-year old. Parents of young children, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. We paid extra to attend a special "Pumpkin Patch" event. It was terrible and my child was disappointed to the point of tears. I called several days ahead and spoke to a museum employee to ensure I understood what to expect, since we would be driving from 2 hours away. I hesitated to invest in an activity my daughter might not like. The employee clarified that Halloween costumes were acceptable and explained the train ride was approximately twenty minutes each way, for a 40 minute ride total. We absolutely needed to use restrooms and board 30 minutes before train departure to maximize time at the stable. He confirmed the train was decorated for Halloween. Children would pick pumpkins at a patch, receive a stable tour, then meet the horses. After another twenty minute ride back to the museum, families could decorate the pumpkins in a designated area, play games, and take rides. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. The train boarded five minutes before departure. Decorations consisted of one string of unlit purple "Christmas" lights, and about $10 worth of Dollar Tree Halloween decorations spread across two long cars. The ride was less than two (2) minutes long. (I know because I timed it on the way back. We left the stable at 12:39pm and arrived at the museum at 12:41pm.) There was no pumpkin patch. Store bought mini-pumpkins were placed on the grass for children to select. No stable tour. Only one (1) horse was available, and they took each family one at a time to greet it. Everyone had to wait in line. When we got to Slurpee the horse, we only had a minute or so before the next family cycled in. The horse was beautiful but we felt cheated by the lack of time with him. Carnival games were corn hole boxes and there were no tokens or rides. The only saving graces back at the museum were the refreshments (individually packaged Walmart cookies and CapriSun pouches) and paint/glitter/markers they provided to decorate the pumpkins. The event wasn't worth the $85 admission fee for three people, and certainly not worth the 4-hour round-trip drive at $3.20+/gallon for gas. I wish the museum employee had been honest about the event. Most of the other parents also voiced disappointment and anger. The marketing and concept were brilliant, but the execution lackluster. It was a waste of a perfectly beautiful day. The only spooky part was inching through 4 hours of delays along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Additional note for out-of-state visitors: The unisex bathrooms are compliant with local law. The museum provides a nursing chair in the bathroom without urinals, and there are infant changing tables in both main bathrooms.

My husband is a train lover and I, not as much. This museum has a great group of docents who are full of train history and relate the history of the B & O railroad by introducing you to each of the 26 locomotives' stories in the round house and their stories. Each of the locomotives are an improvement on the previous version (goes faster, carries a heavier load, climbs higher hills, etc). My one constructive criticism is that each docent probably would love to tell you all of his stories all day and may not notice when visitor enthusiasm flags but we can peel off and leave the rest of the rapt group hanging on.

This museum is a great way to spend 2 to 4 hours with toddler ages and up. A bit pricey but not as costly as some other Baltimore attractions. The cost for a senior, 3 adults, and 2 children was $94. There are additional charges once inside for a 20 to 25 minute train ride with price ranging from $3 to $20 per person. If you want to take this ride you must visit Thursday thru Sunday. They also have 3 small kids rides for 1 to 2 tokens at a dollar per token. There are stamp stations for kids to stamp a card throughout the exhibits. If they find them all they receive a free souvenir prize at the gift store. A very nice facility with some one or two of a kind exhibits. Clean and well kept with easy free parking access. Most of the exhibits are not air conditioned. Had a great time with the grandkids.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was the first in the US and was inspired by developments in England. This Museum, partly I fear because it is in the wrong part of town when I visited. It is bigger than our NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM, and the US loading gauge dwarfs ours.... I hope I can add my Photographs... they speak better than me

I am from a Railroad family and saw a lot of what family members have talked about for years. Good for the whole family. Who doesn't enjoy a steam engine or a caboose. Kids love it!!!

My family visited this museum because my son loves trains. I didn't expect to like the museum as much as I did, but it was amazing. You can walk into some of the train cars, which is fun. The social history of the railroad is highlighted, which I found interesting. I thought the ticket price was ridiculous until the visit, and then I saw what the fees are going towards.

For out of town visitors, I would highly recommend driving or taking a taxi or Uber to and from the museum. We took the Charm City Circulator, which was a good service, but wasn't the best way to get to this particular museum. The neighborhood isn't a touristic one.

