Baltimore museum opens $38 million expansion to mark 200 years of rail history

The National Museum of Railroad History and Innovation in Baltimore will open its $38 million campus expansion on Jan. 28, 2027. The opening coincides with the start of a national commemoration for the 200th anniversary of American railroading.

The project transforms the 40-acre campus, which sits on the grounds where the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad laid the first commercial tracks in the United States. The museum is a National Historic Landmark, a Smithsonian affiliate, and part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The renovation centers on the South Car Works building, a 33,000-square-foot structure that operated as a railroad repair facility from 1869 to 1990.

The restored building will house the new Innovation Hall. This exhibit is designed to showcase current and future rail technologies, including magnetic propulsion and data-driven freight systems. Visitors will be able to interact with exhibits that demonstrate how emerging tools are changing the movement of people and goods. The space also includes new classrooms for youth education and public events.

For the first time, the museum will make its extensive archives available to the public. The collection contains more than 30 million documents, 260,000 photographs, and 200,000 artifacts. These records span two centuries of American history and include board minutes from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad dating to 1827. The archive also holds employee records, presidential correspondence, and genealogical recordings.

Kris Hoellen, the museum’s executive director, stated that the site is the ideal location for the bicentennial celebration. “There is no better place to celebrate 200 years of American railroading than at the birthplace where it began,” Hoellen said. He added that guests can experience the full history of the industry, from riding the first commercial track to seeing future innovations in the new hall.

Jon Goldman, head curator, noted that the museum previously lacked the space to display the full scope of its collection. “Until now, we did not have the capacity to display the full breadth of our extraordinary archive,” Goldman said. He said the new space allows the public to explore stories about how people lived, worked, and traveled over the past two centuries.

The expansion includes changes to the museum’s exterior and public access. The campus features a new outdoor amphitheater and a free community garden. The front entrance has been reoriented to face the Southwest Baltimore neighborhood. This design removes a large retaining wall and aims to improve connectivity with local residents. Hoellen described the architectural change as a commitment to making the grounds a civic gathering space that encourages local economic investment.

The new exhibits build on the museum’s existing collection of 19th-century rolling stock, including The Tom Thumb. Current displays trace the role of railroads in the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and the fight against segregated transit. One exhibit features an authentic passenger car from the Jim Crow era that visitors can walk through. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets for the expanded museum experience are available online for $27 for adults, $17.50 for seniors, and $17 for children. The museum offers sensory programming for neurodivergent visitors and accommodations for special events.