This past July I went to the B&O R.R. Museum with a friend on a trip from Toronto and we were left in aw at the rare and overall incredible collection kept in pristine condition by truly dedicated staff. After walking the grounds for around forty five or so minutes we took a ride on the Mile One Express where we were able to view sites that patrons are unable to view otherwise from the museums future projects ranging from a domino sugar hopper car to the legendary GG1 electric locomotive. if your in the area and are looking for something to do this is a trip that shouldn't be passed up

We stopped by the museum on a hot, hot August day, which impacted our enjoyment of the outdoor part of the museum and the roundhouse a bit. That said, the wide variety of historical trains were something to see - including models I had never seen before. The museum was fairly quiet while we were there, so we got to enjoy many of the trains largely by ourselves - especially when we went to the outbuildings. The museum includes an impressive collection of both real and model trains - and is a treat for all ages. While we didn't join, the museum also offers train rides. My favorite part was the roundhouse, which allowed you to follow the history of train development as you circled the mammoth building.

You ask your self, the engineering that was use long time ago. The answer is, made in the U S A. Today,over seas.

This is an amazing place. It is one of the few round houses left and the floor has been redone due to a storm a few years ago and there are parties held here. Be that as it may, it is an incredible history of the railroad. The B&O began here with two men from Baltimore, John Works Garrett and Johns Hopkins, so the history is rich. This museum takes you from the beginning of rail travel on through the present. You can go online and find out when they turn the table, something I would love to see and see the trains move. There are docents to give you the skinny on it all. Go off season and you may just have one all to yourself. If you go, give yourself plenty of time, but do go see this amazing slice of history.

Great place, awesome historic trains, very knowledgeable volunteers. A lot of stuff for kids to touch and play.
They have a small carousels and train ride.
Be aware that carousel is close at 2pm and trains rides Thursday - Sunday. If you want to get any information please check website as the lady who answers phone is answering ably specific questions - then tell you to check website.

The location has parking, but I chose to walk from the light rail station.

The museum is well laid out with a lot of static displays and interesting information. There is a train excursion at the museum, but I didn't partake.

The staff were friendly and facilities clean. The restrooms are gender-neutral, so pick a stall if you're a bashful guy like me (not expecting to see ladies walking past the urinals).

I ate at the little cafe on site. The food was excellent for the price and staff were super friendly.

Definitely worth a visit if you're a train fanatic and in the area.

This is the place to take you 4-12 year old child! It has so much for them to do and to see. It improves their knowledge and is fun. There is nothing like a train and the winter holidays are even more perfect for a visit. The warm interior lighting and open spaces of the round house are a great break from the cold.

Great displays & easily accessible to all. A very knowledgeable group of former employees will competently answer any question you ask of them. Little tots catered for with a play centre. My 2 hour visit was not long enough to adequately digest the complete experience.

You will be amazed when you see the looks on your childes face when they look up to see these big trains and they will think of Christmas and the gardens at Christmas time so have a merry time

We visited the B & O on a very busy Saturday morning. It was quite crowded and the parking lot was full. Luckily we found a spot to park on a side street. We missed the morning train ride by only fifteen minutes. It departed at 11:30 am.
The day we visited was also a free admission day with two free tickets sponsored by the Smithsonian Museum. We only had to pay for two children who attended with us.
The museum is a great overall experience with many beautiful displays featuring old locomotives and passenger cars. There are also plenty of opportunities for little ones both inside and outside the building.
The main building with the roundhouse is strikingly beautiful. We have visited the B & O several times over the past 30 years and it has only improved with age.

It was very interesting . Lots of different engines, cars and cabooses on display. Laid out in a beautiful roundhouse. Staff was very willing to answer any questions. We enjoyed seeing everything so upclose. Highly recommend checking it out

I spent a couple hours here recently and was very impressed, and I'm not a train buff in any sense. There are lots of railroad cars to see in two main buildings, and a bunch more outside You can walk through some, and a few have exhibits. One nice feature is that as busy as the museum gets, it so spacious you never feel crowded. The experience was interesting in terms of both technology and history, and your kids will absolutely love it. One caveat, be aware they close at 4:00 most days, so give yourself time. Check the website for details, and enjoy.

A hundred years of railroad history is on display, with numerous climb on and in engines and cars. Nostalgia heaven for those who recall the glory days of rail travel.

One of our party is a die-hard railroad buff, and had a blissful morning at the museum. So much information, so cleverly arranged. The roundhouse tour was fascinating, and the place hummed with activity. People of all ages were enjoying the exhibits, kids were enthralled with the kids play/learn area. Clean restrooms and nice gift shop.

A walk back in time. Touch history. Ride a train. A panorama of train travel over the years. Engines, cars, equipment, inter-active for kids. Food service. A genuine educational experience.

This really a great train museum. Great informative displays and the roundhouse was filled with a large amount of vintage trains, I lost count, maybe 30? The reason I am giving this review only an average score, is that it was so bloody hot that day (July 7, 2021) we were there. I think it reached about 98 degrees outside. Inside the museum it was air conditioned, but in the roundhouse ...no air conditioning. The heat made it uncomfortable to see the trains for more than 15 minutes at a time. We kept going back inside the museum for relief. I think we spent maybe 1-1/2 hours where if it were cooler it would have been about 4 hours to take it all in. We appreciated the portable fans set out, but they just did not help much. We really enjoyed the clock display, that was great. Also the signs room has a nice collection. Sadly we could not spend enough time looking at the trains. The gift shop is tiny and not a lot of things to buy as a souvenir.

Visited the museum this morning and the price of 32 bucks for two seniors. Beautiful grounds for rr museum and lots of stuff for kids to play on outside. Rebuilt roundhouse is great with lots of old locomotives. All worthwhile and nice collection of clocks. Now for someone wanting to go on the passenger cars or locomotives it's the worst I've been to. Lots of locomotives and rolling stock but no passenger cars open a couple of engines but the rest no entry. A total waste to have all the equipment sitting around and you can't go on board. Plenty of volunteers around so no excuse to not be open so people can see insides. Had snack bar. Too bad that such a nice place is so restricted. Very disappointing on viewability .

Great museum to visit; lots of full-size trains and history. We also took the train ride that is only available certain days of the month and upgraded to the front car which we would recommend so that you get the history of the track as you ride along. Also recommend using Ride Share if you are not driving as opposed to the Orange Charmer bus line. The bus lets off too far from the museum and not in a safe area for tourist to navigate. We loved taking pictures with all the trains and hearing about the history. Great day trip.

a very large museum to spend several hours there. the guides
had a lot of knowledge about the locomotives and the days of yesteryear. in the future they told me they will adding a theater there. there is a free bus to get you there just in case you do not have a car . you have to use the purple line. on the weekend they do have train rides for a extra fee. you have to call them for that info.

The B&O is one of the greatest parts of Baltimore, you can find out how the city was formed and what all of the essential parts of the city are.

Great collection of trains and passenger cars in the yard. Building is great round house. A must for train lovers

Stopped here mostly because our 4 year old son loves trains. Museum is very impressive and there’s a lot to see and learn about even if you have mild interest in trains/railroad history. Staff was great answering questions from both adults and young children. Would visit again if ever in the area.

My cousin and I went here today. It’s a nice museum it’s not very big. The trains are incredible. Lots of stuff for kids. The train ride they offer is nice.

A unique museum, which I visited some years ago. Excellent selection of early railroad equipment and models.

We took our 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter here during a recent visit to Baltimore. We had a blast! There's so much to see and do for kids. Our son in particular was obsessed with the "President Class" steam engine in the North Car Shop where you can sit in the engineer's seat. Both kids naturally spent a lot of time at the Thomas-themed play area too. We sprang for the First Class tickets for the Mile One Express, which was a nice excursion in an observation car. There's a carousel as well, which the kids loved.

The only hiccup was we had so much fun we lost track of time. As a result, the kids were starving, and we ended up eating at the on-site cafe, which was a bit run down and had somewhat stale and unhealthy food.

I took my 3 year old and he had a field day looking at all the huge choo choo trains. It's not much to do besides walk around and look but when a child loves trains that is all you need.

We decided to check this museum out while we were in town. The exhibit and the trains were interesting to see and you could walk through some of the trains to see how they used to be.

This also seemed to be a good place for kids as there was even a birthday party going on when we were there. The kids had their own area and seemed to be really enjoying exploring the trains.

My only thing was that I felt the $20 admission was a bit steep for the size of the museum and the level of the exhibits which were fairly low tech. But I'd recommend this to any train enthusiast or someone looking to kill an hour or two around Camden Yards.

I love trains & wish we would have visited here sooner. The various kinds of trains on display is terrific! The round house is beautiful inside & still fully operational. You can ride the first mile of track aboard some old passenger cars. It was a fun little trip down the track. It costs extra but worth it to ride the train.
I loved the fact you could walk in the repair shop area & see all the old trains that still need to be repaired. If you love trains and are in the Baltimore area stop in for a visit. Free parking is available while you visit the museum, a rarity in Baltimore.

I took my gr children for a visit.... there.. i t was a very pleasant and educational experience for them. they would go back again. I want to get my younger one there for the Thomas the train outing

Went to this museum for a party and it was just awesome ! Really awesome place .. inside was super cool. Lots of engines and nice photo ops . Parking was good outside … acoustics Inside the hall was challenging but it sounded great . Nice restroom facilities. There are also some rails outside .. loved it overall. 👏👏

We visited a few years ago when my wife was in Washington for a business conference. Took AmTrak up from Washington and MARC back. This is a great museum for train lovers of all ages. The only issue we had was that we visited in January and it was cold and snowing, which made it hard to really enjoy all of the outside exhibits. If you go, take your own vehicle or get a taxi from downtown. We rode the light rail from Penn Station and then took a free bus (Charm City Circulator-Orange Line) which drops you about a block from the museum. There were a bunch of shady characters at the bus stop and a drug deal actually went down behind us as we were waiting for the bus. Don't get me wrong - the museum is wonderful, but for your own safety I would not recommend taking the free bus.

What a magnificent structure to house an amazing railroad museum. The engines, rolling stock and memorabilia are everywhere. And only a few blocks from Camden Yards Baseball Stadium and downtown Baltimore. An absolute must-see for railfans!

We spent all day here. First we did the train ride, then the tour of the main room, then the shop tour. Then we just wandered around looking at everything. Note that they don't do the train ride every day, so if you want to do that (and I recommend it), check their website first (I did that and called as well). The train ride does not go far (only about as far as the Carroll Park golf course) but still worthwhile and really cheap anyway. Also note that a lot of this is not air conditioned, so pick your day carefully if going in the summer.

My wife and I spent several hours at the museum on a recent trip to Baltimore. We enjoyed walking around the roundhouse, viewing the engines and cars on display and reading about their history. The outside yard had several more displays, as did a former workshop.

We enjoyed our time at the museum, learning about an important time in our country’s history that has long since gone.

This place, although listed as one of the top tourist attractions in Baltimore, is geared towards two demographics:
- Children who are into Thomas the Tank Engine and are therefore obsessed with trains
- Adults who kept the flame alive for their burning passion, years later

Anyone who is in the middle, can skip this museum.
The gist is this:

- An area where you can see model trains behind glass. I could see that being of value.
- A small room full of clocks explaining USA time zones
- They offer you a 15 minute train ride for $3, or $10 for "first class." I chose the standard fare. When boarding the train, I didn't see any difference between the two and it didn't seem like the "conductor" cared too much where you sat. The train ride itself was extremely lame. One side you see nothing except grass covered hills and trees brushing by extremely close. The other side is even worse with the trashy parts of Baltimore. There may have been an audio tour aspect to it but I couldn't hear much. It felt like an unnecessary ride on the Metra/Amtrak. Colossal waste of time. Thank goodness I didn't buy "first class."

2 stars and not 1 because:
- Information/exhibits about the Underground railroad and racial discrimination (important subject matter, but unfortunately nothing new)
- There was a large replica of the Camden Yards area along with famous parts of the city on Eutaw Street, Mt. Vernon, etc. In the replica, it shows 1997 Orioles facing the Mariners in the ALDS. That was dope.
- The amount of trains they have in their station were marvelous and there were a few you could climb onto. I did learn about some information on some of the trains (and their routes) that were docked there (like the Ma&Pa)

I was expecting films, more interactive exhibits, more learning about different historical aspects such as how the Vanderbilts (and other families) built the railways, immigrant labor, train robberies, experiencing what it was like to sit/sleep in those cross country coaches, etc. It's possible some of that information was on a placard but they should've done more.

My question for adults who are into trains or late 19th century US History, did you learn anything?

This is one cool museum. The collection of old locomotives is impressive. Go on a good weather day so you can spend time outside among the locomotives and attached cars. The round house building is a great indoor venue full of historic locomotives. Great for kids of all ages.

This museum is a great place to go to check out a variety of trains and learn some very interesting history. It is a short distance from the hustle and bustle of the inner harbor. But more of a quiet retreat. Tons of activities and information for kids (and adults) of all ages.

One must visit the B&O Railroad museum. We visited around Christmas, and there was so much to do for the children.

When you are tired of exploring the inner harbor, take the short car ride to the B & O Museum. Plenty of parking, reasonably high admission charge, and a plethora of steam locomotives the likes of which you've probably never seen before. Going back over a century and a half, they are beautifully restored and painted up - set in the giant Mount Clare roundhouse. Only a few cars can you actually enter, the rest of the locomotives are over the top eye candy. Walk over then to the annex and check out the giant 490 yellow Hudson and other past age artifacts.

If you love trains and all that pertains, you could hardly find a better spot to spend an afternoon. Dozens of engines and cars rest on the roundhouse rails, and others outside, to be entered or admired from below. Regular trips can be taken on the short line that runs a few miles up and down, a historic relic of the railroad past. Keep an eye out for special exhibits and events, and there is a lot for kids of all ages to attract and inspire with memories of a classic age of travel.

We went to the B&O with our son and 2-year-old grandson for the first time around Christmastime 2016, and although very crowded, it was just a magical experience for the little guy, and for us. Plenty of hands-on activities for kids, and the trains are fascinating to us old folks.

Recommend getting there early, particularly at holiday time and on weekends.

One of our favorite placed during our recent trip to Baltimore. Lots of history in this building; pleasingly unexpected. Definitely will return again.

The museum is really quite nice especially if they have a special event such as the turntable demonstration happening. It is a bit expensive at $18 for an adult but there is a lot to see and its well displayed. The $3 extra for the train ride on the 1st mile of track out and back is just OK. the carriages you ride in are not well maintained and the 'scenery' leaves much to be desired with the exception of a few notable spots. There is commentary on the ride, but the amount of kids and people talking you cant hear it. While it is on the more expensive side for a museum it was worthwhile use of a day.

Great place for adults and kids-- I am not a big fan of trains - but found it very interesting, I loved the design of the building as well. There is a play section for kids and a carousel. So something for everyone.
We did not get to ride a train , it was too cold - but there is a whole outside section as well, so extra to do in nice weather.

My 3 year old absolutely adores the museum. He loves the train engines he can board and pretend to drive. The winter holiday season is especially magical with extra decorations and events. The roundhouse itself is quite beautiful. Unfortunately, it would be extremely expensive to cool the space, so it's incredibly hot and humid in the summer months. We have a membership which is good for two adults and four children, and it's been well worth the cost though there are quite a few blackout dates to keep in mind when planning a trip.

So originally our company had another museum in mind for one of our off-site venues for our annual conference. However after visiting this venue we just had to select it. The WOW factor was just too much to overlook or forget. We wanted to share that experience to our conference attendees. Excellent to work with.

The museums collection of engines and other equipment is extensive and impressive. The staff is very knowledgeable and can answer your questions.

The architecture of the roundhouse is spectacular.

I have a 13 month old and I was initially worried that there would not be enough activities for him at The Polar Express at the B&O Railroad Museum... boy was I wrong! The entrance is beautifully decorated and there are plenty of games, refreshments and entertainment while you wait to board your train. They played Christmas music and scenes from The Polar Express movie on a giant screen. That definitely made waiting for the train much more enjoyable! The actors were amazing! It felt like we were actually on a film set watching from the sidelines. The train ride was magical, the actors sang and danced just like The Polar Express book and movie. The hot chocolate and cookies were delicious! Santa was amazing, no fake beard or pillows there! After the train ride the roundhouse was decorated like a true winter wonderland! Make sure you go inside the Christmas tree, it was truly beautiful.

All in all a wonderful experience, I can't wait to take my son again next year.

Visited after their recent reopening with my grandsons, 8 yr & 4 yr. While some things were beyond their interest, they were wowed by the roundhouse and all the trains inside. There were a few they could walk one and explore.
We splurged and also did the train ride and amusement rides. The train ride takes you on the same rails that were the first 1 1/2 miles of commercial rail track in the country. With a choice of 2 car types, the first class included a snack and drink per person.
There were also several amusement style rides for the kids, beside an outdoor model train display.
Overall, a great experience with the boys. We spent about 2 1/2 hours here.

This is a great museum to visit whether or not you like trains, just for the insight into US history or the development of engineering techniques.

I try to visit every few years whenever we find ourselves in Baltimore,

This time I was delighted to see a locomotive that I didn't know existed in the real world as for me it was from a childhood series of books from 70 years ago.

The Dilly Puff from Toby Twirl books.

Great for all ages.

If you are into railroading, this is a must-stop. This is the exact point where the first US railroad was started. Plus, you would not believe how many locomotives they have on site. This is a beautiful museum with very knowledgeable staff and volunteers.

I am a real train fan and this is a wonderful place to visit to experience trains of all sorts close up. The main exhibit area is the old coach round house, (newly restored because of major snow damage several years ago) The roundhouse is filled with antique engines many of which can be climbed on and studied close up. There is also an extensive outdoor display of trains , mostly of a more recent era than inside. One of the old coaches contains a beautiful small model train display. You can also visit the repair shops where old engines and coaches are being restored.

This museum has a great selection of historic trains that take you through American history. They are well preserved and the museum is clean.

The model train display is the full length of a train car and is air conditioned!

The train ride was fun and informational.